Wisconsin high school graduates ranking in the top 5% of their class would be guaranteed admission to the University of Wisconsin-Madison under a Republican bill expected to be introduced Tuesday.
The state’s top-ranking students would be promised a seat at all UW System institutions and technical colleges they apply to, according to the bill. Most of Wisconsin’s public colleges and universities already operate as open-access institutions, meaning they accept the overwhelming majority of applicants.
As the state flagship, UW-Madison is more selective. It accepted 49% of new freshman applicants, including 60% of Wisconsin applicants, 45% of Minnesota applicants, 35% of international applicants and 51% of out-of-state applicants.