Kelly Meyerhofer
Enrollment at Wisconsin’s public universities this fall largely held steady from last year, despite increasing concerns about affordability, growing public doubt about the value of a college degree and a projected drop in international students.
The Universities of Wisconsin, the rebranded name for the UW System, overall reported about a hundred fewer students enrolled on campuses this fall compared to the previous year, according to preliminary headcounts taken on the first day of classes and released Sept. 9.
UW system President Jay Rothman said the new freshman enrollment figures were particularly promising, with nearly 1,000 more new students starting on campuses compared to 2024.
An official census of will be taken on the 10th day of classes and released later this fall.
More detailed data may show a significant drop in international students due to changes in federal policies. In recent months, the Trump administration said it would pause new international student visas, revoke the visas of Chinese students and ban travel from a dozen countries. An organization representing international educators estimates enrollment could fall as much as 15% nationally.
Across Wisconsin, nearly 16,000 students came from other countries to study in 2023-24.
Here’s what the preliminary enrollment data show:
Which universities gained students? Which lost students?
Eight of the system’s 13 universities reported a higher headcount than the previous fall.
UW-Stevens Point led the way in growth, reporting a 3.5% increase, or 287 more students.
UW-Whitewater also reported a large increase, about 3%, or 323 students. The university said it enrolled its largest freshman class in a decade.
UW-Milwaukee saw an 11% rise in the freshman class over last year, with 3,871 new freshmen this fall. It’s the highest freshman enrollment since 2009, according to a news release from UWM.
UW-Eau Claire reported about 500 fewer students, a 5% decline. UW-Oshkosh lost a similar number of students, mostly due to the closure of its Fox Cities branch campus.
UW-Madison also saw a small drop after years of record-setting growth. The university enrolled 51,550 students this fall, about 250 fewer students than the previous year.
What about the branch campuses?
The branch campuses operated as more affordable places for students to start college close to home before transferring to a four-year university. But these campuses have struggled to shore up enrollment for more than a decade.
In 2018, the branches were placed under the oversight of four-year universities in an attempt to keep them open.
Five of the 13 branch campuses — UW-Platteville Richland, UW-Milwaukee at Washington County, UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha, UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities, UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac — have since closed. A sixth, UW-Green Bay Marinette, ended in-person classes in 2024.
Seven branch campuses remain open. Three — UW-Whitewater Rock County, UW-Green Bay Sheboygan and UW-Green Bay Manitowoc — reported enrollment increases from the previous year. The Manitowoc campus has actually doubled its enrollment since the 2018 merger.
UW-Platteville Baraboo/Sauk County, UW-Eau Claire Barron County, UW-Stevens Point Marshfield and UW-Stevens Point Wausau reported enrollment declines.
Source: How many students are going to each UW school in fall 2025?