University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

UW was first established in 1848, the same year as the state of Wisconsin. In 1849, a class of 17 students met at the Madison Female Academy. By the next year, the university had purchased 50 acres of land in downtown Madison. Women were first admitted to the university in 1863, and the Graduate School was established in 1904. In 1971, the government of Wisconsin merged the University of Wisconsin system with the Wisconsin State Universities system, putting UW Madison at the head of an addition roster of nine universities and four underclassmen branches.

The culture of UW Madison has been shaped by the

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Information Summary

Ranks 2nd in Wisconsin and 188th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	92.9
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$26,025
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	32 / 1450
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	18 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	95% / 75%
Enrollment Total (all students)	43,463

Academics

There are 20 schools at UW with 135 undergraduate majors, 151 master

Most Popular Fields of Study

Gallery

Admissions

68% of applicants are admitted to UW-Madison. Most application materials are due by February 1 for the following fall.

Financial Aid

In addition to the standard forms of financial aid open to college and university students, UW-Madison offers several grants, scholarships, and work opportunities of their own. Most scholarships require application by May 1 for the following fall.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 1906th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Wisconsin.

Students

Student Unions

Memorial Union, on the shore of Lake Mendota, is the center of campus life. First built in 1928 as a tribute to World War I veterans, it continues to be home to art galleries, a live arts theatre, a movie theatre, and the Craftshop, where classes and studios for the arts offer a panoply of activities for students, staff, faculty, and the public. Memorial Union is also home to the popular German pub Rathskeller, where patrons play backgammon and drink Rathskeller Ale.

A second campus union, Union South, is largely used by students in the sciences. It houses a bowling alley, a movie theatre, and a dance floor.

Clubs and Organizations

There are more than 750 different student clubs and organizations at UW-Madison. Every April the alumni association and the student board collaborate with local businesses and student groups on the week-long All-Campus Party (ACP). Events at the ACP include a Wisconsin-specific version of American Idol, a free

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

The athletics department at UW-Madison is known as the Badgers, with a mascot named Bucky Badger. The Bucky fight song,

Alumni

The list of impressive alumni from UW Madison is huge. Nobel Prize winners included Saul Bellow, John Bardeen, Paul Boyer, Herbert Spencer Gasser, Alan G. MacDiarmid, Stanford Moore, Erwin Neher, Edward Lawrie Tatum, John H. Van Vleck, and Theodore Schultz. Entertainers include Don Ameche, Tamara Braun, Joan Cusack, Honor Ford-Smith, Uta Hagin, Sorrel Hays, Steve Miller, Jemeel Moondoc, Kevin Murphy, Ken Navarro, Gena Rowlands, Boz Scaggs, Charlie Trotter, Butch Vig, Jerry Zucher, and many, many, more.

Faculty

There are over 2,000 faculty members at UW with large numbers of published authors, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, and internationally renowned researchers among them. One of the most famous, Professor James Thomson, was the first researcher to isolate human embryonic stem cells.

Bibliography

Student Activities. University of Wisconsin Madison. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.

Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.

Outreach. University of Wisconsin Madison. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.

Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That

University of Wisconsin-Madison