10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$205,074at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Ridgewater College
⌖ Willmar, MN · 18 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$205,074 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
145.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
−93%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,511Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Ridgewater College
What does Ridgewater College cost?
Ridgewater College reports an average annual net price of $10,046 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Ridgewater College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $46,511 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Ridgewater College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $12,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Ridgewater College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 18 field-and-credential outcomes at Ridgewater College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$164,890
$8,000Annual price−$196,890
$10,000Current college-wide context−$204,890
$16,000Annual price−$228,890
$24,000Annual price−$260,890
$32,000Annual price−$292,890
$40,000Annual price−$324,890
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Associate degrees
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$10,046Average net price / year
$15,694Cost of attendance
$12,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$127/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,511Median earnings · year 5 after completion
50.2%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
2,162Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
42% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
20 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
55% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$39,724Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$47,572Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$47,613Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income44%
Middle income67%
Higher income73%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 2–4 years · Broad federal field 41
$70,012Year 1
$93,187Year 5
$96,105Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$53,506Year 1
$70,392Year 5
$80,696Year 10
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection.Certificate, 2–4 years · Broad federal field 46
$45,525Year 1
$61,703Year 5
$68,891Year 10
Boilermaking/Boilermaker.Certificate, 2–4 years · Broad federal field 48
$51,556Year 1
$63,377Year 5
$65,986Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$60,067Year 1
$65,653Year 5
$65,194Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 2–4 years · Broad federal field 15
$71,115Year 1
$83,086Year 5
$64,798Year 10
Boilermaking/Boilermaker.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 48
$42,746Year 1
$58,998Year 5
$64,085Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 51
$43,047Year 1
$56,786Year 5
$61,920Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$41,202Year 1
$49,859Year 4
$46,511Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Electrical and Power Transmission Installers · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$77,7272Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$73,7643Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$73,5284Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$69,5045Criminal Justice and Corrections · Associate's Degree$63,2106Agricultural Production Operations · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$56,3117Precision Metal Working · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$54,7148Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$51,792Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $77,727 reported+46%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree · $63,210 reported+35%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Agricultural Production OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $56,311 reported+34%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Design and Applied ArtsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $41,332 reported+14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Agricultural Business and ManagementUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $50,046 reported+14%vs same-degree national median$10,697federal debt6Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $73,528 reported+13%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in MN
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Hibbing, MN
Minnesota North College
- Annual net price
- $10,432
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,781
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -87%
Saint Paul College
- Annual net price
- $11,495
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,072
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -100%
Pine Technical & Community College
- Annual net price
- $12,798
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,073
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -91%
South Central College
- Annual net price
- $9,082
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,648
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -79%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $77,727 | Not available | 16 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $73,764 | $17,196 | 8 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $73,528 | Not available | 30 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $69,504 | $23,062 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $63,210 | Not available | Not reported |
| Agricultural Production Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $56,311 | Not available | 0 |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $54,714 | $9,750 | 35 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,792 | $9,885 | 2 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's Degree | $50,108 | Not available | 0 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $50,046 | $10,697 | 11 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $48,951 | $11,389 | Not reported |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | Associate's Degree | $47,662 | Not available | Not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,191 | $23,755 | 21 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $41,332 | Not available | 9 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's Degree | $40,575 | $25,902 | Not reported |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $40,054 | $14,171 | Not reported |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $29,574 | $9,750 | 21 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's Degree | $26,033 | Not available | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.