HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Wisconsin-Madison vs University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin-Madison clears +$2.30M in 30-year net value, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee +$1.61M — both pay off, University of Wisconsin-Madison by +$693K.

Two WI public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.30M
Total cost of attendance
$98,820
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$64,944
Breaks even by age
34

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI

30-year net value
+$1.61M
Total cost of attendance
$84,000
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$56,276
Breaks even by age
40
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Wisconsin-Madison vs University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/uw-madison-vs-uw-milwaukee

Keep comparing

Questions

Is University of Wisconsin-Madison or University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, University of Wisconsin-Madison clears +$2.30M and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee +$1.61M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of Wisconsin-Madison comes out ahead by +$693K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does University of Wisconsin-Madison pay off than University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee?
About +$693K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.30M vs +$1.61M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison?
+$2.30M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $98,820, median earnings ten years out $64,944, breaking even around age 34. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.