Students at Ripon College benefit from strong mobility outcomes that place the institution in the top quartile nationally for supporting student success across diverse backgrounds.
The college delivers solid middle-class earning potential while maintaining the personalized attention and close community that families seek from private liberal arts education.
Ripon College is a small private liberal arts institution in Wisconsin that delivers solid long-term value through personalized education and strong alumni connections. With just over 800 students, Ripon provides the intimate campus experience that many families seek from a private college, while maintaining financial outcomes that justify the investment. The college serves a diverse student body, with about 33% of students receiving Pell Grants and 28% being first-generation college students, demonstrating meaningful access despite its private status.
Graduates earn a median of $54,902 ten years after enrollment, placing the college in the 57th percentile nationally for earnings outcomes. While this represents solid middle-class earning potential, it reflects Ripon's focus on liberal arts education rather than high-earning technical fields. The college's strength lies in its ability to support students through completion, with graduation rates that exceed many similar institutions, particularly for Pell-eligible students who see 70% completion rates by year eight.
As a small private college, Ripon offers the advantages of personalized attention, close faculty relationships, and strong alumni networks that can be particularly valuable for career development. The college's approach emphasizes broad-based learning and critical thinking skills that serve graduates well across various career paths, even if initial earnings don't match those of larger research universities or technical institutions.
Ripon College's program portfolio reflects the breadth and focus typical of small liberal arts institutions, with business emerging as the clear standout for both enrollment and financial returns. The Business/Commerce program graduates about 20 students annually with median earnings of $43,426 ten years out, representing the college's highest aggregate return offering. This program combines solid enrollment with competitive earnings, making it a key driver of the college's overall economic outcomes.
The college's approach emphasizes depth over breadth, allowing for close faculty mentorship and personalized attention within each program. While the data shows limited program diversity compared to larger institutions, this reflects Ripon's intentional focus on core liberal arts and professional fields where small class sizes and direct faculty engagement provide clear advantages. The business program's success demonstrates how concentrated resources and attention can produce strong outcomes even at smaller scale.
Ripon's program strategy aligns with its institutional mission of providing comprehensive liberal arts education with practical career preparation. The college's small size means that every program receives significant institutional attention and resources, creating opportunities for students to develop close relationships with faculty and gain hands-on experience that larger institutions might not provide. This approach particularly benefits students who thrive in collaborative, mentorship-intensive environments.
Ripon College graduates achieve solid middle-class earnings that reflect the value of a liberal arts education. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $54,902, which places the college in the 57th percentile nationally for long-term earnings outcomes. While these earnings are somewhat below what similar students achieve at other institutions, they represent meaningful economic mobility for many graduates, particularly those from first-generation and lower-income backgrounds.
The college's program portfolio centers on business and liberal arts fields that provide steady career foundations. Business/Commerce is Ripon's standout program, graduating about 20 students annually with median earnings of $43,426 ten years out. This represents the college's highest aggregate return program, combining solid enrollment with competitive earnings for graduates. The business program's performance demonstrates how Ripon's small scale allows for focused attention on key professional programs while maintaining the breadth of a liberal arts curriculum.
Ripon's value proposition lies in the comprehensive educational experience rather than purely financial returns. The college's small size enables close faculty mentorship, extensive networking opportunities, and personalized career guidance that can be particularly valuable for students entering fields where relationships and communication skills matter as much as technical expertise. While initial earnings may be moderate, the foundation provided often supports steady career advancement over time.
Ripon College's affordability varies significantly by family income, with the college providing substantial financial aid to make attendance possible for lower-income students. Low-income families pay about $13,478 annually after aid, which is competitive with many public universities and demonstrates the college's commitment to access. Middle-income families see net prices around $17,763, while higher-income families pay closer to $29,200, reflecting a typical private college pricing structure that relies on financial aid to serve diverse economic backgrounds.
The college's financial aid approach helps make private education accessible to students who might not otherwise consider it. With about one-third of students receiving Pell Grants, Ripon successfully enrolls students from lower-income backgrounds while providing the support needed for completion. The aid structure recognizes that families choosing private liberal arts education often value the personalized attention and small community environment that comes with higher sticker prices but substantial institutional support.
Debt levels at Ripon are manageable relative to typical private college standards, though they require careful planning. Most graduates leave with federal student loan debt, and the college's strong loan repayment rates suggest that graduates are generally able to service their obligations successfully. The combination of reasonable net prices for lower-income students and solid long-term earning potential creates a sustainable financial model for most families who choose Ripon.
Ripon College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
