University of Wisconsin To Launch Direct Admissions For Eligible In-State High School Students

Updated on October 16, 2023

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The UW system will evaluate students’ academic high school performances to evaluate which students qualify for which campuses and admit them — without students needing to apply.

Credit: Bruce Leighty / Getty Images

The University of Wisconsin system will consider students’ GPAs, academic performances, and class ranks to determine which direct admissions.
UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Eau Claire opted out of direct admittance; UW-Green Bay has a direct admittance for Green Bay high schoolers.
System President Jay Rothman hopes this initiative and the Wisconsin Tuition Promise will incentivize students to enroll in college and graduate.

Qualifying Wisconsin high school students soon won’t have to apply to get admitted to some University of Wisconsin (UW) system schools.

This month, the UW system announced it would launch a direct admissions program to some system schools for eligible in-state high school students starting next summer, according to The Wisconsin State Journal (WSJ). Students will not have to complete a college application for any UW system school. They will be admitted to different schools depending on qualifications like GPA, academic performance, and class rank.

All UW System schools except UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Eau Claire opted to accept Wisconsin high school students. UW-Green Bay already had a direct admissions program for high schools in Green Bay.

“I hope that direct admissions will not only grow enrollment but also streamline the admissions process and help expand the number of Wisconsin residents with a UW degree,” System President Jay Rothman said.

The WSJ reported Rothman hopes the direct admissions initiative and the Wisconsin Tuition Promise will incentivize students to enroll and graduate.

The Wisconsin Tuition Promise covers tuition and fees for students from families making less than $62,000 per year ($65,000 or less for UW-Madison). The Tuition Promise keeps tuition affordable for students from lower-income families since the system approved an average 4.9% increase in tuition costs and 4.5% in room and board costs for the 2023-2024 year.

UW system enrollment stayed steady despite declining national enrollment trends. According to WSJ, UW-Madison defied those trends by experiencing an almost 15% enrollment increase over the last five years.