The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Wisconsin
What’s Covered:
- The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Wisconsin
- Tips for Saving Money on College
- How Much Will You Pay for College?
Wisconsin is home to one of the largest public university systems in the U.S., the University of Wisconsin (UW) System, which features 13 schools spread across 26 locations. The UW System is known for delivering world-class educational and research opportunities to its students, as well as being one of the best values in higher education. After all, all ten of our cheapest colleges in Wisconsin are members of the UW System.
The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Wisconsin
1. University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $8,270/$17,429
Location: Kenosha, WI
Acceptance Rate: 73%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,263
The University of Wisconsin–Parkside is the first state university in Wisconsin to earn the Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation, awarded to schools with at least 15% Hispanic enrollment. Today, Hispanic students make up 21% of the university’s student population.
UW-Parkside is located on 700 acres of the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor and is just seven miles from the Illinois border. UW-Parkside has one of the most diverse student bodies of all four-year comprehensive institutions in the UW System and roughly 60% of the school’s undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and what it takes to get accepted.
2. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $8,532/$16,446
Location: Oshkosh, WI
Acceptance Rate: 87%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 12,674
Sustainability is a point of pride at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh—the school has the distinction of being the nation’s first Fair Trade university and has been designated a Tree Campus USA for over a decade.
UW-Oshkosh is also known for its athletics, with 33 NCAA Division III championships (the second most of all the schools in the UW System). It’s not all sustainability and sports at UW-Oshkosh—the student body also knows how to let its hair down. It has a reputation as one of the country’s better party schools.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and what it takes to get accepted.
3. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $8,616/$18,716
Location: Whitewater, WI
Acceptance Rate: 83%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 9,812
Commonly called the best value in the University of Wisconsin System, UW-Whitewater has taken a multitude of steps to keep college affordable—80% of students receive financial aid, the school’s textbook rental program covers 95% of course materials, and students receive free admission to all regular season sporting events.
Speaking of athletics, UW–Whitewater is home to some of the nation’s top sports programs, with championship Division III teams in football, gymnastics, and golf, as well as competitive club teams in bowling, rugby, and ultimate frisbee.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and what it takes to get accepted.
4. University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $8,644/$17,603
Location: Platteville, WI
Acceptance Rate: 87%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,270
Founded in 1866, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is the oldest school in the UW System. The university is located in Platteville, a small city in southwest Wisconsin that’s known for being home to the world’s largest “M,” which adorns a hillside outside of town. The “M” is the official symbol of UW-Platteville and has been featured in Life Magazine as well as on MTV.
UW-Platteville has an excellent reputation for:
- Return on investment
- Rigorous academics
- Undergraduate research opportunities
- State-of-the-art labs and facilities
Approximately 86% of students receive some form of financial assistance.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and what it takes to get accepted.
5. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $8,700/$17,288
Location: Green Bay, WI
Acceptance Rate: 88%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 9,853
Helping make the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) one of the cheapest colleges in Wisconsin is its generous financial aid packages—over 60% of students qualify for financial aid.
Sustainability has been a core principle at UWGB for decades. The college boasts a massive 290-acre arboretum; employs initiatives such as saving and reusing scraps from their woodshop, painting, and sculpture classes; and maintains a student-run garden to provide firsthand experience with sustainable food practices.
Inside the classroom, students can pursue a number of environmentally related academic programs, such as:
- Biology
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Policy and Planning
- Geoscience
- Water Science
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and what it takes to get accepted.
6. University of Wisconsin-Superior
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $8,812/$16,726
Location: Superior, WI
Acceptance Rate: 94%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,086
The University of Wisconsin–Superior is committed to the liberal arts tradition and has a long history—dating back to its founding in 1893—of graduating students with strong, transferable intellectual and practical skills they’re prepared to apply in the real world.
UW-Superior students have excellent outcomes—an important consideration when determining the return on investment in a college—93% of students enter the workforce or continue their education within nine months of graduating.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Superior and what it takes to get accepted.
7. University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $9,008/$17,470
Location: River Falls, WI
Acceptance Rate: 82%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,675
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) was founded in 1874 and today is one of the 13 comprehensive universities in the University of Wisconsin System. URWF is located in the St. Croix Valley, just 30 minutes outside Minneapolis and St. Paul, offering easy access to a variety of cultural, recreational, and employment opportunities.
UWRF is a member of the Midwest Student Exchange Program—a reciprocity program that includes more than 70 institutions spread across eight states—which helps keep the school affordable to even out-of-state students.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and what it takes to get accepted.
8. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $9,488/$18,508
Location: Stevens Point, WI
Acceptance Rate: 90%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,419
There’s a lot to love about attending UW-Stevens Point, starting with its location, which commonly ranks among the nation’s best college towns and cities. Like the other schools of the UW System, sustainability is a priority here. The school is the first university in the state to have 100% of its electricity come from renewable sources and the first school in the UW System to offer composting in every academic building.
Students interested in controlling college costs will be excited to learn that 82% of all students received some form of financial aid.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and what it takes to get accepted.
9. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $9,642/$19,228
Location: Eau Claire, WI
Acceptance Rate: 76%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 9,304
Since its founding in 1916, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has cultivated an environment where students thrive and graduate ready to succeed in any endeavor. UW-Eau Claire is home to more than 200 undergraduate programs ranging from actuarial science to women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.
Outside of the classroom, UW-Eau Claire students have seemingly endless opportunities—the school is home to over 350 student organizations and club sports, intramurals, and group exercise classes.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and what it takes to get accepted.
10. University of Wisconsin-Stout
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $10,701/$19,265
Location: Menomonie, WI
Acceptance Rate: 85%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,093
The University of Wisconsin-Stout is a career-focused polytechnic institution that provides students with firsthand experience in applied learning, scientific theory, and research. Thanks in part to its cooperative education and internship programs and strong industry ties, 99% of UW–Stout graduates are employed within six months of graduation.
UW-Stout groups its majors into six career clusters (collections of majors that lead to careers with parallel skillsets or interest areas):
- Art, Design, and Graphics
- Business and Management
- Education
- Human and Social Sciences
- Information Technology and Communications
- Science, Engineering, and Math
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin-Stout and what it takes to get accepted.
Tips for Saving Money on College
For students focused on controlling their college expenses, there are numerous proven strategies for keeping the cost of college down.
Community College
Community college isn’t the idyllic college experience most students dream of; however, it can offer huge savings on college costs. It’s significantly cheaper to earn college credit at a community college compared to four-year institutions. The average cost of a college credit hour is:
- $161 for students at two-year public, in-district schools
- $456 for students at four-year public, in-state colleges
- $1,177 for students at four-year public, out-of-state colleges
- $1,642 for students at four-year private, nonprofit colleges
Students can get a low-cost start to their college careers at a community college before transferring to a four-year college and undergraduate degree program.
Finish On Time
The longer you spend in college, the greater the expense; consequently, one of the best methods to control the cost of college is to ensure you finish on time. Roughly one in five students who pursue a bachelor’s degree take longer than four years to graduate.
There are a handful of ways to ensure you graduate on time, including:
- Strategically choose your courses and avoid classes that don’t count toward your degree
- Take AP exams—many colleges award credit to students who score a 3 or higher on their AP exams
- Enroll in summer classes to earn credit and stay on schedule to graduate in four years
Scholarships
Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for students to earn extra funds for college. Many students focus on outside scholarships, either large national awards like the Profile in Courage Essay Contest or smaller regional awards provided by local organizations, companies, and individuals. However, students should first focus their scholarship efforts on the schools themselves.
Colleges and universities provide $175 billion to students annually compared to just $11 billion provided by other organizations—a fact that should get the attention of every cost-conscious college-bound student.
How Much Will You Pay for College?
Net price, a calculation that considers factors like financial aid and scholarships in addition to the sticker price, is the best metric for gauging what college will actually cost. While the overwhelming majority of colleges have their own net price calculator, our free Financial Aid Calculator lets you estimate the cost of hundreds of schools in one place and in just minutes.
