College comparison

Purdue vs Wisconsin

A side-by-side of acceptance rate, test scores, and cost — source-cited estimates, not guarantees. Want the number that actually matters for your student? Model your admit odds at each.

Metric	Purdue West Lafayette, IN	Wisconsin Madison, WI
Acceptance rateUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison is more selective	50%	45%
SAT (25–75)	1200–1480	1380–1520
ACT (25–75)	—	—
Undergrad enrollment	44,503	36,902
Avg net price	$14,600	$17,354
Test policy	—	—
Type	Public	Public
Location	West Lafayette, IN	Madison, WI

Quick answers

Is Purdue University-Main Campus or University of Wisconsin-Madison harder to get into?

University of Wisconsin-Madison is more selective: Purdue University-Main Campus's acceptance rate is approximately 50% and University of Wisconsin-Madison's is approximately 45% (estimates from public and primary sources).

What SAT score do you need for Purdue University-Main Campus vs University of Wisconsin-Madison?

The middle-50% SAT range is 1200–1480 at Purdue University-Main Campus and 1380–1520 at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Scores outside these bands are still admitted, especially with strong applications.

Figures are estimates compiled from public datasets (College Scorecard / IPEDS) and primary sources; verify with each institution before relying on them.

These outputs are estimates from a baseline model — not guarantees of admission, cost, or outcome.