The Wisconsin Experience

At Wisconsin, you’ll be part of an active student body that excels academically, but also engages in so much more than books, study sessions, and exams.

When you arrive on campus, you’ll find that students strive to be in leadership roles, have unique and diverse experiences in residence halls that link learning and the creation of community, participate in sports and the arts, make the most of the urban environment of the city of Madison, and truly enjoy their college years.

The Wisconsin Idea

The Wisconsin Idea, first attributed to UW President Charles Van Hise in 1904, is the principle that education should influence and improve people’s lives beyond the university classroom. For more than 100 years, this Idea has guided the university’s work, and it will guide your Wisconsin Experience as well.