University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Public · Moderately Selective · WI

Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri (CC BY 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationWI · Midwest

SettingRural

Undergrads4,205

Student:faculty19:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate41.6%

6-yr grad rate57%

Drop-out rate23.6%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$9k

Out-of-state tuition$17k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity14.6%

Gender diversity61.8%

International0.9%

Identity—

Overview

UW-River Falls sits in a small city on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix River, close enough to the Twin Cities that many students take advantage of the urban job market while living in a rural, agricultural setting. It carries the identity of a land-grant regional campus: hands-on and applied, closely tied to the surrounding farm economy rather than modeled on a traditional liberal-arts college.

Academics

Agriculture is the signature strength, with dairy science built around working farms the university operates itself, giving students in animal science and related majors direct herd and field experience rather than classroom-only instruction. Teacher education and other applied programs round out the curriculum, and class sizes stay small enough for faculty to know students across most majors.

Campus & student life

The campus has a working-farm feel alongside conventional dorms and student-life buildings, and the river-town setting keeps costs and pace modest. Most students come from Wisconsin and Minnesota farm or small-town backgrounds, and the social scene leans toward agricultural and extension-related activities rather than a big-city draw.

Getting in

Admission follows a straightforward, credentials-based review typical of a regional public university rather than a heavily essay-driven process, with attention to academic preparation for the intended major, particularly for competitive programs like animal science that rely on limited facility space.

After graduation

Graduates move most directly into Wisconsin and Minnesota agricultural businesses, dairy and food-production companies, and Twin Cities-area employers, with an alumni network concentrated in the Upper Midwest.

Worth knowing

On-campus dairy and other agricultural facilities let students work directly with the university's own herds as part of coursework, a hands-on arrangement not typical even at larger land-grant universities.

uwrf.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate81.7%

Enrolled mid-50%ACT 19–26

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying