Universities of Wisconsin Fall Enrollment Totals 164,579: International Enrollment Falls by 1,134 to 8,889
MADISON, Wisconsin — The Universities of Wisconsin on Oct. 30 released fall 2026 enrollment figures based on 10th-day counts: overall enrollment across the system's 13 public universities totaled 164,579 students, a decrease of 1,233 students, or 0.7 percent, from fall 2025.
Much of the overall decline was attributable to international enrollment, which decreased by 1,134 students to 8,889. Interim President Renée Wachter said enrollment remains strong across the Universities of Wisconsin even as international enrollment declined significantly, and that the system is expanding pathways through Direct Admit Wisconsin, high school dual enrollment and the UW Flexible Option.
First-year enrollment remained nearly unchanged, at 28,442 students, just 38 fewer than fall 2025. About 7,200 first-year students enrolled through Direct Admit Wisconsin, up from about 5,200 a year earlier, and Direct Admit students now account for 46 percent of first-year enrollment at participating universities. High school special enrollment reached a record 14,579 students, an increase of 857 students, or 6.2 percent.
By campus, UW-Madison enrolled 50,595 students, followed by UW-Milwaukee with 23,947, UW-Whitewater with 12,268, UW-Green Bay with 12,059 and UW-Oshkosh with 11,989. Final revisions to the figures are typically made at the end of the semester and updated on the system's Accountability Dashboard.
The Universities of Wisconsin serve approximately 164,500 students and award more than 37,000 degrees annually. The system's preliminary day-one estimates released in September had already pointed to a decline of roughly 1,100 international students, consistent with the final 10th-day figures.
Source: Universities of Wisconsin
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校 Bascom Hall。照片：Richard Hurd，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Bascom Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Photo by Richard Hurd, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
