Career Outcomes & Graduate School Opportunities
It’s never too early to start considering your future career. Do you need a specific degree? Will you need an advanced or professional degree to practice? Does the school you’re considering offer resources to support you in getting a job or getting into graduate school?
While graduation may feel far away, the average time it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree at UW–Madison is just 3.78 years. While over 62%* of our students are employed when they graduate, over 26%* of our graduates are also pursuing a masters, doctorate, or other graduate level degree after earning their bachelor’s as a Badger.
Many students know they want to be a veterinarian, lawyer, doctor, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, social worker, or other profession that requires a graduate or professional degree.
At UW–Madison, we prepare our students for success. Whether pursuing an advanced degree or joining the workforce, 91%* of graduates agreed or strongly agreed that UW–Madison prepared them for the next step in their career path.
*Information provided in the 2024–2025 First Destination Survey to graduating undergraduates. UW–Madison has reasonable/verifiable information for post-graduation plans of 6,400 of the 9,124 undergraduate degree recipients surveyed from Summer & Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
Undergraduate Career & Continuing Education Outcomes
62.1%
employed after graduation
93%
job-, service-, or military-seeking graduates accepted a position within six months of graduation
26.6%
of 24–25 class admitted to graduate school post graduation
Information provided in the 2024–2025 First Destination Survey to graduating undergraduates. UW–Madison has reasonable/verifiable information for post-graduation plans of 6,400 of the 9,124 undergraduate degree recipients surveyed from Summer & Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
Paving Your Path to Graduate School as an Undergraduate
Rather than offering a major in “pre-med” or “pre-law,” we offer incredible support resources in the Centers for Pre-Health and Pre-Law Advising. Our process allows you to earn a full bachelor’s degree in the program of your choosing, while also ensuring you are taking the necessary coursework to be prepared for medical school, law school, or another advanced degree program in the health field. Not sure of the best path for your undergraduate degree? They can help with that too.
Center for Pre-Health Advising
The Center for Pre-Health Advising (CPHA) is a centralized resource for all UW–Madison students and alumni — no time limit — who are interested in pursuing careers in healthcare.
Our primary advising expertise is supporting students to explore, prepare for, and apply to graduate-level professional programs. We are here to support you — wherever you are on your path to serving others in healthcare.
Center for Pre-Law Advising
The Center for Pre-Law Advising (CPLA) is a centralized resource for all UW–Madison students and alumni — no time limit.
Our team seeks to help increase access and equity within the field of law through providing excellent advising, programming, and other career development resources for all stages of the process of considering, preparing for, or applying to law school.
PharmD Early Assurance Program
The Early Assurance program provides a structured pathway to the UW–Madison Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program for students graduating high school or in their first semester at a Universities of Wisconsin institution. The program provides guaranteed admission for students meeting eligibility requirements along with advising, support, and resources.
The Graduate School at UW–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison offers a wide range of graduate, professional, doctoral, and specialist degrees. Many of our graduate programs rank among the top programs in nation.
UW–Madison Professional Schools
Wisconsin School of Business
School of Pharmacy
Job and Career Resources
At UW–Madison, we offer numerous resources and supports for our current students as well as our alumni.
Career Services and the Career Exploration Center can connect you with resources that will support your future career, help you to gain experience and learn new skills, and connect you to hiring employers. They offer resources to assist with interview preparation, resume assistance, the job and internship search, and more.
UW–Madison boasts over 500,000 living alumni in Wisconsin, the Midwest, the U.S., and around the world. This network of alumni and employers of Badger alumni know the power of an education from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the impact of the Wisconsin Idea.
Explore the Career Exploration Hub
Whether you already have career ideas or are just starting to look around, use the links here to explore your options and discover paths you haven’t considered yet.
- Browse the 15 interest areas and career options for those interested in those fields
- Explore any link that sparks your curiosity, whether or not it matches your major.
- Connect with a Career Exploration Center advisor to talk through your ideas and plan your next steps.
Use the Handshake App
Handshake is a free tool for UW–Madison students and is the best way to connect with employers, find jobs and internships, and learn about career events hosted by career services offices and employers. Handshake is different from other job platforms because it is customized for UW–Madison students. All the jobs, events, and employers on Handshake are actively recruiting from UW–Madison!
Find a Career Services Office
Each school or college at UW–Madison has a career services office to support their students and employers. There are also several career services offices available to meet with any student looking to explore their academic and career goals.
Job and Internship Fairs
UW–Madison hosts a variety of career and internship-focused events every year. They are a great way for students to meet with a wide range of employers looking to hire our Badger graduates.
It was really great to go to the Career Exploration Center because it was just a space for me to talk and hear my thoughts and my experiences out loud, then have someone to help me break down my options. A second set of ears helped me start to make sense of what I wanted to do with my interests.