Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    U. Wisconsin-Madison's yield is 7 pts higher than Ohio State's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    U. Wisconsin-Madison's SAT midpoint is 55 points higher than Ohio State's

    SAT midpoint
  3. 3

    U. Wisconsin-Madison admits 45% vs. 61% at Ohio 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
U. Wisconsin-Madison45%
Ohio State61%
Applicants
U. Wisconsin-Madison79.6K
Ohio State72.8K
Admitted
U. Wisconsin-Madison29.8K
Ohio State44.1K
Yield rate
U. Wisconsin-Madison29%
Ohio State22%

Quad's selectivity

  • U. Wisconsin-MadisonVery selective
  • Ohio StateVery selective

Men and women

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

Women admitted
U. Wisconsin-Madison48%
Ohio State62%
Men admitted
U. Wisconsin-Madison42%
Ohio State60%

Test scores

SAT total,

U. Wisconsin-Madison
1380–1520
Ohio State
1310–1480

Axis runs 1200–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

U. Wisconsin-Madison
29–33
Ohio State
28–32

Axis runs 24–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT
U. Wisconsin-Madison15%
Ohio State17%
Submitted ACT
U. Wisconsin-Madison29%
Ohio State31%

Test policy

  • U. Wisconsin-MadisonTest-optional
  • Ohio StateTest-optional

How they read a record

  • U. Wisconsin-Madison

    GPA, the high school record, and a college-prep program are required; class rank is considered.

  • Ohio State

    GPA, the high school record, class rank, and a college-prep program are required.

What they look at

FactorU. Wisconsin-MadisonOhio State
High school GPA RequiredRequired
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank ConsideredRequired
College-prep program RequiredRequired
Recommendations RequiredConsidered
Essay RequiredRequired
Legacy status Not consideredNot considered
Work experience ConsideredConsidered
Demonstration of competencies Not consideredNot considered
English proficiency test RequiredRequired
Other tests Not consideredNot considered
All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;University of Wisconsin-Madison (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent releaseAbout 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