Tuition Trends for Wisconsin colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 85 colleges in Wisconsin - 32 public and 53 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in Wisconsin is $8,324 for Wisconsin residents and $16,528 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $31,943. For Wisconsin community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $4,658 for state residents and $6,771 for out-of-state students.

Wisconsin public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees increased by 9.38% from $7,966 (2015) to $8,713 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 3.83% over the past decade from $15,919 (2015) to $16,528 (2024). In private Wisconsin colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 26.56%, from $24,732 (2015) to $31,302 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 14.50% when living on campus and by 11.90% when living off campus at public Wisconsin colleges. For private Wisconsin colleges, the COA has increased by 27.36% (on-campus) and 25.24% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of Wisconsin colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$19,640	$27,593	$36,406	$20,060	$28,013	$36,826
2015-16	$20,064 2.16%	$28,428 3.03%	$37,390 2.70%	$20,026 -0.17%	$28,390 1.35%	$37,352 1.43%
2016-17	$20,630 2.82%	$28,721 1.03%	$38,691 3.48%	$20,686 3.30%	$28,777 1.36%	$38,747 3.73%
2017-18	$20,973 1.66%	$28,345 -1.31%	$39,754 2.75%	$21,119 2.09%	$28,491 -0.99%	$39,900 2.98%
2018-19	$21,259 1.36%	$28,776 1.52%	$39,700 -0.14%	$20,949 -0.80%	$28,466 -0.09%	$39,390 -1.28%
2019-20	$21,223 -0.17%	$29,366 2.05%	$41,003 3.28%	$20,854 -0.45%	$28,997 1.87%	$40,634 3.16%
2020-21	$21,484 1.23%	$29,735 1.26%	$41,651 1.58%	$21,285 2.07%	$29,536 1.86%	$41,452 2.01%
2021-22	$21,865 1.77%	$30,159 1.43%	$42,607 2.30%	$21,458 0.81%	$29,752 0.73%	$42,200 1.80%
2022-23	$22,456 2.70%	$30,695 1.78%	$43,578 2.28%	$22,077 2.88%	$30,316 1.90%	$43,199 2.37%
2023-24	$23,779 5.89%	$31,594 2.93%	$46,368 6.40%	$23,532 6.59%	$31,347 3.40%	$46,121 6.76%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for Wisconsin colleges is $8,713 for Wisconsin residents and $16,528 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $32,247.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $11,222 for Wisconsin residents and $20,266 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $17,570.

The tuition & fees has increased 3.83% for undergraduate programs and 6.15% for graduate programs at Wisconsin colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for Wisconsin colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$7,966	$15,919	$24,732	$8,811	$17,839	$15,019
2015-16	$8,024 0.73%	$16,388 2.95%	$25,350 2.50%	$8,929 1.34%	$18,085 1.38%	$15,049 0.20%
2016-17	$8,536 6.38%	$16,627 1.46%	$26,597 4.92%	$9,121 2.15%	$17,726 -1.99%	$15,610 3.73%
2017-18	$8,508 -0.33%	$15,880 -4.49%	$27,289 2.60%	$9,170 0.54%	$17,278 -2.53%	$15,985 2.40%
2018-19	$8,547 0.46%	$16,064 1.16%	$26,988 -1.10%	$9,239 0.75%	$17,400 0.71%	$15,465 -3.25%
2019-20	$8,205 -4.00%	$16,348 1.77%	$27,985 3.69%	$9,305 0.71%	$18,749 7.75%	$16,150 4.43%
2020-21	$8,222 0.21%	$16,473 0.76%	$28,389 1.44%	$9,348 0.46%	$18,833 0.45%	$16,190 0.25%
2021-22	$8,262 0.49%	$16,556 0.50%	$29,004 2.17%	$9,410 0.66%	$18,926 0.49%	$16,261 0.44%
2022-23	$8,312 0.61%	$16,551 -0.03%	$29,434 1.48%	$9,916 5.38%	$20,145 6.44%	$16,763 3.09%
2023-24	$8,713 4.82%	$16,528 -0.14%	$31,302 6.35%	$9,800 -1.17%	$18,936 -6.00%	$16,862 0.59%

Wisconsin 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Wisconsin Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Wisconsin colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$943
2015-16	$929 -1.48%
2016-17	$944 1.61%
2017-18	$921 -2.44%
2018-19	$950 3.15%
2019-20	$888 -6.53%
2020-21	$903 1.69%
2021-22	$907 0.44%
2022-23	$982 8.27%
2023-24	$1,020 3.87%

Living Costs Changes

For Wisconsin colleges, the living have increased 23.26% when a student lives on campus facilities and 17.34% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for Wisconsin colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$10,731	$11,540
2015-16	$11,111 4.77%	$11,732 1.38%
2016-17	$11,150 1.49%	$11,778 2.78%
2017-18	$11,544 3.86%	$12,182 5.18%
2018-19	$11,762 2.82%	$12,419 -2.86%
2019-20	$12,130 2.97%	$12,787 2.59%
2020-21	$12,359 2.53%	$13,045 4.60%
2021-22	$12,696 3.22%	$13,321 1.82%
2022-23	$13,162 2.66%	$13,783 3.35%
2023-24	$14,046 5.47%	$14,800 6.07%

Most Searched Wisconsin Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

University of Wisconsin-Madison Public, four-years | Madison
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Public, four-years | Milwaukee
Marquette University Private, four-years | Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Platteville Public, four-years | Platteville
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Public, four-years | Oshkosh
Milwaukee School of Engineering Private, four-years | Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Stout Public, four-years | Menomonie
Carthage College Private, four-years | Kenosha
Lakeshore Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Cleveland
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Public, four-years | Whitewater

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Graduate

University of Wisconsin-Madison Public, four-years | Madison
Marquette University Private, four-years | Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Public, four-years | Stevens Point
Edgewood College Private, four-years | Madison
Wisconsin Lutheran College Private, four-years | Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Public, four-years | Milwaukee
Carthage College Private, four-years | Kenosha
Herzing University-Brookfield Private, four-years | Brookfield
Concordia University-Wisconsin Private, four-years | Mequon
Medical College of Wisconsin Private, four-years | Milwaukee

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Online Schools

Wisconsin Lutheran College Private, four-years | Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Public, four-years | Whitewater
Concordia University-Wisconsin Private, four-years | Mequon
Marquette University Private, four-years | Milwaukee
Ottawa University-Milwaukee Private, four-years | Brookfield
Edgewood College Private, four-years | Madison
Nashotah House Private, four-years | Nashotah
Northwood Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Rice Lake
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University Public, four-years | Hayward
Alverno College Private, four-years | Milwaukee

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Trade Schools

Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Janesville Private, Less than 2-years | Janesville
Aveda Institute-Madison Private, Less than 2-years | Madison
Academy of Beauty Professionals Private, Less than 2-years | Appleton
Academy of Beauty Professionals Private, Less than 2-years | Green Bay
Edgewood College Private, four-years | Madison
Waukesha County Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Pewaukee
Fox Valley Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Appleton
Western Technical College Public, 2-4 years | La Crosse
Lakeshore Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Cleveland
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University Public, four-years | Hayward

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Tuition Trends for Wisconsin colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes