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Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2026

Does incarcerating someone in a Wisconsin prison for a year cost more than annual state technical school tuition?

Matthew DeFour / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch
yes

Incarcerating someone in Wisconsin correctional institutions costs far more than tuition at a state technical college. 

According to data in a 2025 report to the Legislature, it costs on average $144.88 per day to house someone in an adult corrections facility, or $52,881 a year. Those numbers come from a 2023-24 study, the most recent data available. 

The report notes that some facilities are more expensive than others. The maximum-security Columbia Correctional Institution costs $256.66 per day. The medium-security Stanley Correctional Institution costs $111.94. 

The annual cost of tuition at a Wisconsin technical college for an in-state student is about $4,585, not including books, materials or other related fees, according to the Wisconsin Technical College System website. By comparison, in-state tuition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is $12,166 for the 2025-26 school year, according to the Universities of Wisconsin website.

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