Liberal arts college
#3 Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in WisconsinRipon College
Ripon, WI · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $20,216 a year
Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
In Wisconsin
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.63%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,176 · ACT 24
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.12 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,869
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $63,540 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 734 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 54% · Women 46% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 28% |
| Total students | 734 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $20,216 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $63,540 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 63% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 59% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 61% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 75% |
| First-year retention | 72% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $54,902 |
| Admission rate | 80% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $30 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $946 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 34% |
| Average SAT | 1176 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 510–680 |
| SAT math | 470–590 |
| ACT composite | 21–27 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Political science | |
| Economics | |
| Business (general) | |
| Psychology | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Biology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| English | |
| History |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Anthropology, Biopsychology, Chemistry, Communication studies, Computer science, Ethnic and gender studies, Finance, Fine arts, German, Global studies, Interdisciplinary studies, Linguistics, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Other education, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Physics, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Sociology, Teacher education, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Parks, recreation and fitness | |
| Education | |
| Biology | |
| Social sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $10,800 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Midwest Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 12 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 8%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 100%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $155,288IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Appleton International Airport (ATW)About 33 miles away · about 1 hour by car |
| Nearest major airport | General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)About 78 miles away |
| Town population | 7,772Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | MadisonAbout 60 miles away · about 1 hour 55 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 17°F in January · 70°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Ripon 5 NE, WI, about 6 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 2.82 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 4.23 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Ripon College’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 42% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Ripon College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $20,216 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Ripon College?
- Ripon College admitted 80% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Ripon College’s graduates do?
- 63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $54,902; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.
Ask the school
Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.
Reviews
Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.
No reviews yet.
Sign in to write a review.
My rating and notes
Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.
About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 239628
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Report an error or a newer source
- Respond as this school
Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Ripon vs Hanover · Ripon vs Lycoming · Ripon vs Westminster · Ripon vs Earlham
More in Wisconsin · Wisconsin rankings