Ripon College

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

School Says - General Information
Together with the other members of our tightly-knit learning community, at Ripon you'll learn more deeply, live more fully, and achieve more success. You'll be surprised to discover that here you have more opportunities to be involved, to lead, to speak out, to make a difference, to explore new interests than you would at a college 10 times our size. Through collaborative learning, group living, teamwork, and networking, you'll tap into the power of a community where we all work together to ensure your success at Ripon and beyond.

School Says - Student Body
The list of student clubs and organizations is ever-changing, reflecting our students' ever-changing interests. A recent addition is FUERZA Alliance, designed to educate students about Latino cultures and to provide services to the Spanish-speaking community of Ripon. Student initiated and sponsored club sports include Rugby and Lacrosse. These competitive teams travel throughout the Midwest.

Every day at Ripon is packed with a host of activities that include: Concerts we have eight vocal and instrumental groups that perform regularly on campus, as well as many individual student and faculty recitals. The Caestecker Fine Arts Series and the Chamber Music at Ripon Series annually bring national performers to campus. The Ethical Leadership Program sponsors an annual ethics conference which included nationally-known personalities Tim Russert, Miles Brand, and Bud Selig. The Theatre Department sponsors two major productions annually, plus a series of student-directed one-acts. Our most recent Ripon Film Festival (an annual showcase for independent films from around the country) included the premiere of a feature-length horror film written, directed by, and starring a Ripon student.

Ripon's NCAA Division III Intercollegiate Teams compete in the Midwest Conference:

Men's varsity sports: baseball, basketball, cross-country, cycling, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field.

Women's varsity sports: basketball, cross-country, cycling, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field.

School Says - Academics
Ripon's liberal arts curriculum is designed to introduce you to a wide variety of disciplines. About 40 percent of our students complete double or triple majors, while some create special self-designed majors. Excellent communications skills written and oral as well as critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, are the hallmark of a Ripon education, no matter what your major. In addition, our leadership studies program and our newly established ethical leadership program provide a strong foundation for leadership skills.

A Ripon education will take you anywhere! You could study psychology and play basketball at Ripon, and then become a five-time Grammy winner like jazz singer Al Jarreau (1962). You could guide the space shuttle into orbit like Jeff Bantle (1980), a chief flight director with NASA, or become an international opera star like Gail Dobish (1976). Perhaps you'll set records in medical science like neonatologist Dr. John Muraskas (1978), who is on record for saving the world's smallest premature baby, or cover world events, like Richard Threlkeld (1959), former Moscow correspondent for CBS News. Or perhaps you'll end up in Donald Trump's inner circle like Ashley Cooper (1982), a senior manager of Trump National Golf Club who has served as an advisor to The Donald on "The Apprentice."

School Says - Admissions
Ripon enrolls students who will contribute to and benefit from the academic and residential programs we provide. Ripon does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, color, age, religion, national and ethnic origin, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, admission practices, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, and other college-administered programs.

The faculty committee on academic standards establishes the criteria for admission. The school considers a variety of factors, including secondary school record, standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), recommendations, a written essay, and extracurricular or community service activities. Ripon's admission process reflects the personal attention students can expect to receive during their college careers, and applicants are encouraged to provide any additional information that they consider helpful.

For more information contact:

Admission Office
Ripon College
300 Seward Street
PO Box 248
Ripon, WI 54971
Telephone: 800-947-4766
E-mail: adminfo@ripon.edu

School Says - Campus Life
All of the best residential liberal arts colleges strive to be true learning communities like Ripon. We succeed better than most because our enrollment of just over 1,000 students is perfect for fostering connections inside and outside the classroom. Our students flourish in this environment of mutual respect, where shared values are elevated and diverse ideas are valued. If you are seeking academic challenge and want to benefit from an environment of personal attention and support then you should take a closer look at Ripon.

In classes that average 20 students, your professors are able to know you, your strengths, and your capabilities extraordinarily well. They'll tailor your course work to make sure you're always challenged to perform at the top of your game. Yet they're always ready to provide extra support when you need it. Faculty collaborate with you on research projects, suggest independent study topics, and connect you with internships and other active learning experiences.

School Says - Cost Aid
Ripon is one of just 81 colleges and universities in the country recognized as a Best Value by the Princeton Review in the 2008 edition of America's Best Value Colleges, which noted, "Best of all, Ripon strives to provide aid in a form that reduces your long-term debt." Nearly 100 percent of Ripon students receive some form of merit-based scholarship and/or need-based grants and loans.

Tuition is $23,970, room and board is $6,770, and fees are $275, for a total cost of $31,015.We recognize and reward your success in high school with Ripon's institutionally funded scholarships, based not only on academic merit, but also on special achievements in other areas such as the creative arts. Our scholarships range from $1,000 to full tuition. Ripon participates in all federal and state need-based financial aid programs. Our financial aid counselors will work individually with you and your family to investigate every possible financial resource for which you are eligible.

Students Say - Academics
Looking for a school that provides "intensive preparation for grad school" but also a "small and comfortable" and "homey and welcoming" environment? Undergrads at Ripon College think their school is just the place for you. "Everything about this community is warm and open," so even when academics get "competitive and challenging," they are still "surprisingly enjoyable." As one student explains, "What sets the administration apart is the way they treat each student as a person, rather than as a pain. It's the same with the professors. Ripon has some truly amazing teachers and professors that everybody hates, like every other school anywhere. The difference is that each of those professors, love 'em or hate 'em, is willing to sit down one-on-one and treat you like a person with a problem, rather than just a number with a grade." "And most of the professors try to make classes interesting and engaging, whether they succeed or not." Students also appreciate how "opportunities are in surprising abundance here. Faculty connections in the community provide many students with real-world applications of the academic knowledge they are gaining" through internships, community projects, and research projects. Ripon boasts "a wonderful science department" that oversees "a great biology program" and "a decent environmental studies program." Political science and education are among the other top-flight disciplines here.

Students Say - Campus Life
Ripon is located in a small town that "shuts down at night," and it's "20 minutes from the next closest town," so students "make our own fun," which includes "a lot of sledding, movies, shopping trips, and prairie walks," as well as the requisite campus parties, of course. "Drinking and partying are very common here," students say. "It's easily the most popular pastime," and "whether partying in the frat houses or going to the bars, people are always out and about." The campus also offers "plenty of organizations and extracurriculars to participate in," and "everyone on campus is involved in at least one club or organization." Likewise, "almost the entire student body participates in intramural sports." In short, students find sufficient diversion "whether they are participating in floor activities, all-campus activities, sporting events, school plays, or even just hanging out with friends. There is never a time when you feel as though you have nothing to do." For road trips, "Oshkosh and Fond du Lac are about half an hour away, so if somebody does have a car, these are common weekend activities." Trips to Madison or Milwaukee "are rarer" and are typically reserved for big concerts or major sporting events.

Students Say - Student Body
There are "a few different groups of students at Ripon College," including "a large portion of athletes who spend a lot of their time dedicated to their respective sports and are thus, for the most part, not involved on campus." There is also a "solid group of intelligent, motivated, involved, and engaged students who make up the vast majority of the clubs," and "a substantial representation of Greek that put a lot of time and effort into being involved on campus. The different Greek organizations host the majority of events around campus." Most students here "come from the areas of Wisconsin that surround Ripon" and "tend to be fairly down-to-earth and friendly. You can make some amazing friends here."

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