Key differences on Getting in

1
U. Wisconsin-Madison's SAT midpoint is 120 points higher than Pennsylvania State's
SAT midpoint
2
U. Wisconsin-Madison's yield is 11 pts higher than Pennsylvania State's
Yield rate
3
U. Wisconsin-Madison admits 45% vs. 61% at Pennsylvania State
Acceptance rate

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

Pennsylvania State61%

U. Wisconsin-Madison45%Most selective

Applicants

Pennsylvania State88.5KMost

U. Wisconsin-Madison79.6K

Admitted

Pennsylvania State53.6KMost

U. Wisconsin-Madison29.8K

Yield rate

Pennsylvania State17%

U. Wisconsin-Madison29%Highest

Quad's selectivity

Pennsylvania StateVery selective
U. Wisconsin-MadisonVery selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

Pennsylvania State63%

U. Wisconsin-Madison48%

Men admitted

Pennsylvania State58%

U. Wisconsin-Madison42%

Test scores

SAT total,

Pennsylvania State

1240–1420

U. Wisconsin-Madison

1380–1520

Axis runs 1100–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Pennsylvania State

27–32

U. Wisconsin-Madison

29–33

Axis runs 23–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Pennsylvania State31%

U. Wisconsin-Madison15%

Submitted ACT

Pennsylvania State5%

U. Wisconsin-Madison29%

Test policy

Pennsylvania StateTest-optional
U. Wisconsin-MadisonTest-optional

How they read a record

Pennsylvania State
GPA and the high school record are required; a college-prep program is considered. 48% of first-years who sent test scores had a 3.75 or higher.
U. Wisconsin-Madison
GPA, the high school record, and a college-prep program are required; class rank is considered.

What they look at

Factor	Pennsylvania State	U. Wisconsin-Madison
High school GPA	Required	Required
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Not considered	Considered
College-prep program	Considered	Required
Recommendations	Not considered	Required
Essay	Considered	Required
Legacy status	Not considered	Not considered
Work experience	Not considered	Considered
Demonstration of competencies	Not considered	Not considered
English proficiency test	Required	Required
Other tests	Not considered	Not considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;University of Wisconsin-Madison (Fall 2026), Fall 2026About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why