University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee College Portrait
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee3253 N. Downer Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53211
(414)229-2222
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
UW-Milwaukee is a great Wisconsin university in a great Wisconsin city! It's a place to get a University of Wisconsin education while living in the cultural and commercial heart of the state.
The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee is the first choice for those seeking access to success in Wisconsin. The student body of around 30,000—which includes more Wisconsin residents than any other university in the state—is attracted to the distinctive array of programs UWM offers including Wisconsin’s only school of the arts and school of architecture and urban planning. UWM proudly serves the state with the largest colleges of nursing and health sciences, far-ranging programs to educate the next generation of business leaders, engineers, scientists and teachers. For more about UWM, located just blocks from beautiful Lake Michigan, visit http://www4.uwm.edu/about_uwm/index.cfm.
Living in the Panthers Community
You want a great education and a promising future. Find out what makes UWM and Milwaukee great places to study and live.
As Southeastern Wisconsin's largest university, UWM provides students with more than 150 academic programs, a wide range of research opportunities and a variety of ways to broaden their education by getting involved with student organizations and volunteer opportunities. The University's location in the state's business center also means opportunities to explore possible careers through internships, clinical experiences and hands-on learning. The city provides a rich resource, and instructors frequently tap their own real life experiences to extend their students' learning beyond textbooks. Learn more about the resources that make UW-Milwaukee a great place to live and learn using the links on this page.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 30,470 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 25,239 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 12,842 | 51% |
| Men | 12,397 | 49% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 123 | <1% |
| Asian | 1,272 | 5% |
| African American / Black | 1,914 | 8% |
| Hispanic | 1,466 | 6% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 9 | <1% |
| White | 19,494 | 77% |
| Two or More Races | 523 | 2% |
| International | 368 | 1% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 70 | <1% |
| Where do UWM undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 94% |
| Other US States & Territories | 5% |
| Other Countries | 2% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are UWM undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 22 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 19% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 20 - 24 | |
| Math | 18 - 24 | 460 - 600 |
| English | 19 - 23 | |
| Critical Reading | 450 - 560 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 26% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 64% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 81% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.02 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 99% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $16,169
Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 34% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $6,676. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 54% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,396. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
UWM Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 20 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 70% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 87% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 856 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 42% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 27% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 86% |
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Campus-based Housing
65% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
15% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
Safety is everybody's business at UWM. The Department of University Safety and Assurances is responsible for campus safety in its broadest sense, from fire protection to potential environmental hazards. The University Police Department provides law enforcement, emergency and protective services including escorts and safe rides. Be On the Safe Side (B.O.S.S.) provides free-of-charge shuttle service and the S.A.F.E. Alert Emergency Notification System notifies the community of emergencies via text message or email. Located in a beautiful residential area, UWM is a safe campus in a safe neighborhood striving to ensure a safe environment all can enjoy.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Research Universities (high research activity)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily nonresidential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Balanced arts & sciences/professions, high graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Comprehensive doctoral (no medical/veterinary)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
More Information
Student Activities and Involvement at UWM
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 88% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 47% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 14% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 79% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 15% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 47% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 49% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 12% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 94% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 90% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 59% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 51% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 94% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 41% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 66% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 93% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 64% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 59% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 85% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 47% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 70% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 75% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 73% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 3,554 |
| Master's | 1,340 |
| Doctoral | 145 |
| Total | 5,039 |
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Marketing | 8% |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 7% |
| Communication and Media Studies | 6% |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 6% |
| Education, General | 6% |
| Links to degree programs at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of Spring 2010 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 81% four-year success and progress rate means that 81% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
More Information
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 3,714 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 1,524 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 73%
Student Learning at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Assessment is a continuous activity at UWM as a means to determine the degree to which the curriculum and services match desired outcomes.
Assessment within the major is conducted regularly by each department. Assessment of general education goals is a campus-wide activity involving cross-disciplinary work. Feedback from these activities inform future work and enhancements to programs and majors.
In addition to the assessment activities conducted by departments and majors and general education outcomes, support services at UWM continuously assess their efforts in order to ensure their units provide the assistance students need to excel both inside and outside the classroom. At the university level, student satisfaction and patterns of student behavior, completion and success, are closely monitored.
All together, these assessment activities combined ensure that the student experience at UWM is engaging, thoughtful, fulfilling and, ultimately, meets the needs of preparing students for further study and fulfilling careers.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
2009-10 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1122
Senior Score: 1194
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 23
Senior Score: 23
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1036
Senior Score: 1057
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1178
Senior Score: 1278
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 22
Senior Score: 23
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1036
Senior Score: 1057