More selective than 57% of Wisconsin colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $63,540. College Scorecard.
Higher than 58% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 67% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 50% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Ripon College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,797 applicants, Ripon College admitted 1,508 and 195 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1270 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Ripon College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Ripon College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Ripon College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Wisconsin. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $15,712 | $64,733 | 3.7 years |
| $30–48k | $14,267 | $58,780 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $16,971 | $69,921 | 4.0 years |
| $75–110k | $19,124 | $78,791 | 4.5 years |
| $110k+ | $25,280 | $104,154 | 6.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (54% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($54,902) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,338 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Ripon College majors, earnings & careers
Ripon College offers 35 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Ripon College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Political Science | $68,800 | — |
| Economics | $67,395 | — |
| Business | $61,701 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $50,762 | $27,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $50,291 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $48,508 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $47,844 | $27,000 |
| English | $45,050 | — |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Biology$48,508
- Biopsychology—
- Business$61,701
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer Science—
- Economics$67,395
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Education, Other—
- English$45,050
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- German—
- History$38,623
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,844
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,291
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Political Science$68,800
- Psychology$50,762
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Fond du Lac
Overall prices in the Fond du Lac, WI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,224. Housing costs 33% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 31 inches of rain a year, 38 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Fond du Lac County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Fond du Lac County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Ripon College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Wisconsin by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripon College | 80% | $20,216 | 63% | $54,902 | This school |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College | 78% | $23,245 | 64% | $54,664 | |
| Edgewood College | 76% | $26,113 | 60% | $59,728 | |
| Maranatha Baptist University | 72% | $26,005 | 64% | $45,593 | |
| Viterbo University | 72% | $21,260 | 68% | $55,660 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Ripon College would cost you $3,029 less per year than Wisconsin Lutheran College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Ripon College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$15,790).
- Ripon College gives aided families $17,784 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Wisconsin resident | Ripon College | Wisconsin Lutheran College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $51,900 | $36,110 | +$15,790 |
| Books & supplies | $750 | $800 | −$50 |
| Housing & meals | $10,190 | $11,880 | −$1,690 |
| Personal & travel | $1,900 | $3,038 | −$1,138 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,200 | −$3,043 | +$1,843 |
| Sticker price | $63,540 | $48,785 | +$14,755 |
| Average grants | −$43,324 | −$25,540 | −$17,784 |
| You pay | $20,216 | $23,245 | −$3,029 |
“+” means Ripon College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Ripon College
What is the Ripon College acceptance rate?
Ripon College accepts 80% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,508 of 1,797 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1270 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
How much does Ripon College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $63,540 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,216 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,712 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,280.
How much do Ripon College graduates earn?
Former Ripon College students earn a median $54,902 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Ripon College graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a Ripon College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Ripon College costs about $69,921 after grants ($16,971 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,902 ten years after starting, $17,338 more than high school graduates in Wisconsin ($37,564), so the cost is repaid in 4.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Ripon College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Ripon College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Ripon College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ripon-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).