Key differences on Outcomes
- 1
U. Wisconsin-Madison grads earn $10.4K more ten years out than Pennsylvania State's ($73,792 vs. $63,435)
Median earnings, 10 yrs - 2
U. Wisconsin-Madison graduates 4 pts more of its students than Pennsylvania State (89% vs. 86%)
Graduation rate
Outcomes
Outcomes
Earnings and finishing
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Pennsylvania State$63.4K
U. Wisconsin-Madison$73.8KHighest
Graduation rate
Pennsylvania State86%
U. Wisconsin-Madison89%Highest
Retention rate
Pennsylvania State93%
U. Wisconsin-Madison96%Highest
Borrowing
Median debt
Pennsylvania State$25K
U. Wisconsin-Madison$20.5KLowest
Undergrads with a federal loan
Pennsylvania State40%
U. Wisconsin-Madison20%
Median debt, Pell Grant recipients
Pennsylvania State$21K
U. Wisconsin-Madison$16.8KLowest
Eight-year outcomes
Credential within 4 years, all students
Pennsylvania State70%
U. Wisconsin-Madison73%
Credential within 8 years, all students
Pennsylvania State85%
U. Wisconsin-Madison89%
Enrolled at another college, 8 years on
Pennsylvania State11%
U. Wisconsin-Madison7%
Graduation by group
Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients
Pennsylvania State81%
U. Wisconsin-Madison86%
Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan
Pennsylvania State87%
U. Wisconsin-Madison91%
Pell graduation gap
Pennsylvania State6 pts lower
U. Wisconsin-Madison4 pts lower
Graduated in 6 years, by race and ethnicity
| Group | Pennsylvania State | U. Wisconsin-Madison |
|---|---|---|
| White | 88% | 90% |
| Asian | 85% | 90% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 81% | 87% |
| Black | 75% | 86% |
| Two or more races | 76% | 85% |
| International | 82% | 87% |
Sources:College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About 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