UW-Madison vs University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Madison, Wisconsin, or Birmingham, Alabama, as you embark on a journey to compare two esteemed institutions: University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Alabama at Birmingham. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique identities. Delve into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover the nuances that set these institutions apart. Discover the differences in acceptance rates, tuition fees, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Whether you're drawn to the bustling energy of a Big Ten school or prefer the charm of a mid-sized research university, this side-by-side analysis will guide you towards finding the perfect academic home that aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	University of Alabama at Birmingham	University of Wisconsin-Madison
Overview
Location	Birmingham, Alabama	Madison, Wisconsin
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	88.5%	60.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1173 - 1388	1320 - 1500
ACT range	23 - 30	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	65.0%	55.0%
Total number of applicants	11,906	53,781
Total number of admissions given out	10,541	32,459
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,415	8,465
Yield rate	22.9%	26.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $27,630 Out of state: $39,462	In state: $27,418 Out of state: $55,306
Average net price	$16,990	$13,484
Tuition	In state: $8,568 Out of state: $20,400	In state: $9,273 Out of state: $37,161
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,767 Meal plan: $4,540	Room/dormitory: $7,367 Meal plan: $4,100
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $10,940	54.0% Average amount $10,932
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $5,208	26.0% Average amount $5,175
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $14,247	6.0% Average amount $16,550

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	13,547 Men 37.9% Women 62.1%	34,561 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students	8,742 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%	12,455 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	16.8%	50.6%
International students	5.0%	13.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	3,480	9,226
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Tennessee Louisiana Florida	Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota California New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Engineering	Health Professions Business Social Sciences Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.4%	89.2%
Dropout rate	16.5%	10.0%
Transferred out	17.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $158,993 Year 2: $169,894 Year 3: $175,573 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $100,128 Year 2: $111,769 Year 3: $139,245 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $117,171 Year 2: $130,034 Year 3: $128,873 Systems Science and Theory (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,948 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $123,089 Optometry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $91,176 Year 2: $96,457 Year 3: $107,084 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,582 Year 2: $99,737 Year 3: $105,689 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,298 Year 2: $89,564 Year 3: $99,770 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,552 Year 2: $95,215 Year 3: $98,530 Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,497 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $94,486 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,743 Year 2: $88,820 Year 3: $90,200	Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $107,256 Year 3: $131,458 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $113,083 Year 2: $111,992 Year 3: $130,357 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,390 Year 2: $113,091 Year 3: $124,360 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $96,320 Year 2: $117,042 Year 3: $123,777 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,338 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $111,424 Real Estate (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $115,339 Year 3: $104,219 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $115,387 Year 2: $100,213 Year 3: $103,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,839 Year 2: $81,997 Year 3: $97,306 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $85,538 Year 3: $94,093 Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,730 Year 2: $73,949 Year 3: $91,306

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