Tuition and Fees

Tuition is the part of a student’s college expenses that pays for the academic experience: courses, administration of academic departments and programs, and so on.

Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance at UW-Madison.  For more information on the cost of attendance, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Understanding the Tuition Rates Workbook

The tuition rates workbook includes current tuition and segregated fee rates charged to students.  The full schedule is found under the ‘Tuition and Fee Schedule’ tab. Students are also able to search for specific tuition rates by major and degree level under the ‘Tuition Rates by Program and Degree Level’ tab. Tuition rates include segregated fees.

Students can find their officially assessed tuition rate by accessing their MyUW Student Center. Select ‘Financial Account’ to view the account balance.  Navigate to the Manage My Payment section and select “Manage My Payment” to access your student account eBill.

View Tuition Rates Workbook

About Tuition Rates

For University of Wisconsin schools, including UW–Madison, tuition is determined by the UW System Board of Regents, based on budgets approved by the Wisconsin governor and legislature. The Madison Budget Office determines the rates for each academic program at UW-Madison.  Historical tuition rates can also be found on the Madison Budget Office website.

Fall and Spring term rates are set in late July or early August, and the workbook is updated as soon as possible after that. Rates for Summer term are usually posted in late March.

How tuition is calculated

A student’s individual tuition rate is calculated based on a number of factors including Academic Program, the number of credits taken and residency status.

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Academic Program

Tuition rates vary by academic program (also referred to as career). Students will be assessed at a different rate for Undergraduate, Graduate, Dissertator, Capstone, etc.

Credits

Most academic programs have tuition rates based on the number of credits the student is enrolled in during a semester. Some programs have a range of credits that is considered the “full-time” rate, and students are assessed that rate for all number of credits within the full-time rate. For example, the Undergraduate full-time range is 12 to 18 credits in a Fall or Spring semester: a student taking 12 credits will be charged the same tuition rate as the student taking 17 credits.

Tuition surcharge over 165 completed credits: Wisconsin resident Undergraduate students who have completed more than 165 credits will be assessed a 100% tuition surcharge on any credits over 165, with some exceptions.

Residence

Tuition rates are also assessed depending on a student’s official residence for tuition purposes status. All students are required to establish their residence status as a part of admission or reentry to UW-Madison.

Types of Residence Status:

  • Wisconsin — The Wisconsin State Legislature allows a special rate for students who are classified as Wisconsin residents. This rate is officially called ‘resident tuition’; it’s also commonly called ‘in-state’ tuition.
  • Minnesota — Minnesota residents may be eligible for the Minnesota Reciprocity rate.  Application and approval for Minnesota Reciprocity is managed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.  When a student is approved for the Minnesota rate, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education submits that approval to the Registrar’s Office.
  • Nonresident  — Students who are not Wisconsin residents and who are not eligible for Minnesota Reciprocity will be assessed the Nonresident tuition rate.
  • International  — International tuition rates are assessed for students with an active F-1 or J-1 visa on record with the University. Visa status for international students is maintained by the International Student Services office and the Office of the Registrar.

Other Types of Fees

In addition to tuition, there are other fees that may be assessed on a student’s account.  Some of these fees are one-time fees; others may be assessed each semester depending on the student’s status, enrollment date, courses taken and if the student is living in University Housing.

  • Segregated Fees are charges, in addition to tuition, assessed to all students. Segregated fees pay for student services, activities, programs, and facilities that support the mission of University of Wisconsin System institutions, including UW-Madison.
  • Housing and Dining charges are assessed to students living in the Residence Halls and participating in the dining meal plan.
  • eTextbook Fee is charged to students who register for courses participating in the e-text program
  • Registrar Office Document Fee is a mandatory one-time fee that covers the cost of official university documents (such as transcripts).
  • New Student Fee is charged to all undergraduates in their first semester.
  • FSL Community Contribution Fee is charged to each fraternity and sorority member every semester.
  • International Student Fee is applicable to students who are at UW-Madison on F1 or J1 visas and supports the International Student Services office.
  • Late Registration Fee is assessed to students who begin enrolling in courses after a specific date each term.

Tuition Adjustment on Dropped Courses

Tuition adjustment and refund is dependent on a number of factors, including the student’s academic program, number of credits taken and the date the drop occurs.  Students should review the tuition adjustment calendar and work with their academic advisor before dropping a class.

Contact

Call the Bursar's Office

Phone: (608) 262-3611

Fax the Bursar's Office

Fax: (608) 265-3201

Bursar's Office hours

Monday – Friday
Virtual Services available 8 AM – 4 PM

Find the Bursar's Office

333 East Campus Mall #10501
Madison, WI 53715-1383