The Lincoln statue at the UW Madison Campus (Fox 11 Online)
(WTAQ-WLUK) — The Universities of Wisconsin says its enrollment levels are holding steady after three years of consecutive growth.
According to preliminary estimates based on Day One student counts, enrollment decreased approximately 1% across the 13 UW campuses, which included significant international student decreases.
Estimates show fall 2026 enrollment at 163,260 students, a decline of 1,732 students overall, with 1,100 of those being international students.
“More than 163,000 students chose a Universities of Wisconsin university this fall, a strong sign that demand remains steady,” UWs Interim President Renée Wachter said. “These students and their families are making an investment in their future and Wisconsin’s future. That’s encouraging evidence that our UW universities remain one the state’s most important assets.”
At UW-Green Bay, it reported an enrollment of 11,900 students for the fall semester. That’s a 3.3% increase since the fall of 2025. The campus is considered the fastest growing university in the state with at 32% enrollment growth in the last six years.
The Universities of Wisconsin have been providing enrollment estimates based on Day One counts since fall 2020. Official enrollment counts will be released later this fall based on the 10th day of enrollment.
In the fall of 2025, the figure was 164,992 students, calculated after 10th day enrollment was released.
The fall 2026 preliminary estimates are:
- UW-Eau Claire: 9,000
- UW-Green Bay: 11,900
- UW-La Crosse: 10,520
- UW-Madison: 50,500
- UW-Milwaukee: 23,000
- UW-Oshkosh: 12,100
- UW-Parkside: 3,850
- UW-Platteville: 6,140
- UW-River Falls: 5,360
- UW-Stevens Point: 8,420
- UW-Stout Polytechnic: 7,250
- UW-Superior: 2,950
- UW-Whitewater: 12,270
Final numbers will be released by the Universities of Wisconsin later in the fall.
Comments