Universities of Wisconsin enrollment up overall

Preliminary enrollment figures released Monday show eight colleges in the Universities of Wisconsin system have more students this year than last fall. 

Overall, enrollment is up by just over 1,000 students, according to first-day counts. The biggest jump is at UW-Madison, which saw enrollment grow by nearly 1,400 students.

The headcount is also up at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Superior and UW-Whitewater, according to preliminary estimates. 

This increase comes despite several challenges caused by the disruptive roll out of a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid financial aid form and a lack of funding for the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. 

The closure of two-year branch campuses also likely had an impact, Rothman said.

Six two-year campuses have closed, including two UW-Oshkosh branch campuses. UW-Oshkosh has about 650 fewer students this fall than last year.

The UW system is not releasing enrollment figures for the two-year branch campuses. This is the first year those numbers are not being made public. 

The overall enrollment estimate of 163,589 is the highest since 2020.

Last year, enrollment was 162,528 — the first increase since 2014. 

“Today’s enrollment growth marks our second year of increases in the face of significant headwinds,” Rothman said.

But he said public funding of university education is lagging, with Wisconsin in the bottom 10 in the nation in its public financing of the college system. Rothman said that is “making access and affordability much more difficult than it should be. Our hope is the legislature will provide relief for parents and students seeking the educational opportunities at our UWs.”

The Board of Regents recently approved a proposal to ask the Legislature for $885 million in the 2025-27 state budget. 

A portion of that money will fund the Wisconsin Tuition Promise. The program was launched in fall 2023, using money from the existing budget. It covered tuition for students from families earning $62,000 or less. 

Tuition Promise  was discontinued for the 2024-25 school year because the Universities of Wisconsin said it did not have the money to keep it going. 

It will be brought back in fall 2025 and paid for with a $5 million grant from Madison-based Ascendium Education Group. The family income threshold has been lowered to $55,000.

The most significant impact on enrollment was FAFSA completion, which was down about 9 percent in the state compared to last year, Rothman said.

“We simply didn’t see the typical late surge of enrollments that we would have in normal years and that comes down to FAFSA completion and uncertainty over financial aid awards – something that could have been helped with a tuition promise for the fall 2024 cohort,” said Rothman.

UW-Whitewater’s enrollment is the highest it has been since 2020. The Rock County campus, included in Whitewater’s 11,784 headcount, is expected to hold steady at nearly 700 students.

“We’re thrilled that more students are choosing to join the Warhawk family,” said Jackie Briggs, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment and retention. “UW-Whitewater’s commitment to student success, great teaching, inclusivity, and affordability continue to resonate. 

Preliminary headcount enrolment: 

• UW-Eau Claire: 9,969
• UW-Green Bay: 10,749
• UW-La Crosse: 10,438
• UW-Madison: 51,729
• UW-Milwaukee: 22,517
• UW Oshkosh: 13,127
• UW-Parkside: 3,875
• UW-Platteville: 6,419
• UW-River Falls: 5,093
• UW-Stevens Point: 8,263
• UW-Stout: 6,870
• • UW-Superior: 2,756
• UW-Whitewater: 11,784