Central Lakes College-Brainerd vs. Ridgewater College

Should I go to Central Lakes College Brainerd or Ridgewater College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Central Lakes College-Brainerd or Ridgewater College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Central Lakes College Brainerd vs. Ridgewater College comparison
Central Lakes College Brainerd Ridgewater College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
Location Brainerd, MN Willmar, MN
Setting Remote Town Remote Town
Enrollment 4,633 2,904
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clcmn.edu ridgewater.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
Tuition (In State) $5,424 $5,473
Tuition (Out of State) $5,424 $5,473
Room & Board $6,170 $7,720
Avg Net Price $12,326 $10,225
Avg Grant Aid $7,050 $6,935
% Receiving Grant Aid 77% 74%

Admission

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline

Academics

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
  • Health Professions (25%)
  • Transportation and Materials Moving (6%)
  • (5%)
  • Agriculture (5%)
  • Health Professions (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Agriculture (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (7%)

Outcomes

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,600 $35,200
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $108 $124

Diversity

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
% Men 41% 37%
% Women 59% 63%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 86% 84%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 3% 8%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
% In-State 95% 94%
% Out-of-State 4% 6%

Campus

 Central Lakes College-Brainerd Ridgewater College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Central Lakes College Brainerd is larger than than Ridgewater College based on total student enrollment (4,633 students vs. 2,904 students)

Central Lakes College-Brainerd vs. Ridgewater College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Central Lakes College-Brainerd or Ridgewater College?

  • Ridgewater College is 0.9% more expensive to attend than Central Lakes College-Brainerd for in-state tuition ($5,473.00 vs. $5,424.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.9% higher at Ridgewater College than Central Lakes College Brainerd ($5,473.00 vs. $5,424.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ridgewater College than Central Lakes College-Brainerd ($10,225 vs. $12,326)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Central Lakes College Brainerd are 25.1% lower than costs at Ridgewater College ($6,170 vs. $7,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Central Lakes College Brainerd than Ridgewater College (77% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Central Lakes College Brainerd students is 1.7% larger than aid received Ridgewater College ($7,050 vs. $6,935)

Which college is harder to get into, Central Lakes College-Brainerd or Ridgewater College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Ridgewater College or Central Lakes College-Brainerd .

Central Lakes College-Brainerd vs. Ridgewater College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Central Lakes College-Brainerd or Ridgewater College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Ridgewater College and Central Lakes College-Brainerd.

  • Graduates from Central Lakes College Brainerd earn on average $400 more per year than Ridgewater College graduates after ten years. ($35,600 vs. $35,200)
  • Central Lakes College Brainerd students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Ridgewater College graduates. ($10,500 vs. $12,000)
  • Central Lakes College-Brainerd graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Ridgewater College graduates. ($108 vs. $124)
  • More Ridgewater College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Central Lakes College-Brainerd students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 47%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/