UW Fallacy vs. UW Fact

Danielle Lawry

Several fallacies about UW–Madison and higher education have arisen in recent years. Read on to get the scoop about these misconceptions as they affect Badger students and alumni.

Fallacy: UW–Madison is financially inaccessible for many and offers little financial aid.

Fact: Of the 16 public Big Ten schools, UW–Madison was fifth-lowest in tuition and fees in 2025–26. UW–Madison has boosted its financial aid by nearly 20 percent since 2021–22, with students receiving $738 million in financial aid in 2024–25.

Fallacy: A college education often results in debt.

Fact: Two-thirds of UW–Madison students graduate with zero debt. More than 6,500 students have benefited from free tuition since 2018 through the Bucky’s Tuition Promise program.

Fallacy: Earning a degree takes longer than the traditional four years.

Fact: The average time to degree at UW–Madison in 2024–25 was 3.78 years, due to advanced-credit programs and skillful advising.

Fallacy: A college education is no longer worth the cost.

Fact: UW alumni, on average, see their salaries double within 10 years of graduation. Among UW–Madison bachelor’s degree recipients surveyed in 2024–25, 91 percent agreed that the university had prepared them for the next step in their career path.

Fallacy: It’s hard for Wisconsin residents to get into UW–Madison.

Fact: Applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are ranked in the top 5 percent of their class are guaranteed admission. In 2025, the university enrolled 3,828 in-state freshmen — the most since 2021. UW–Madison also has a guaranteed transfer-admission agreement with other Universities of Wisconsin schools.

Published in the Winter 2026 issue