UW-Madison vs University of Iowa (UIowa)

Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Iowa stand as two prominent beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. This side-by-side comparison delves into the intricacies of each university, highlighting key differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Whether you're a prospective student seeking the ideal academic environment or a curious individual eager to explore the nuances of these esteemed institutions, this comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights to guide your decision-making process.

	University of Iowa	University of Wisconsin-Madison
Overview
Location	Iowa City, Iowa	Madison, Wisconsin
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	88.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.2%	60.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1130 - 1350	1320 - 1500
ACT range	22 - 29	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	18.0%	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	65.0%	55.0%
Total number of applicants	22,434	53,781
Total number of admissions given out	19,340	32,459
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,521	8,465
Yield rate	23.4%	26.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,686 Out of state: $46,649	In state: $27,418 Out of state: $55,306
Average net price	$17,599	$13,484
Tuition	In state: $8,356 Out of state: $30,319	In state: $9,273 Out of state: $37,161
Room & board	$11,780	Room/dormitory: $7,367 Meal plan: $4,100
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	71.0% Average amount $11,007	54.0% Average amount $10,932
Students receiving federal student loan	44.0% Average amount $5,282	26.0% Average amount $5,175
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $16,747	6.0% Average amount $16,550

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	21,608 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%	34,561 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students	8,301 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%	12,455 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	50.6%
International students	5.4%	13.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,660	9,226
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Illinois Minnesota Wisconsin California	Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota California New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Engineering Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Social Sciences Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.7%	89.2%
Dropout rate	7.2%	10.0%
Transferred out	17.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $125,938 Year 2: $134,155 Year 3: $142,171 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $85,649 Year 2: $112,215 Year 3: $121,442 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,222 Year 2: $96,991 Year 3: $113,045 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $107,534 Year 2: $103,913 Year 3: $108,049 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,863 Year 2: $69,757 Year 3: $81,687 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $61,283 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $81,057 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,973 Year 2: $69,657 Year 3: $80,787 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,231 Year 2: $71,351 Year 3: $80,592 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,094 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $78,583 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,942 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $71,106	Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $107,256 Year 3: $131,458 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $113,083 Year 2: $111,992 Year 3: $130,357 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,390 Year 2: $113,091 Year 3: $124,360 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $96,320 Year 2: $117,042 Year 3: $123,777 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,338 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $111,424 Real Estate (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $115,339 Year 3: $104,219 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $115,387 Year 2: $100,213 Year 3: $103,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,839 Year 2: $81,997 Year 3: $97,306 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $85,538 Year 3: $94,093 Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,730 Year 2: $73,949 Year 3: $91,306

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