University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is a public urban research university based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. UWM is Wisconsin’s major public urban research university, combining a broad undergraduate and graduate mission with distinctive strengths in freshwater science, architecture, engineering, business, health, nursing, education, arts, information studies, sciences, and the humanities. The institution traces its development to 1956, and its present academic identity reflects a long pattern of growth rather than a single modern expansion. UWM was created in 1956 through the merger of Wisconsin State College, Milwaukee, and the University of Wisconsin Extension Division in Milwaukee. Its predecessor institutions included the Milwaukee Normal School, founded in 1885, Milwaukee State Teachers College, and Wisconsin State College, Milwaukee. The university grew rapidly during the 1960s and became a central research and public-service institution for Wisconsin’s largest metropolitan area. Academically, UWM supports a broad mix of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, certificate, and interdisciplinary study. Representative undergraduate choices include Computer Science BS, Mechanical Engineering BS, Civil Engineering BS, Architecture BSAS, Nursing BSN, Business Administration BBA. Graduate study includes options such as Business Administration MBA, Computer Science MS, Engineering MS, Architecture MArch, Public Health MPH, while doctoral education extends into fields including Freshwater Sciences PhD, Engineering PhD, Computer Science PhD, Nursing PhD. Research spans freshwater systems, materials, engineering, biomedical sciences, health, nursing, architecture, urban studies, data, information science, energy, business, education, arts, and the humanities. UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences and Milwaukee location create especially strong links to Great Lakes research, urban industry, public agencies, and community organizations. The main campus sits on Milwaukee’s East Side near Lake Michigan, while research and professional activity extends across the metropolitan area. Students can combine campus study with internships, research, clinical work, public service, entrepreneurship, arts, and employer partnerships. For current cost planning, For 2026–27, UWM estimates annual bachelor’s-level tuition and fees at $11,154 for Wisconsin residents and $24,004 for nonresidents. Minnesota reciprocity and Midwest Student Exchange rates are published separately, and course-specific or differential charges can apply. These published amounts are planning figures and can change with residency, program, credit load, housing, insurance, or board action at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where representative academic pathways at the university include Computer Science BS and Mechanical Engineering BS. First-year applicants use UWM’s undergraduate admissions process and submit the required secondary-school record. Program-specific standards may apply in architecture, engineering, nursing, health, arts, and other fields, while graduate and doctoral admission is handled by the Graduate School and academic program. Career pathways are closely connected to Milwaukee’s healthcare, manufacturing, engineering, finance, architecture, design, technology, public service, nonprofits, education, freshwater industries, and cultural institutions. Taken together, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is best understood as an institution whose academic portfolio, research mission, student support, and regional setting are closely connected. UWM also uses certificates, accelerated pathways, online options, and other nontraditional formats to extend selected academic areas beyond the standard four-year or graduate sequence.