Ripon College

ripon college majors

Top-Tier Undergrad Liberal Arts Education at Ripon

Ripon College appears in our ranking of 20 Great Colleges for Atheists and Agnostics.

Ranked 120th nationally by the U.S. News & World Report, Ripon College builds atop its five-course Catalyst Curriculum for 36 bachelor’s majors plus 42 minors with a four-year graduation guarantee and an engaging 12:1 student-faculty ratio in Wisconsin. For example, the 124-credit Exercise Science BA led by Dr. Mark Cole integrates hands-on work in the Agnesian Healthcare Athletic Training Center for Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist prep. Chaired by Dr. Paul Schoofs, the Finance BA follows a 124-credit, HLC-accredited sequence with $1 million investment portfolio experience for 98 percent job placement at Oshkosh Corp, Chase Bank, Allianz, and more.

At West Hall, Ripon College grants the 124-credit English BA under Dr. Ann Pleiss Morris, a 2012 Alpha Chi Omega Faculty Award recipient, for undergrads to publish Parallax, attend the Blackfriars Shakespeare Conference, and join the ACM Newberry Library Program. Directed by Dr. Kurt Dietrich, the Music Education BA crafts a 124-credit licensure track for K-12 teachers with opportunities to perform at CJ Rodman Center, sing with the Choral Union, and visit Seville.

Other available degrees include the Computer Science BA, Religion BA, Politics & Government BA, Anthropology BA, Art History BA, Biology BA, Foreign Languages BA, Psychology BA, and Mathematics BA.

About Ripon College

Ripon College originated on January 29, 1851, when the Wisconsin State Legislature approved a charter for Ripon Lyceum to deliver women’s college-prep education. In 1855, Middle Hall became the first building on its permanent 250-acre Fond du Lac County campus. In 1861, it was acquired by the First Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment for the Civil War. In 1863, it switched to four-year college education for the Bachelor of Arts. Five years later, Ripon ended its religious affiliation with the Presbyterian Church USA. In 1911, Egbert Ray Nichols organized Pi Kappa Delta at Ripon. In 1917, President Henry Coe Culbertson joined Ripon to the Midwest College Conference. Fully accredited in 1928, Ripon College partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1936 for engineering courses. In 1941, Ripon also became the host institution for Badger Boys State each June.

Endowed for $84.5 million, Ripon College now employs 66 faculty teaching 795 Red Hawks from 15 countries each 15-week semester in 26 buildings with Liberal Arts in Focus sessions and 60+ clubs like People for Animal Welfare. In 2014, Ripon received the NCA Rex Mix Program of Excellence Award. In 2017, Ripon’s Gamma Tau Chapter earned the Kappa Delta Honorable Mention for Academic Excellence Award. Ripon College won First Place at the 2017 WCMA Better Newspaper Contest too. Forbes placed Ripon 536th overall with the 168th best liberal arts degrees. On Niche, Ripon boasts America’s 200th best English, 225th top history, and 310th best biology programs. The Milwaukee Business Journal crowned Ripon College as Wisconsin’s third best private value. The CollegeNET Social Mobility Index also featured Ripon 153rd countrywide.

Ripon College Accreditation Details

On March 25, 2016, Ripon College was formally notified by the Higher Learning Commission on North Central Association (HLC-NCA) that the Institutional Status Report was updated for Level II accreditation through 2026-27 under its 13th president, Dr. Zach P. Messitte, who earned the National Public Radio News Director’s Award. Located 174 miles south via Interstate 41 in Chicago, Illinois, this giant 19-state Great Lakes Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and Wisconsin Department of Education.

Ripon College Application Requirements

Enrolling at Ripon College is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because just 1,666 of the 2,553 Fall 2017 applicants were selected for competitive 65 percent acceptance. First-year Red Hawks must be well-prepared with 17 units of college-prep high school academics. Each Advanced Placement exam graded 4 or higher will count towards four credits. GED and HiSET equivalency diplomas are evaluated case-by-case. Nearly every freshman ranks in their school’s top 50th percentile with a median 3.4 GPA. On average, Ripon students present a 24 ACT and 1149 SAT score. Entrance is test-optional for undergrads exceeding a 3.0 GPA. Same goes for college-level transfers who’ve finished 18+ credits at GPAs above 2.0. The Presidential Leadership Program seeks only sophomores with 3.5 GPAs and higher. Non-U.S. entrants need to prove English fluency with a 550 TOEFL, 6.5 IELTS, 1204 GTEC, or 590 SAT Reading mark.

Ripon College has published January 15th priority and May 1st final deadlines for freshmen. Domestic transfers have rolling admission through August 1st for Fall, December 1st for Spring, and April 1st for Spring starts. International students must apply before May 3rd and file deposits by June 14th. Accordingly, complete the Ripon or Common Application online for $30 (unless waived). Forward official transcripts to 300 West Seward Street in Ripon, WI 54971. Though optional, test scores are sent with SAT code 1664 or ACT code 4636. Additional steps include the secondary school counselor recommendation, interview, personal statement,- transfer credit evaluation, certificate of finance form, and English proficiency exam. Learn more by contacting (920) 748-8115 or [email protected].

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Ripon College is charging full-time bachelor’s tuition of $22,406 each 15-week semester or $44,813 annually. Undergrads pay a $300 activity fee by year. Note the International Study Program at Bonn has a $19,421 comprehensive fee. Residing at the Fond du Lac County campus’ eight dorms like Brockway Hall adds $4,443 yearly. Standard meal plans for Pickard Commons Dining Hall are $4,210 extra every nine months. Ripon budgets $750 for books, $500 for personal expenses, and $1,100 for travel. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $56,116 on-site or $47,463 living with parents.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid in Smith Hall Room 108 connects 99 percent of full-time Ripon Red Hawks to tuition assistance averaging $26,247 for $20.68 million combined. Institutional funds include the Knop Science Scholarship, William J. Woolley History Scholarship, Boys/Girls State Award, Legacy Award, UCC Church Award, Evans Award, Diversity Award, Dean’s Scholarship, Faculty Scholarship, Honor Scholarship, Russo Family Scholarship, Valedictorian Scholarship, and Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship. The Presidential Scholarship gifts $30,000 per year to freshmen with GPAs of 3.81 to 4.00. Since 1999, the Ripon Education Foundation has built 14 programs like the Ralph Quinney Memorial Scholarship, Ronnie Eichstedt Memorial Scholarship, and William Crook Memorial Scholarship. Submitting FAFSA forms coded 003884 by March 1st ensures Federal Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Work-Study, and Direct Loan consideration. The $1,800 Wisconsin Talent Incentive Program Grant and $1,100 Indian Student Assistance Grant could also help.

Explore the 75+ programs ranked #1 by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools on the Ripon College website.