What a friend would tell you
What Marquette is looking for
Marquette's Jesuit identity is the lens. Applications should connect goals to cura personalis (care for the whole person) and the university's service mission. Business school applicants should reference the Applied Investment Management program or specific finance connections in Milwaukee. Demonstrated interest through campus visits and event attendance is tracked and matters.
What students wish they'd known
Milwaukee winters are punishing: wind off Lake Michigan, sub-zero temperatures, and grey skies for months. The campus borders some rougher neighborhoods, and safety perceptions (fair or not) concern families. Marquette's national name recognition lags behind Jesuit peers like Georgetown, Boston College, or Notre Dame. The city's job market is smaller than Chicago or the coasts, which limits post-graduation options for some fields.
Marquette might be a fit if...
- You want Jesuit education with legitimate Big East basketball and a mid-size Midwestern city
- You're drawn to business, engineering, or health sciences with Milwaukee internship access
- You value the cura personalis approach where professors treat you as a whole person, not just a student
Marquette Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: EA, RD
Deadlines: EA November 15 · RD February 1
Deadlines: EA November 15 · RD February 1
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Considered
Considered, not formally logged. A specific 'Why us' is the lever that matters.
Interview
Optional
Yield Rate
30%
Only 30% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to Marquette, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Marquette
$64,200
Sticker Price
$17,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 93% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Marquette spends about $18,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, well above the $15K national average.
What Marquette Graduates Get
$57,000
Avg Starting Salary
96%
Employed or in Grad School
68%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (85%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Marquette Campus & Culture
The Campus
Marquette's 98-acre campus occupies a stretch of Wisconsin Avenue on Milwaukee's near west side, mixing collegiate Gothic limestone buildings with modern glass additions. The St. Joan of Arc Chapel (a reconstructed 15th-century French chapel) is the spiritual anchor. The Al McGuire Center and Fiserv Forum (shared with the NBA's Bucks) are on the campus perimeter. The Milwaukee Art Museum and Third Ward dining district are a short streetcar ride east.
The Social Scene
Vibrant urban setting, strong student community, sports-focused
Marquette Traditions & Trivia
Joan of Arc Chapel Mass
The stone chapel on campus was built in 1420 in a French village, shipped to the United States, and reassembled at Marquette in 1966, where students pack it every Tuesday night at 10 p.m. for Mass.
Marquette Madness
The night before basketball season tips off, students pour into the arena for music, contests, free swag, and a first look at the team, turning a practice session into a block party.
Academics at Marquette
What Marquette is known for
Jesuit education, basketball tradition, business school, strong Milwaukee connections
Most popular majors at Marquette
Standout programs
Business, Engineering, Communications, Health Sciences
How the curriculum works
Core curriculum (30 credits), major (36-54), electives
Recommended high school courses
4 years English, 3-4 Math, 3-4 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language
Notable Marquette Alumni
Dwyane Wade
NBA champion and Heat legend, Marquette basketball 2001-2003
Chris Farley
SNL legend and comedian, class of 1986
Doc Rivers
NBA coach who played at Marquette before a long coaching career
Daniel Egan
Behavioral finance researcher
If you like Marquette, also consider
Loyola University Chicago
Same Jesuit mission with Chicago's bigger city access
University of Notre Dame
Stronger brand for students who can compete at a more selective level
Boston College
Jesuit peer with coastal location and stronger alumni network
Creighton University
Comparable Jesuit school with pre-health strength in Omaha
University of Dayton
Similar Midwestern Catholic school with Marianist identity and engineering focus