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Everything we have for Pennsylvania State and U. Wisconsin-Madison, grouped like the topic pages. Differences only hides the rows where they match or only one reports.
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| Metric | Pennsylvania State | U. Wisconsin-Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Getting in | ||
| Admissions data | Fall 2024 | Fall 2026Fall 2026 |
| Acceptance rate | 61% | 45% |
| Acceptance rate, men / women | 58% / 63% | 42% / 48% |
| Acceptance rate, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Yield, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Applicants | 88,478 | 79,600Fall 2026 |
| Admitted | 53,579 | 29,782 |
| Enrolled | 9,169 | 8,587Fall 2026 |
| Yield | 17% | 29% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1240–1420 | 1380–1520 |
| ACT middle 50% | 27–32 | 29–33 |
| Sent an SAT | 3,547 (38%)Fall 2022 | – |
| Sent an ACT | 654 (7%)Fall 2022 | – |
| Scored 1400+ on the SAT | 22%Fall 2022 | – |
| Scored 30+ on the ACT | 43%Fall 2022 | – |
| Admission: High school GPA | Required | Required |
| Admission: High school record | Required | Required |
| Admission: Class rank | Not considered | Considered |
| Admission: College-prep program | Considered | Required |
| Admission: Recommendations | Not considered | Required |
| Admission: Essay | Considered | Required |
| Admission: Legacy status | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: Work experience | Not considered | Considered |
| Admission: Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Admission: Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
| Average high school GPA | 3.68Fall 2022 | – |
| First-years in the top tenth of their class | 33% (of the 32% with a rank)Fall 2022 | – |
| Early decision | – | – |
| Early action | Offered, restrictive2022–23 | – |
| Wait list | 419 admitted of 2,384 who acceptedFall 2022 | – |
| Admission: Rigor of high school record | – | – |
| Admission: Test scores | – | – |
| Admission: Interview | – | – |
| Admission: Extracurricular activities | – | – |
| Admission: Talent or ability | – | – |
| Admission: Character and personal qualities | – | – |
| Admission: First generation | – | – |
| Admission: Geographic residence | – | – |
| Admission: State residency | – | – |
| Admission: Religious affiliation | – | – |
| Admission: Volunteer work | – | – |
| Admission: Demonstrated interest | – | – |
| Test policy | Test-optional | Test-optional |
| Application fee | $65 | $70 |
| Deadlines & deposit | Reply by May 1 or 2 wk · $100 housing depositFall 2023 cycle | – |
| Gap year allowed | Yes, up to One YearFall 2023 cycle | – |
| Credit for AP exams | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer acceptance rate | 57%Fall 2022 | – |
| Students & campus | ||
| Setting | City: Small | City: Large |
| Carnegie class | Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large | Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large |
| Research activity | R1: very high research | R1: very high research |
| Student access & earnings | Lower Access, Medium Earnings | Lower Access, Higher Earnings |
| HBCU, tribal, land-grant | Land-grant | Land-grant |
| Minority-serving, single-sex | None | None |
| Religious affiliation | None | None |
| Athletics | Division I FBS | Division I FBS |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| ROTC | Army, Navy, Air Force | Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered | Offered |
| Undergraduate research program | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar | Semesters | Semesters |
| Undergrads | 42,284 | 36,902 |
| Beds in college housing | 14,238 | 8,949 |
| First-years must live on campus | No | No |
| Men in a fraternity | – | – |
| Women in a sorority | – | – |
| Fraternity/sorority housing | Offered2022–23 | – |
| Greek councils present | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 |
| Pell Grant | 14% | 16% |
| First-gen | 29% | 17% |
| Men / women | 53% / 47% | 47% / 53% |
| Part-time students | 2% | 5% |
| Students 25 and older | 2% | 3% |
| First-years from in state | 53% | 45% |
| First-years from other states | 40% | 46% |
| First-years from abroad | 7% | 9% |
| New transfer students this fall | 347 | 1,373 |
| Transfers, share of new undergraduates | 4% | 14% |
| Diversity index | 0.58 | 0.62 |
| Academics | ||
| Students per faculty member | 16 to 1 | 18 to 1 |
| Classes under 20 students | 30%Fall 2022 | – |
| Full-time faculty share | 86% | 86% |
| Average faculty salary | $119,122 | $142,066 |
| Bachelor's degrees awarded | 10,913 | 9,241 |
| Most popular majors | Psychology, General 5% · Finance, General 5% · Computer and Information Sciences, General 4% | Computer and Information Sciences, General 8% · Economics, General 6% · Psychology, General 5% |
| Instruction spending per student | $15,699 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $21,417 (public, GASB accounting) |
| Endowment per student | $80,151 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $131,082 (public, GASB accounting) |
| Tuition share of core revenue | 42% | 21% |
| Cost & aid | ||
| Average cost, all students (est.) | $44,836 | $37,931 |
| Aid generosity (grants ÷ full price) | 9% | 14% |
| Net price, students with grants | $27,889 | $14,235 |
| Sticker price, in-state | $39,892 | $28,905 |
| Sticker price, out-of-state | $59,846 | $58,303 |
| Tuition guarantee | No | No |
| Promise program | No | Yes |
| Tuition & fees, in-state | $20,234 | $11,205 |
| Tuition & fees, out-of-state | $40,188 | $40,603 |
| First-years paying out-of-state rates | 46% | 52% |
| First-years with grants | 37% | 35% |
| Average grant | $11,336 | $17,741 |
| Aid from the college | 34% | 32% |
| Need-based aid up to | Little need-based aid above $110K | Little need-based aid above $110K |
| Merit for students without need | – | – |
| Published promise | – | – |
| Aid forms | FAFSAFall 2023 entrants | – |
| Aid priority date or deadline | – | – |
| Need met, first-years | 62%2022–23 | – |
| Average aid package, first-years | $10,8852022–23 | – |
| College grant dollars given as merit | 22%2022–23 | – |
| Aid for international students | Not offered2022–23 | – |
| Outcomes | ||
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $63,435 | $73,792 |
| Graduation rate | 86% | 89% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients | 81% | 86% |
| Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 87% | 91% |
| Pell graduation gap | 6 pts lower | 4 pts lower |
| Finished within 4 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Graduated in 6 years, White students | 88% | 90% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Asian students | 85% | 90% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Hispanic/Latino students | 81% | 87% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Black students | 75% | 86% |
| Graduated in 6 years, students of two or more races | 76% | 85% |
| Graduated in 6 years, international students | 82% | 87% |
| Retention rate | 93% | 96% |
| Credential within 4 years, all students | 70% | 73% |
| Credential within 8 years, all students | 85% | 89% |
| Enrolled at another college, 8 years on | 11% | 7% |
| Median debt | $25,000 | $20,484 |
| Undergrads with a federal loan | 40% | 20% |
| Median debt, Pell Grant recipients | $20,980 | $16,848 |
| Website | psu.edu | wisc.edu |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2022–23, Fall 2022;Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2022–23, 2022–23;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2022–23, Fall 2023 cycle;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;National directories of campus chapters and groups, October 2026;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2022–23, Fall 2023 entrants;Common Data Set, 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