Quick Facts
In 2017, 15% of undergraduates were students of color. 20% of faculty were people of color.
There used to be a retention rate gap—students of color were less likely to return for sophomore year than white students. The retention gap is now closed. 95% of all students return for sophomore year.
However, UW-Madison is still trying to eliminate its graduation gap between underrepresented students and other students.
Student Body Composition
Statistics describing the student population in 2016. Source: UW Registrar
| Undergraduate Students, N=28,046 | % of population | Raw number |
| Asian | 5.6 | 1594 |
| Southeast Asian* | 1.7 | 478 |
| African American | 2.9 | 820 |
| Native American | .09 | 260 |
| Native Hawaiian | .03 | 84 |
| Hispanic American | 4.8 | 1367 |
*SE Asian: A student who is a US Citizen, permanent resident or refugee of Laotian, Cambodian, or Vietnamese heritage and came to the US prior to the end of the Vietnam war or is descended from such a person. Used to identify Southeast Asian students for campus diversity initiatives.