Most Affordable Public Universities in Wisconsin
State-run four-year universities, ranked by net price after aid. In-state students usually pay far less than the published out-of-state rate.
13 public universities in Wisconsin are listed here, 13 of them reporting a net price. They run from $11,772 a year at University of Wisconsin-Parkside to $17,490 at University of Wisconsin-Stout, with a middle of about $14,559.
The cheapest are University of Wisconsin-Parkside, University of Wisconsin-Superior and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.
Public universities in Wisconsin, cheapest first · 13
Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.
- University of Wisconsin-Parkside
- University of Wisconsin-Superior
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Wisconsin-Stout
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable public university in Wisconsin?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is University of Wisconsin-Parkside at about $11,772 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much do public universities in Wisconsin cost on average?
- Across the 13 public universities in Wisconsin that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $14,559 a year after aid, running from $11,772 to $17,490.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the public universities listed here it runs from 14% to 35%, with a middle of about 22%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free