UW-Eau Claire vs. UW-La Crosse

Should I go to University of Wisconsin Eau Claire or University of Wisconsin La Crosse? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UW-Eau Claire or UW-La Crosse is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Wisconsin Eau Claire vs. University of Wisconsin La Crosse comparison
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire University of Wisconsin La Crosse College 3 College 4
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire University of Wisconsin La Crosse
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Overview

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
Location Eau Claire, WI La Crosse, WI
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 10,104 10,274
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #565 #548
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uwec.edu uwlax.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
Tuition (In State) $7,361 $7,585
Tuition (Out of State) $16,074 $16,404
Room & Board $9,014 $6,942
Avg Net Price $15,000 $13,130
Avg Grant Aid $4,251 $3,395
% Receiving Grant Aid 76% 64%

Admission

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,403 7,290
Admitted 7,971 5,413
Acceptance Rate 76.6% 74.3%
Enrolled % 26.8% 43%
Avg High School GPA 3.59 3.6
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/26 22/26
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Education (8%)

Outcomes

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
Graduation Rate 65% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,900 $49,500
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $240 $240

Diversity

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
% Men 40% 42%
% Women 60% 58%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 89% 90%
% Black 1% 1%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
% In-State 64% 81%
% Out-of-State 35% 19%

Campus

 UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse is larger than than UW-Eau Claire based on total student enrollment (10,274 students vs. 10,104 students)

UW-Eau Claire vs. UW-La Crosse Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UW-Eau Claire or UW-La Crosse?

  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse is 3% more expensive to attend than UW-Eau Claire for in-state tuition ($7,585.00 vs. $7,361.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.1% higher at UW-La Crosse than University of Wisconsin Eau Claire ($16,404.00 vs. $16,074.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Wisconsin La Crosse than UW-Eau Claire ($13,130 vs. $15,000)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin La Crosse are 29.8% lower than costs at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire ($6,942 vs. $9,014)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire than University of Wisconsin La Crosse (76% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Wisconsin Eau Claire students is 25.2% larger than aid received University of Wisconsin La Crosse ($4,251 vs. $3,395)

UW-Eau Claire vs. UW-La Crosse Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UW-Eau Claire or UW-La Crosse? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UW-La Crosse or UW-Eau Claire .

  • The average SAT score at University of Wisconsin La Crosse (1130) is 20 points higher than at UW-Eau Claire (1110)
  • Incoming UW-La Crosse students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at UW-Eau Claire (24)
  • Accepted freshman UW-La Crosse students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at UW-Eau Claire (3.59)
  • UW-Eau Claire has a higher acceptance rate (76.6%) than UW-La Crosse (74.3%)

UW-Eau Claire vs. UW-La Crosse Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UW-Eau Claire or UW-La Crosse? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire.

  • The graduation rate at UW-La Crosse is higher than University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (68% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from University of Wisconsin La Crosse earn on average $1,600 more per year than UW-Eau Claire graduates after ten years. ($49,500 vs. $47,900)
  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($23,250 vs. $23,250)
  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($240 vs. $240)
  • More UW-La Crosse graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UW-Eau Claire students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 76%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/