Milwaukee School of Engineering

About Milwaukee School of Engineering

Founded in 1903, Milwaukee School of Engineering developed from a technical school created to connect engineering education with the needs of Milwaukee industry. It now operates as a private nonprofit university awarding bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The institution remains specialized: engineering and computing are prominent, but its current portfolio also includes business, nursing, actuarial science, and user-experience and communication design. MSOE reported 3,066 students in Fall 2025, with 2,837 undergraduates and 229 graduate students. Most undergraduates attended full time, while most graduate students attended part time. The university reports average class sizes of 21 for undergraduate courses and 11 for graduate courses, says it does not use teaching assistants, and emphasizes faculty experience in industry. These features may appeal to students seeking regular contact with instructors and a professionally oriented environment, though applicants wanting a broad range of humanities, social-science, or arts majors should examine the catalog carefully. The 23-acre campus is embedded in downtown Milwaukee rather than separated from the city. Academic buildings, residence facilities, laboratories, recreation spaces, and the university’s Grohmann Museum sit within a walkable urban district near Lake Michigan. MSOE’s 2026–27 undergraduate and graduate catalogs confirm active degree offerings for the current academic cycle. Prospective students should compare the curriculum, pace, and structured major requirements with more broadly based universities, especially if they are undecided about a technical or professional field.

First-year undergraduate admission is holistic and handled by admissions professionals. Applicants may submit MSOE’s application or the Common Application and must provide an official high-school transcript. MSOE recommends a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 and identifies pre-calculus or higher, physics, and chemistry as useful preparation. The university is test optional: ACT or SAT scores are not required as an initial admission document, although admissions may request available scores as another indicator when reviewing a student’s academic performance and coursework. Applicants should not rely on the database label describing MSOE as open admission; the current official process is selective review rather than a stated open-admission policy. International undergraduate applicants follow a separate document checklist. They must submit school records, a passport copy, financial certification, and proof of English proficiency. The official minimums currently published for full admission are TOEFL iBT 82 with no band below 19, IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0, Duolingo 115 with no band below 100, or PTE 56. International students also complete an enrollment deposit, housing steps, health-insurance requirements, and a mathematics assessment after admission. Graduate applicants submit a free application, evidence of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, and official English-language transcripts. Program-specific GPA, test, prerequisite, recommendation, interview, clinical, or experience requirements vary considerably. No general first-year application deadline was verified on the current admissions page, so students should obtain the applicable 2026–27 date directly from admissions rather than infer rolling or fixed deadlines from the database record.

MSOE’s official academics page lists 20 undergraduate programs and nine graduate programs, with additional minors, academic certificates, and graduate certificates. Undergraduate study is concentrated in engineering and computer science, business, nursing, mathematics, and user-experience and communication design. Current examples include mechanical, industrial, electrical, computer, biomedical, civil, architectural, chemical and biomolecular, and software engineering; computer science; construction management; business administration; actuarial science; and nursing. Students should use the 2026–27 catalog to confirm each program’s curriculum and accreditation where professional licensure matters. The educational model stresses applied work. MSOE highlights industry-standard laboratories, projects connected with external partners, and faculty with professional experience. Undergraduates are admitted directly to a major, which can provide an early disciplinary focus but may make exploratory study feel more constrained than at a university with a broad first-year curriculum. Humanities, social-science, communication, chemistry, physics, and mathematics departments supply general education, supporting courses, minors, and selected majors rather than forming a large liberal-arts college. Graduate options are professional master’s programs rather than doctoral study. The portfolio includes engineering fields, machine learning, business, nursing, perfusion, and related management or leadership areas, with some programs designed for part-time working professionals and selected online options. Study-abroad choices include a dual-degree arrangement with Lübeck University of Applied Sciences and shorter programs in several countries. Because requirements differ substantially by major, applicants should compare sequencing, laboratory expectations, clinical or professional prerequisites, and delivery format in the relevant 2026–27 catalog.

Key Highlights

• Private nonprofit university founded in 1903
• Fall 2025 enrollment was 3,066, including 2,837 undergraduates
• Awards bachelor’s and master’s degrees
• Publishes active 2026–27 undergraduate and graduate catalogs

Student Life & Environment

MSOE combines a small-campus environment with a downtown setting. The university reports more than 100 student organizations covering professional and STEM interests, cultural and faith groups, service, student government, Greek life, recreation, and social activities. This breadth gives students ways to pursue technical interests outside class, including design-and-build teams, while also providing outlets unrelated to their majors. Raider athletics includes more than 20 NCAA Division III teams, alongside club and intramural sports. University housing includes Margaret Loock Hall, Mellowes Hall, Hermann Viets Tower, and Grohmann Tower. Room styles range from conventional double and single rooms to suites and apartments. MSOE has a two-year residency requirement for first- and second-year students, with exemptions that include being at least 21, being married, living with a guardian within 30 miles, or entering as a transfer student. Residence-hall residents generally must purchase the unlimited meal plan. Living-learning communities provide themed residential options, including a nursing community and the Carter Academy. The Kern Center brings together athletics, recreation, counseling, and health services and includes an ice arena, basketball arena, fitness center, field house, running track, and wrestling area. Students who value a large residential campus or extensive Greek system should compare MSOE’s scale and urban layout with other institutions, while those who prefer close access to classes, city activities, and technical clubs may find the arrangement practical.

Location & Surroundings

MSOE occupies a 23-acre campus in Milwaukee’s downtown East Town area at 1025 North Broadway. The campus is a few blocks from Lake Michigan and close to the Milwaukee River, theaters, museums, sports and music venues, restaurants, parks, and shopping. This is an integrated city campus: students can walk into surrounding neighborhoods rather than relying on a self-contained college town. The setting can be useful for students pursuing internships and employer connections in engineering, manufacturing, technology, health care, and business. MSOE explicitly presents Milwaukee’s industrial and commercial base as an extension of its career-oriented education. Campus laboratories, residences, athletic facilities, and the Grohmann Museum remain concentrated within the university footprint, helping preserve a recognizable campus center amid the downtown streets. Applicants should evaluate the practical implications of urban study, including transportation, parking, off-campus rent, and their comfort navigating a city environment. Winters are cold, and Lake Michigan influences the local climate. The location is best suited to students who want access to a major metropolitan area while studying at a comparatively small institution.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–27, full-time undergraduate tuition is $25,901 per semester for 12–19 credits. Mandatory per-semester charges are an $881 technology-package fee and a $311 student-support-services fee. These direct charges exclude housing, meals, books, transportation, and personal expenses. Residence-hall pricing varies: published semester room rates run from $4,001 for a double room in Margaret Loock Hall to $8,002 for an approved single room in Viets Tower or Mellowes Hall. The required unlimited meal plan costs $2,807 per semester. Students should build a personal budget from these current charges rather than use the older 2025–26 cost-of-attendance estimate. MSOE offers institutional merit and need-based aid, housing assistance, and scholarships connected to specified activities or backgrounds. U.S. undergraduates seeking a comprehensive aid offer must file the FAFSA annually; institutional gift aid generally requires full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress. International students have separate scholarship information. Actual net price will therefore vary, and applicants should compare official aid offers rather than tuition alone. For the 2024–25 graduating class, MSOE reports that 96% of reported graduates were employed full time, enrolled in graduate school, or serving in the military. Its Career Connections Center reports an average salary of $77,161 for domestic bachelor’s graduates and hosts employer recruiting and career fairs. These are institution-reported outcomes for respondents, not guarantees for every major or student. Prospective students should consult the program-level tables in the 2026 Career Connections Center report and consider response counts when comparing results.