Data shows that students paid $14,059 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $247 more than the previous school year.
Among the 77 institutions providing full disclosure in the state, Shepherds College stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $167,700. Beloit College followed with an average of $56,312 per year. Northcentral Technical College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $3,930.
Currently there are 81 higher education institutions in Wisconsin.
At the time, at least $350.7 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started college in Wisconsin. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $138.3 million.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 81 institutions in Wisconsin, four did not provide detailed data on tuition fees, including University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex, University of Wisconsin-Parkside Flex, and Ottawa University-Milwaukee.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Average Tuition Fees | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Shepherds College | $167,700 | 86 |
| Beloit College | $56,312 | 964 |
| Lawrence University | $53,979 | 1,426 |
| Ripon College | $49,600 | 766 |
| Marquette University | $46,670 | 7,528 |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | $46,506 | 2,575 |
| Saint Norbert College | $43,204 | 1,814 |
| Northland College | $41,237 | 518 |
| Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design | $41,140 | 896 |
| Carroll University | $36,190 | 2,771 |
| Carthage College | $34,500 | 2,559 |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College | $33,762 | 1,003 |
| Edgewood College | $33,550 | 1,220 |
| Mount Mary University | $33,390 | 716 |
| Concordia University-Wisconsin | $33,062 | 2,817 |
| Alverno College | $31,858 | 788 |
| Lakeland University | $31,786 | 1,898 |
| Viterbo University | $31,150 | 1,485 |
| Marian University | $30,000 | 1,068 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | $25,748 | 36,306 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Onalaska | $24,900 | 79 |
| Academy of Beauty Professionals | $22,517 | 54 |
| Bellin College | $21,900 | 563 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Kenosha | $21,400 | 84 |
| Aveda Institute-Madison | $20,750 | 88 |
| The Institute of Beauty and Wellness | $20,750 | 230 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Madison | $19,465 | 45 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Milwaukee | $19,465 | 108 |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa | $19,267 | 1,043 |
| Maranatha Baptist University | $18,810 | 736 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Appleton | $18,600 | 61 |
| Empire Beauty School-Green Bay | $18,182 | 64 |
| VICI Beauty School | $18,153 | 113 |
| Empire Beauty School-Milwaukee | $17,407 | 116 |
| First Class Cosmetology School | $16,990 | 98 |
| State College of Beauty Culture Inc | $14,900 | 39 |
| Advanced College of Cosmetology | $14,710 | 26 |
| Milwaukee Career College | $14,470 | 61 |
| East-West Healing Arts Institute | $13,450 | 53 |
| Herzing University-Madison | $12,750 | 1,803 |
| Herzing University-Kenosha | $12,750 | 627 |
| Herzing University-Brookfield | $12,750 | 392 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout | $12,731 | 6,254 |
| University of Wisconsin-River Falls | $12,371 | 4,776 |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $11,994 | 9,423 |
| The Professional Hair Design Academy | $11,900 | 66 |
| University of Wisconsin-Superior | $11,683 | 2,213 |
| Rasmussen University-Wisconsin | $11,676 | 424 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | $11,058 | 18,348 |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | $10,908 | 9,347 |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville | $9,939 | 6,028 |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | $9,332 | 9,367 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | $9,246 | 7,313 |
| University of Wisconsin-Parkside | $8,479 | 3,236 |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | $8,460 | 9,146 |
| University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | $8,420 | 12,627 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Janesville | $7,490 | 83 |
| College of Menominee Nation | $6,200 | 281 |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University | $6,030 | 288 |
| Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | $4,900 | 10,661 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College | $4,889 | 12,211 |
| Fox Valley Technical College | $4,869 | 11,181 |
| Blackhawk Technical College | $4,857 | 2,391 |
| Western Technical College | $4,853 | 3,872 |
| Gateway Technical College | $4,832 | 9,881 |
| Mid-State Technical College | $4,823 | 2,779 |
| Northwood Technical College | $4,775 | 2,677 |
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | $4,765 | 2,710 |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College | $4,750 | 8,364 |
| Waukesha County Technical College | $4,728 | 7,268 |
| Madison Area Technical College | $4,674 | 12,936 |
| Nicolet Area Technical College | $4,665 | 1,186 |
| Moraine Park Technical College | $4,663 | 3,074 |
| Lakeshore Technical College | $4,605 | 3,154 |
| Academy of Beauty Professionals | $3,969 | 71 |
| Academy of Beauty Professionals | $3,968 | 92 |
| Northcentral Technical College | $3,930 | 6,069 |
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