Madison Area Technical College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
La Crosse, Wisconsin · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2025-2026
Madison Area Technical College is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Madison Area Technical College admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 73%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1190 and an ACT composite around 24. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,374 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Madison Area Technical College is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Madison Area Technical College?
Madison Area Technical College admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Madison Area Technical College weight in admissions?
Madison Area Technical College reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Volunteer work
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Work experience
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Madison Area Technical College typically admits
The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–27. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1230 |
| 50th percentile | 1270 |
| 75th percentile | 1318 |
| % submitting SAT | 1% |
| 25th percentile | 22 |
| 50th percentile | 24 |
| 75th percentile | 27 |
| % submitting ACT | 33% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 18% |
| Top 25% of class | 49% |
| Top 50% of class | 93% |
| % submitting class rank | 62% |
How much does Madison Area Technical College actually cost?
Published tuition is $9,651 for in-state students and $18,691 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $7,960 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $15,374 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 14% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $8,925 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $19,042 |
| Room and board | $8,170 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $15,374 |
| Application fee | $25 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Madison Area Technical College
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from Madison Area Technical College?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in Wisconsin parents ask about
- University of Wisconsin-Madison43% acceptance
- Marquette University87% acceptance
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee88% acceptance
- Milwaukee Area Technical College87% acceptance
- Milwaukee School of Engineering87% acceptance
- Ripon College83% acceptance
- Lawrence University87% acceptance
- Beloit College73% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Madison Area Technical College
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Madison Area Technical College recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Madison Area Technical College
What GPA do I need for Madison Area Technical College?
Madison Area Technical College admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Madison Area Technical College typically admit?
The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–27.
How much does Madison Area Technical College actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Madison Area Technical College after grants and scholarships is $15,374 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Madison Area Technical College realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Madison Area Technical College is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Madison Area Technical College, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.