Academic Calendar

UW-Madison Academic Calendar 2026-2027: Important Dates

By eriq elikplim
UW-Madison Academic Calendar.

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UW-Madison Academic Calendar 2026-2027 provides all the vital dates and deadlines for students, faculty, and staff, from course registration, graduation dates, and class start dates, to add/drop deadlines, financial aid timelines, and final exam schedules.

UW–Madison operates on a semester system, with both Fall and Spring semesters lasting approximately 15 weeks, usually beginning in late August or early September for the fall and late January for the spring.

UW-Madison also offers comprehensive summer sessions (with various lengths like 3, 4, or 8 weeks), catering to diverse academic needs.

For full-time undergraduate students, a semester costs approximately $5,500 for in-state and over $19,000 for out-of-state tuition, bringing annual tuition to about $11,000–$38,000, excluding housing and fees.

Students typically need 12–18 credits per semester to be considered full-time, and international students must maintain a minimum credit load as part of visa requirements.

UW-Madison Academic Calendar Fall 2026

Here is the UW-Madison academic calendar for Fall 2026.

  1. Faculty contract year begins on Monday, August 17, 2026.
  2. UW-Madison Fall move-in takes place from Saturday, August 29, 2026, through Monday, August 31, 2026.
  3. The deadline for students to cancel fall enrollment and avoid a fall term transcript record is Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
  4. UW-Madison Fall 2026 semester classes start on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. It is the first day of classes.
  5. The deadline for students (except special and guest students) to begin initial fall enrollment without a $50 late fee is Friday, September 4, 2026.
  6. Labor Day, during which there is no instruction, takes place on Monday, September 7, 2026.
  7. The deadline for students to drop courses or withdraw from the university without courses appearing on the transcript is Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
  8. The deadline to drop a fall term course and receive a 100% tuition adjustment is Friday, September 11, 2026.
  9. The deadline to add, swap, or change sections in a fall term course without department permission is Friday, September 11, 2026.
  10. The deadline for special and guest students to begin initial fall enrollment without a $50 late fee is Friday, September 11, 2026.
  11. The deadline for students to begin initial fall enrollment without needing department and academic dean permission is Friday, September 11, 2026.
  12. The deadline to drop a fall term course and receive a 50% tuition adjustment is Friday, September 25, 2026.
  13. The deadline for students (except graduate students) to request pass/fail or credit/audit options is Friday, September 25, 2026.
  14. The deadline for students (except graduate students) to change variable credits without instructor or dean approval is Friday, September 25, 2026.
  15. UW-Madison Fall break 2026 and Thanksgiving Break takes place from Thursday, November 26, 2026, through Sunday, November 29, 2026.
  16. The deadline for graduate students to request pass/fail or credit/audit options is Sunday, November 22, 2026.
  17. The deadline for graduate students to change variable credits is Sunday, November 22, 2026.
  18. The deadline for students to drop a fall term course without academic dean approval is Monday, November 23, 2026.
  19. The deadline to add a fall term course with department permission is Monday, November 23, 2026.
  20. The deadline to change Honors Optional course status without instructor or dean approval is Monday, November 23, 2026.
  21. The deadline for students (except graduate students) to withdraw from the fall term is Monday, November 23, 2026.
  22. The last class day for Fall Term 2026 is Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
  23. The deadline for graduate students to withdraw from the fall term is Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
  24. Study day takes place on Thursday, December 10, 2026.
  25. Exams take place from Friday, December 11, 2026, through Thursday, December 17, 2026.
  26. Commencement (no exams) takes place on Sunday, December 13, 2026.
  27. UW-Madison Winter break 2026 takes place from Thursday, December 17, 2026, through Monday, January 18, 2027.
  28. Fall Term 2026 graduates’ degree conferral date is Sunday, December 20, 2026.
  29. The grading deadline is Sunday, December 20, 2026.

UW-Madison Academic Calendar Spring 2027

Here is the UW-Madison Spring 2027 academic calendar.

  1. The expected publication date for the Spring Term 2027 schedule of classes is Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
  2. Students are assigned Spring Term 2027 enrollment appointment times during the week beginning Monday, November 2, 2026.
  3. Students begin enrolling for Spring Term 2027 courses on Monday, November 9, 2026.
  4. Spring 2027 semester move-in takes place on Saturday, January 16, 2027, and Sunday, January 17, 2027.
  5. Martin Luther King Jr. Day takes place on Monday, January 18, 2027.
  6. UW-Madison Spring 2027 semester classes begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2027.
  7. UW-Madison Spring break 2027 takes place from Saturday, March 20, 2027, through Sunday, March 28, 2027. Classes resume on Monday, March 29, 2027.
  8. The last class day is Friday, April 30, 2027.
  9. Study day takes place on Saturday, May 1, 2027.
  10. Spring move-out takes place from Sunday, May 2, 2027, through Friday, May 7, 2027.
  11. Final exams take place from Sunday, May 2, 2027, through Friday, May 7, 2027.
  12. Commencement for doctoral and medical professional students takes place on Friday, May 7, 2027.
  13. Commencement for bachelor’s, master’s, and law students takes place on Saturday, May 8, 2027.
  14. The grading deadline is Monday, May 10, 2027.
  15. Faculty contract year ends on Sunday, May 16, 2027.

For more on the UW-Madison Academic Calendar, visit the University of Wisconsin-Madison SECFAC Website.

eriq elikplim
eriq elikplimhttps://acadcalendar.com
Eric Elikplim is the lead editor of AcadCalendar.com. Eriq draws on 10 years of experience in edtech and project management. He has collaborated directly with multiple universities, establishing processes to cross-check term dates, registration deadlines, and exam schedules. Beyond calendar data, Eriq contributes thought leadership on academic productivity: he has authored articles on semester planning, and consulted with student organizations to refine reminder features and user experience.

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