Ohio State vs University of Wisconsin-Madison
What each college publishes, side by side. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt come from federal data.
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OHCompass Score: Exceptional · Top 8%ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WICompass Score: Exceptional · Top 6%
At a glance
- Median earnings ten years after entry are higher at University of Wisconsin-Madison: $73,792, against $60,409 at Ohio State.
- Ohio State admits 61% of applicants, and University of Wisconsin-Madison admits 45%.
Scores
Compass Score
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 8%
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 6%
Academic Excellence
AAcademic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 6%
AAcademic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 7%
Value
B+Value: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 21%
AValue: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 7%
The college
Category
National universities
National universities
Location
Columbus, OH
Madison, WI
Setting
City
City
Students
60,046
49,605
Sports
NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference
NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference
Admission
Admission rate
61%
45%
Average SAT
1387
1427
ACT middle 50%
28–32
29–33
Outcomes
Graduation rate
88%
90%
First-year retention
94%
96%
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$60,409
$73,792
Median debt
$19,976
$20,484
Cost
Average price after aid
$17,339
$17,354
Price after aid, by family income
Up to $30,000
$4,885
$4,200
$30,001–$48,000
$5,751
$4,101
$48,001–$75,000
$9,807
$8,134
$75,001–$110,000
$20,461
$17,763
Over $110,000
$27,359
$27,292
Top majors by graduate earnings
Bachelor's majors
- Computer engineering $123,731
- Applied mathematics $120,495
- Computing and information science $118,833
- Management science $111,500
- Management information systems $110,192
- Real Estate $120,483
- Computer engineering $120,068
- Computing and information science $119,655
- Industrial Engineering $110,711
- Finance $107,207
Compare with another college
The Compass Score and grades are College Compass Guide’s own ratings. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt are federal data. This comparison doesn’t rank the two colleges; the figures are shown as published.