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Public · 4-year

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

48
D
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Weak value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Strong return
+$66,603 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.

5.1 yrs
Break-even
+97%
10-year ROI
$58,504
Median earnings as of 2024
77% of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$15,014
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$58,504
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$43,128
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$23,000
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
49%
Graduation rate as of 2024
77%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
77%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
73%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$66,603
After 10 years
$201,643
After 20 years
$336,683
After 30 years
$471,723
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$50,160
Men
$60,504

17% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$50,717
From higher-income families
$58,419

13% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$54,498
Independent students
$56,818

4% gap between the two groups

33%
First-generation students
42%
Take federal student loans
95%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 57%Hispanic 17%Asian 7%Black 10%Other 9%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$10,329
$30k–$48k$10,709
$48k–$75k$12,344
$75k–$110k$19,315
$110k+$21,477

How University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee compares

This college against the Wisconsin and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Medical Illustration and InformaticsCertificate$75,295+1,918%Strong return
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsAssociate's$85,451+1,247%Strong return
Engineering, GeneralCertificate$115,746+1,078%Strong return
Computer ScienceAssociate's$90,407$27,000+1,039%Strong return
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringAssociate's$89,916$27,000+1,027%Strong return
Industrial EngineeringAssociate's$86,436$18,544+1,026%Strong return
MathematicsAssociate's$87,751$25,250+990%Strong return
Mechanical EngineeringAssociate's$87,002$24,609+977%Strong return
Management Information Systems and ServicesAssociate's$83,079$24,250+880%Strong return
Civil EngineeringAssociate's$83,381$25,613+875%Strong return
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's$77,482$21,500+758%Strong return
Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's$76,212$23,000+713%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$75,258$22,625+691%Strong return
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingDoctoral$105,672$49,804+676%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$96,223$28,500+627%Strong return
Information Science/StudiesAssociate's$71,313$21,500+595%Strong return
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyAssociate's$70,902$22,775+576%Strong return
ChemistryAssociate's$63,792+526%Strong return
EconomicsAssociate's$68,869$25,125+509%Strong return
Microbiological Sciences and ImmunologyAssociate's$63,276+509%Strong return
Human Resources Management and ServicesAssociate's$68,182$22,950+504%Strong return
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's$68,982$26,835+503%Strong return
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingCertificate$91,630$49,135+498%Strong return
Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralCertificate$58,504$24,528+464%Strong return
Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesAssociate's$67,218$26,500+460%Strong return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

91%
Admission rate
1,090
Average SAT
22
Median ACT
16,758
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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