A decline of over 1,000 international students is being blamed for a 1,200 drop in enrollment across the Universities of Wisconsin this fall.
The UW system announced Oct. 30 that more than 164,500 students are enrolled across the system this fall, a decrease of 1,233 students, or 0.7%, from fall 2025.
While first-year enrollment remained strong, international enrollment decreased by 1,134 students to 8,889.
First-year enrollment remained nearly unchanged from last year’s class, as the universities enrolled a combined 28,442 first-year students. That is 38 fewer than last year.
Fall 2026 enrollment figures for each school are as follows:
- UW-Eau Claire: 9,001;
- UW-Green Bay: 12,059;
- UW-La Crosse: 10,478;
- UW-Madison: 50,595;
- UW-Milwaukee: 23,947;
- UW-Oshkosh: 11,989;
- UW-Parkside: 4,009;
- UW-Platteville: 6,135;
- UW-River Falls: 5,306;
- UW-Stevens Point: 8,457;
- UW-Stout Polytechnic: 7,274;
- UW-Superior: 3,061; and
- UW-Whitewater: 12,268.
Final revisions to university enrollment figures are made at the end of the semester.
