Are the majority of University of Wisconsin-Madison freshmen from Wisconsin?
No. Since the 2021-22 school year the majority of freshmen have come from out of state.
No.
Since the 2021-22 school year, the majority of freshmen entering the University of Wisconsin-Madison came from outside Wisconsin:
2026-27: 8,587 / 3,920 (45.7% from Wisconsin)
2025-26: 8,500 / 3,828 (45%)
2024-25: 8,516 / 3,825 (44.9%)
2023-24: 7,966 / 3,813 (47.9%)
2022-23: 8,628 / 3,787 (43.9%)
2021-22: 8,465 / 3,859 (45.6%)
2020-21: 7,306 / 3,802 (52%)
The trend was cited by Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany during the gubernatorial campaign.
The 2026-27 freshman class included students from all 72 Wisconsin counties, all 50 states and more than 50 countries.
In 2015, UW-Madison committed to continue enrolling at least 3,600 Wisconsin residents in each freshman class.
A 2026 peer-reviewed study done by non-UW professors found that after UW-Madison removed its enrollment cap on nonresidents, tuition revenue increased 47% with “no evidence of negative effects on” resident-student enrollment.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: UW–Madison’s incoming class and the people who got them here
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Access and affordability drive record interest as UW–Madison welcomes new students from all 72 Wisconsin counties
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: UW–Madison enrolls freshman class of 8,516, drawn from record number of applicants
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: UW–Madison enrollment tops 50,000; freshman class includes second-highest number of Wisconsin residents in a decade
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: UW–Madison fall enrollment reflects strong growth, ongoing commitment to Wisconsin families
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Record-setting freshman class maintains UW–Madison’s commitment to Wisconsin families
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Meet the UW–Madison Class of 2024
- Empirical Economics: Lifting the cap on nonresident university enrollment: evidence from Wisconsin
Originally published by Wisconsin Watch.
