---
title: Ridgewater College — cost, debt & earnings (College Scorecard)
location: Willmar, MN
control: Public
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2026-06-10 release)
sourceUrl: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
---

# Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN · Public · Associate-granting

> Federal College Scorecard institution **medians** — not a prediction of any one student's outcome, and not a figure for any single program. Earnings/debt cover federally-aided students.

## The bottom line

| Figure | Value | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Typical earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $43,827 | recorded |
| Earnings range (25th–75th pct) | $26,512 – $63,192 | recorded |
| Typical federal debt | $9,196 | recorded |
| Debt of students who withdrew | $6,500 | recorded |
| Completion rate | 50% | recorded |
| Average annual net cost | $15,694 | recorded |
| % earning above a $28k HS-grad wage | 61% | recorded |
| Debt ÷ a year's earnings | 0.21× | derived |
| Earnings premium vs $28k HS benchmark | $15,827 | derived |

**50% of students finish** — the loans are owed whether or not you graduate, so read every figure below next to this number.

Typical **federal** loan debt is $9,196 (≈ 21% of a year's typical earnings here). Note: this counts federal loans only — not private loans, Parent PLUS, or family savings — so true borrowing is usually higher; and because dropouts borrow less, low-completion schools can show a deceptively low debt figure.

## Earnings by major (the number that decides "worth it")

> **Different measure — read on its own terms.** These are median earnings **1 year after completing the program** (early career, graduates only) — NOT the 10-years-after-entry school-wide figure above. Do not compare a program figure to the school figure; compare majors to each other. The Dept. of Education omits programs with too few graduates.

By program, early-career pay ranges from $20,010 to $62,271 across 12 program(s).

| Major | Credential | Pay (1 yr out) | Median debt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $62,271 | $15,015 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $58,429 | not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | Associate's Degree | $53,281 | $15,250 |
| Precision Metal Working. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $42,048 | $9,750 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $40,824 | not reported |
| Agricultural Business and Management. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,627 | $10,779 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $34,790 | $18,048 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $34,040 | $9,885 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services. | Associate's Degree | $29,549 | not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services. | Associate's Degree | $27,555 | $22,399 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | Associate's Degree | $25,109 | $10,960 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $20,010 | $9,500 |

## What this is — and is NOT

Institution-wide medians from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. **Not** a prediction of what you would earn or owe, **not** a figure for any single program (a CS and a fine-arts graduate of the same school diverge enormously), **not** proof the school caused the outcome (selection, not causation), and **not** a "best college" ranking. Explore Ridgewater College by field of study at the official Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?175236

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Structured data (JSON-LD), each figure labeled by epistemic status: `/education/ridgewater-college-mn.jsonld` · all schools: `/education`