Marquette University

Private · Moderately Selective · WI

Photo: Matthew Hendricks (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationWI · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads7,660

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate68.5%

6-yr grad rate83.2%

Drop-out rate9%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$51k

Out-of-state tuition$51k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity33.5%

Gender diversity56%

International1.3%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Marquette University is a Jesuit Catholic university in downtown Milwaukee, and the Jesuit tradition — an emphasis on service, ethics, and educating the whole person — runs through its core curriculum regardless of major. It has built a reputation as a serious, mid-sized Catholic university with professional program strength well beyond what a liberal arts core alone would suggest.

Academics

Business, engineering, and nursing are consistently strong, and the physical therapy pathway in particular has a well-regarded reputation among Marquette's health programs. The Jesuit core curriculum requires engagement with philosophy, theology, and ethics across all majors, giving even pre-professional students a genuine liberal arts grounding rather than a purely technical education.

Campus & student life

Big East basketball is the clearest unifying force on campus, and Marquette's downtown Milwaukee location gives students real access to a working city — internships, cultural institutions, and professional networking — without the isolation of a more rural Catholic college. The Haggerty Museum of Art and a steady calendar of service trips reflect the Jesuit emphasis on both intellectual and civic engagement.

Getting in

Admission reflects Jesuit institutional values — service orientation and character alongside academic preparation — with a holistic review process common to Jesuit universities generally.

After graduation

Business, engineering, and nursing graduates place well regionally and nationally, and the physical therapy pipeline in particular has a strong reputation among health care employers and graduate programs.

Worth knowing

The Jesuit core curriculum is a real academic commitment, not a token requirement, and students should expect philosophy and theology coursework regardless of major; Big East basketball season genuinely reorders campus social life each winter.

marquette.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate81.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1200–1360 · ACT 26–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying