02 Oct UW–Madison enrollment tops 50,000; freshman class includes second-highest number ever of Wisconsin residents
Students and pedestrians walk along Bascom Hill near Bascom Hall between class periods during the first day of fall semester classes on Sept. 6, 2023. There are 9,095 new freshmen and transfer students on campus this fall, and total enrollment at UW–Madison has topped 50,000 for the first time in the school’s history. Photo: Bryce Richter
Total campus enrollment at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a record 50,662 students — the first time the figure has topped 50,000 — and the new freshman class includes the second-highest number ever of Wisconsin residents at 3,813.
The number of applications from prospective freshmen and transfer students also hit a high this year at 67,979.
“From the record number of applicants to our national rankings, UW–Madison continues to be highly respected and much in demand,” says Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “I am also pleased that our incoming class of new freshmen and transfer students expands on UW–Madison’s strong commitment to Wisconsin families and to the state.”
There are 9,095 new freshmen and transfer students on campus this fall. Of those, 4,436 are Wisconsin residents. The freshman class of 7,966 students includes 3,813 Wisconsin residents, an increase in Wisconsin residents over last year. This occurred despite the university purposely reducing the overall size of its freshman class by hundreds.
The university continues to invest heavily in these Wisconsin resident students. Almost one in four Wisconsin residents new to campus this fall will be covered by either Bucky’s Tuition Promise or the new Bucky’s Pell Pathway. The latter provides a route to a debt-free education for Wisconsin residents who qualify.
The freshman class includes the highest percentage of underrepresented students of color in the university’s history, rising from 16.6% last year to 17.8% this year.