Study abroad at Madison

Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and one of America's most celebrated, top-ranked college cities, nestled on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, located 75 minutes west of Milwaukee and 2.5 hours northwest of Chicago. Consistently voted the #1 Best College Town and #1 Most Livable City in the United States, celebrated for the majestic Wisconsin State Capitol, lively pedestrian State Street, the Memorial Union Terrace on Lake Mendota (famous for its sunburst chairs and sailing), and a booming technology, biotechnology, and healthcare software economy (home to Epic Systems, Promega, and American Family Insurance). Madison is the flagship home of one of the world's greatest public research universities: University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison / Wisconsin - founded in 1848, founding member of the Association of American Universities AAU, Carnegie R1 Tier One research university with over $1.4 billion in annual research expenditures, ranked #39 in the world in the QS World University Rankings with 50,000+ students on a stunning 936-acre lakeside campus, boasting 20 Nobel Prize laureates). UW–Madison is internationally acclaimed for the College of Engineering (world leader in Chemical, Biomedical, Mechanical, and Nuclear Engineering), Wisconsin School of Business (AACSB-accredited, leading in Real Estate, Finance, and Risk Management), School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS - AI and Cybersecurity), School of Medicine and Public Health, and School of Pharmacy, alongside Edgewood College and Madison College. Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from the famous 'Wisconsin Idea' philosophy, massive global alumni network (460,000+ Badgers), competitive merit scholarships, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Madison for international undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison - World #39 QS) range between $39,500 and $42,500 per academic year for College of Engineering, Computer Science & Data, Wisconsin School of Business, and Pharmacy (with UW–Madison awarding competitive International Student Scholarships and King-Morgridge Leadership Fellowships covering full tuition and living expenses to exceptional applicants). At Madison College, tuition for 2+2 university transfer programs is approx. $10,500 to $12,500/year. Postgraduate Master's and PhD programs range from $26,000 to $34,000 per year (with extensive fully-funded graduate research assistantships and teaching assistantships including tuition waivers and monthly stipends). Modern on-campus university residences (UW Dejope Hall, Leopold Hall, Chadbourne, Sellery, Witte, Eagle Heights) cost between $800 and $1,350 per month (inclusive of meal plans, utilities, and high-speed Wi-Fi), while off-campus student apartments in State Street, University Avenue, and Regent Street range from $650 to $1,200 per month for shared apartments. General monthly living expenses range between $850 and $1,400.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship awards), International Student Services (UW–Madison ISS) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization).