Frequently Asked Questions
The University of Wisconsin-Madison's budget and mission is distinct from most other state agencies. As a result, people often have questions about the university, the students it serves, its funding sources and its faculty and staff. To help answer these frequently asked questions, the Chancellor's Office - State Relations staff have put together the following information. If you would like to discuss these questions - or if you have additional questions of your own - please contact the state relations staff at 608/263-5510 or staterelations@bascom.wisc.edu.
ENROLLMENT AND STUDENTS
Q: What was the total enrollment at UW-Madison in fall 2004?
A: 41,169
Q: Of that total, how many students are from Wisconsin?
A: Undergraduate: 19,361 of 28,217 (69 percent)
Graduate: 3,089 of 8,943 (35 percent)
Q: What percent of all Wisconsin high school graduates attend UW-Madison?
A: 5.35 percent of the fall 2002 freshman class
Q: What percentage of Wisconsin residents who apply are offered admission to UW-Madison?
A: On average, approximately two-thirds each year
Q: What percentage of UW-Madison students stay in Wisconsin after graduation?
A: 45 percent of UW-Madison students who graduated in the 1990's currently live in Wisconsin
Q: What percent of UW-Madison students are minority students?
A: In 2004, 10 percent of all UW-Madison students were domestic minority students.
STATE FUNDING
Q: What is the total annual budget of UW Madison?
A: $1.898 billion in 2004-05
Q: Of the total budget, how much is funded by state taxes?
A: $369.7 million (20.0 percent of total budget). Of that amount, $259.6 million (14 percent) is for general programs and $110.1 million (6.0 percent) is for specific purposes such as utilities, debt, etc.
Q: How does this compare with state funding 10 years ago?
A: In 1995-96 about 29 percent of the UW-Madison budget was funded by state taxes.
Q: What percent of the total UW Madison budget funds administration?
A: In 2003-04 2.7 percent of our budget is desingated for core administrative activities. Our peer average, using the same definition, was 6.3 percent in 2002.
TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
Q: What is the cost of tuition and fees at UW Madison for the academic year 2004-05?
A: $5,866 for resident undergraduates and $19,866 for non-resident undergraduates
Q: How does UW Madison undergraduate tuition compare with public Big 10 institutions?
A: For residents it is 9th of the 10 other public universities, $1,676 below the peer midpoint. For nonresidents it is 4th of the 10 other public universities, $1,166 above the peer midpoint.
Q: What is the percentage of instructional costs paid by undergraduate students in 2003-04?
A: Resident undergraduates are paying 50 percent of instructional costs and non-resident undergraduates are paying 204 percent.
Q: What percentage of undergraduate students receives some type of financial aid (either federal or state grants, loans or work study)?
A: About 58 percent in 2003-04 (compared to about 50 percent ten years ago)
FACULTY AND STAFF
Q: What is the total number of UW Madison faculty and staff?
A: 16,287 FTE's in 2004-05, of which 8,159 are faculty and academic staff.
Q: What is the average faculty teaching workload?
A: Each faculty member is responsible for two group and two individual sections each semester.
Q: How much external funding do faculty bring to the university?
A: On average, each faculty member brought in $235,615 in external funding in 2003-04 to the university, which was then spent in Wisconsin.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Q: How many Wisconsin companies have been formed with UW-Madison research and/or by UW-Madison faculty and staff?
A: 218 as of the end of 2001. In the last five years, 1997-2001, an average of 13 new firms per year has been created.
Q: What is the University's estimated economic impact on Wisconsin?
A: $4.7 billion, more than a 10 to 1 annual direct return on the state's investment.
CAPITAL BUDGET
Q: What percent of the UW Madison building projects are paid for with state dollars?
A: The state's share of university building projects was 61 percent in 1985-87, but dropped to 35 percent in 2001-2003.
For detailed cost information of UW-Madison major capital projects from 1990-2001, see www.staterelations.wisc.edu/MajorCapitalProjects.pdf (.pdf file).
OTHER RESOURCES
UW-Madison Data Digest: www.bpa.wisc.edu/datadigest
UW-Madison Strategic Plan: www.chancellor.wisc.edu/strategicplan/
UW System accountability report (includes UW-Madison report): www.uwsa.edu/opar/account/index.htm
UW System Budget Q&A: www.wisconsin.edu/budget/qa.htm