Marquette University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It enrolls 7,660 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
69/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes90
Value42
Affordability14
Selectivity60
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Marquette University admits 81.3% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
81.3%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1200 – 1360
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
26 – 31
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Marquette University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
4.5 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $31,487 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$51,170
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,490
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,360
Books & Supplies
$720
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,439
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,090
Total Cost of Attendance
$66,768
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$22,269
$30,001 – $48,000
$18,916
$48,001 – $75,000
$27,378
$75,001 – $110,000
$32,374
Over $110,000
$36,813
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$12,00025%percentile
$23,940Medianpercentile
$32,00075%percentile
$38,49690%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $21,000
↓ $2,940
No Pell $20,500
↓ $3,440
Dependent students $20,500
↓ $3,440
Independent students $22,304
↓ $1,636
Female students $21,000
↓ $2,940
Male students $20,500
↓ $3,440
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,639, less than completers ($23,940), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
80% of students who start here finish within six years, and 91% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
80%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
91%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $78,257 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$78,257
Earning > $25K
91%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$62,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$80,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$85,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$68,000
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$67,500
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $17,900, about 22% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
7.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 91% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 7,660 students, a large student community.
Total Enrolled
7,660
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
19%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 66.5%5,090
Hispanic 15.9%1,218
Asian 6.4%487
Black 5.4%414
Other 3.7%286
International 1.3%99
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Marquette University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Marquette University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
131 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.5B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$98,231
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
664 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
169
25%
$133,800
Associate Professors
212
32%
$98,507
Assistant Professors
208
31%
$79,897
Instructors
53
8%
$69,924
No Rank
22
3%
$63,883
Pros & Cons of Marquette University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Marquette University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Marquette University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marquette University
The questions families ask most about Marquette University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Marquette University hard to get into?
Not especially. Marquette University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 81.3%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Marquette University?
81.3% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Marquette University?
Aim for 1360 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1200 and 1360 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Marquette University?
Aim for 31 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 26 and 31 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Marquette University cost?
Budget around $31,487 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Marquette University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $78,257 a year against a net price of $31,487, about 2.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Marquette University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Biology, Law. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Marquette University graduates earn?
About $78,257 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Marquette University accredited?
Yes. Marquette University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Marquette University?
7,660 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Marquette University?
80% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Marquette University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Marquette University located?
Marquette University is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What programs does Marquette University offer?
131 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Biology, Law. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Marquette University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Wisconsin
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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