Good

Score: 64/100

Overall (traditional)

B+

Outcome Rating

74/100 · earnings-weighted

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

4-Year Public

📍 La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601

🌐 www.uwlax.edu/

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse — acceptance rate 73%, tuition $7,974 in-state, $17,014 out-of-state

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus, La Crosse, WI. Photo: TheTrashMan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Outcomes

B+

81/100

Affordability

53/100

Resources

C+

55/100

Experience

B+

81/100

Prestige

C+

51/100

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology

Quick Stats

10,299

Total Enrollment

71%

Graduation Rate

86%

Retention Rate

19.0:1

Student-Faculty Ratio

73%

Acceptance Rate

$13,125

Avg Net Price

🏠 Housing Market Near University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ▼

1% of first-year students live off campus and not with family (U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS). Upper-year students at most universities move off campus at much higher rates, so near-campus rental demand is typically larger than this figure suggests.

Avg Home Value

$303,463

Avg Monthly Rent

$1,124

1-Year Change

+8.7%

See full rental market data for 54601 →

Earnings, Debt & Completion

What happens to students who enroll at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

$60,378

Median earnings 10 yrs after entry

$49,626

Median earnings 6 yrs after entry

$22,500

Median debt at graduation

71%

Completion rate (within 150% of normal time)

1,220

Average SAT

Median ACT

14.4%

Students receiving Pell grants

Typical debt at graduation equals about 37% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.

Earnings rank: 73rd percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (WI wage index 0.92). This drives the Outcome Rating.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.

Earnings by Major at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.

Major	1 yr after	4 yrs after	vs. national	Rank (pay)	Rank (wage-adj.)	Median debt
Computer and Information Sciences	$65,243	$93,633	+1%	#164 of 459	#146	$21,470
Physics	$54,428	$80,594	+5%	#50 of 107	#35	$19,500
Management Information Systems and Services	$67,661	$80,552	-3%	#89 of 166	#85	—
Accounting and Related Services	$62,450	$78,296	+3%	#289 of 796	#254	$20,518
Finance and Financial Management Services	$55,965	$76,227	-9%	#240 of 452	#219	$20,500
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	$60,232	$75,197	+6%	#97 of 253	#95	$25,500
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	$68,564	$73,439	-3%	#50 of 93	#41	$19,500
Economics	$53,595	$71,768	-13%	#250 of 368	#222	$23,180
International Business	$49,463	$71,022	-3%	#69 of 115	#63	$19,390
Mathematics	$49,651	$69,288	+-0%	#164 of 309	#138	$23,000
Insurance	$52,242	$69,283	-22%	#17 of 21	#17	$17,584
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	$54,290	$68,454	+9%	#17 of 49	#8	$25,464
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$52,521	$67,521	-1%	#462 of 1176	#395	$23,250
Biology	$36,823	$67,446	+18%	#135 of 841	#80	$23,000
Marketing	$46,432	$61,191	-12%	#375 of 516	#348	$22,685
Public Administration	$43,632	$60,079	-8%	#29 of 47	#25	$18,648
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	$41,370	$58,908	+6%	#33 of 85	#31	$20,000
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$30,993	$58,233	+7%	#156 of 610	#141	$21,500
Political Science and Government	$35,281	$57,256	-10%	#392 of 565	#315	$20,490
Communication and Media Studies	$40,293	$56,470	+0%	#258 of 660	#198	$21,906
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$37,018	$55,614	+1%	#122 of 225	#86	$24,190
Public Health	$41,585	$55,418	-6%	#123 of 215	#107	$26,801
Psychology	$31,327	$55,173	+9%	#242 of 1027	#150	$21,282
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$44,281	$53,218	+4%	#116 of 345	#109	$25,500
History	$28,013	$50,745	+0%	#226 of 459	#174	$23,562
Sociology	$33,529	$50,737	-4%	#276 of 462	#219	$21,647
Curriculum and Instruction	$45,004	$47,047	-7%	—	—	$26,550
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$42,706	$46,328	-2%	#412 of 680	#428	$20,122
English Language and Literature	$37,748	$46,043	-5%	#379 of 576	#324	$21,000
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management	$34,490	$44,710	-11%	#43 of 55	#44	$21,666
Archeology	$29,547	$42,939	+3%	—	—	$20,475
Geography and Cartography	$37,537	—	—	—	—	$20,359
Fine and Studio Arts	$19,407	$34,880	-16%	#359 of 423	#341	$19,125

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.

For parents & investors

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Town Property Report

Avg home value near campus: $303,463
Avg rent near campus: $1,124/mo — vs ~$491/mo campus room rate
Top nearby ZIP by cap rate: 54650 (3.0% cap, Onalaska)

Get the free 1-page report: rent-vs-dorm math, the 3 best nearby ZIPs by yield, and the “kiddie condo” strategy parents use.

✓ Sent — check your inbox

Free — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.

🏆 Where University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Ranks

Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.

🥉

Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist

of 48 schools

🥉

Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

of 10 schools

Community Health and Preventive Medicine

of 23 schools

#10

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other

of 100 schools

#10

School Psychology

of 45 schools

#18

Higher Education/Higher Education Administration

of 51 schools

#20

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other

of 67 schools

#23

Exercise Science and Kinesiology

of 100 schools

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Category	In-State	Out-of-State
Tuition	$7,974	$17,014
Room	$4,423
Board	$2,922
Total Cost (On-Campus)	$19,767	$28,807

Financial Aid

75%

Receive Any Aid

13%

Receive Pell Grants

47%

Take Out Loans

$13,125

Avg Net Price

Net Price by Family Income

Family Income	Average Net Price
$0 - $30,000	$6,798
$30,001 - $48,000	$8,794
$48,001 - $75,000	$13,175
$75,001 - $110,000	$16,528
$110,001+	$17,538

Programs & Career Paths

Top Degree Programs

Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.

Biology/Biological Sciences, General 254 grads/yr Exercise Science and Kinesiology 229 grads/yr Psychology, General 204 grads/yr Finance, General 181 grads/yr Marketing/Marketing Management, General 152 grads/yr Business Administration and Management, General 136 grads/yr Elementary Education and Teaching 129 grads/yr Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other 117 grads/yr Accounting 80 grads/yr Speech Communication and Rhetoric 72 grads/yr Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist 50 grads/yr Community Health and Preventive Medicine 50 grads/yr Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy 43 grads/yr Physical Therapy/Therapist 41 grads/yr Computer and Information Sciences, General 37 grads/yr School Psychology 37 grads/yr Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other 36 grads/yr Higher Education/Higher Education Administration 35 grads/yr Sociology, General 35 grads/yr Spanish Language and Literature 32 grads/yr

Related Career Paths

Careers that graduates from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's top programs commonly pursue.

Natural sciences managers

$161k/yr 104,300 jobs

Biological scientists, all other

$93k/yr 63,700 jobs

Life scientists, all other

$88k/yr 7,800 jobs

Biological science teachers, postsecondary

$83k/yr 66,000 jobs

Forensic science technicians

$67k/yr 20,700 jobs

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

$65k/yr 1,094,500 jobs

Biological technicians

$52k/yr 82,700 jobs

Food science technicians

$49k/yr 20,400 jobs

Student Demographics

10,299

Total Students

58%

Women

97%

Traditional Age (18-24)

Off-Campus Renters

👥 Race & Ethnicity

White 88%

Hispanic 4%

Black 1%

Asian 2%

Two or More 3%

Non-Resident 1%

🏠 Living Arrangements

On Campus 95%

Off-Campus (Renters) 1%

With Family 4%

🏘️ Rental Demand: ~124 students need off-campus housing

💻 Learning Mode

In-Person 45%

Hybrid (Some Online) 50%

Fully Online 5%

📊 Age Distribution

18-24 (Traditional) 97%

25-64 (Adult) 2%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has an acceptance rate of 73%. This indicates a less selective admissions process with good chances for qualified applicants.

How much does it cost to attend University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

Tuition at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is $7,974 for in-state students and $17,014 for out-of-state students . However, the average net price after financial aid is $13,125.

What is the graduation rate at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

The graduation rate at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is 71%. This is a solid graduation rate, showing that most students who enroll successfully complete their degrees.

Is University of Wisconsin-La Crosse a good school?

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has a Repit College Score of 64/100 (Grade: B). Our rating evaluates five key factors:

Outcomes (B+): Graduation and retention rates
Affordability (C): Net cost and financial aid access
Resources (C+): Class sizes and selectivity
Experience (B+): Campus life and learning format
Prestige (C+): Reputation and recognition

How many students attend University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has a total enrollment of 10,299 students. Most students (97%) are traditional college-age (18-24).

Is there rental demand near University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?

Yes! Approximately 1% of students at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse live off-campus (not with family). That's roughly 124 students who need rental housing near campus.

Deciding between a dorm and buying near campus? Run the numbers for University of Wisconsin-La Crosse — four years of dorm costs vs. owning, including what you’d recover at resale. Buy vs Dorm calculator →