Minimum stipends for graduate student teaching, research, and project assistantship appointments will increase by 5% for 2026-27, continuing UW–Madison’s commitment to investing in graduate assistantships.
The new minimums for graduate assistants appointed at 50% will be $30,614 per academic year for teaching assistants and $37,417 annually for research and project assistants.
This increase continues a four-year stipend forecasting plan that gives students, faculty, and staff the ability to plan several years into the future.
In addition to competitive stipends, the university’s investment in graduate assistantships incorporates factors that are critical to student success: tuition remission; health and dental insurance; paid sick, vacation, and parental leave; and mentorship training.
Over 5,800 graduate students at UW–Madison are appointed as graduate assistants, fellows, and trainees, most above levels that qualify them for robust benefits and tuition paid by the university. This semester, 85% of doctoral students hold appointments that qualify for tuition remission.
Many graduate programs set stipend rates higher than the minimum to remain competitive in recruiting new students within their discipline. Increases to the minimum do not directly impact rates where programs or departments already pay above the minimum. For example, if a program’s current stipend is above the 2026-27 minimum stipend, the program stipend may not increase.
Individual program stipend rates for graduate assistantships will be available online in spring 2026.
The new minimum stipend rates go into effect June 28, 2026, for annual appointments and August 17, 2026, for academic year appointments.
Rates listed below reflect a 50% appointment. In the fall 2025 semester, 82% of TAs, 94% of RAs, and 86% of PAs have total appointment levels of 50% or higher.
Minimum stipend rates for 2026-27 will be:
Teaching assistantship (per 50% appointment)
Academic: $30,614
Lecturer Student Assistant (per 50% appointment)
Academic: $33,574
Project assistantship (per 50% appointment)
Annual: $37,417
Academic: $30,614
Research assistantship (per 50% appointment)
Annual: $37,417
Academic: $30,614
PA grader/reader
Hourly rate: $29.83
University fellowships (100% appointment)
Annual: $37,417
Academic: $30,614