Central Lakes College-Brainerd vs Ridgewater College

Central Lakes College-Brainerd and Ridgewater College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Central Lakes College-Brainerd boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Ridgewater College maintains a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Ridgewater College excels in graduation rates, ensuring students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. When it comes to popular majors, Central Lakes College-Brainerd offers a wider selection, catering to diverse interests, while Ridgewater College specializes in a select few areas, providing in-depth expertise. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Central Lakes College-Brainerd	Ridgewater College
Overview
Location	Brainerd, Minnesota	Willmar, Minnesota
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	58.0%	64.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$19,197	$19,335
Average net price	$12,279	$11,014
Tuition	$5,240	$5,288
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $4,719	65.0% Average amount $4,966
Students receiving federal student loan	35.0% Average amount $4,808	31.0% Average amount $4,823
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,881	1.0% Average amount $8,646

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,448 Men 40.9% Women 59.1%	2,846 Men 37.5% Women 62.5%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.1%	0.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Transportation and Logistics Agriculture Law Enforcement and Firefighting Precision Production	Health Professions Agriculture Engineering Technologies Construction Trades Business
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.6%	45.4%
Dropout rate	38.0%	34.6%
Transferred out	12.2%	14.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $61,809 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,757 Year 2: $57,576 Year 3: $60,915 Ground Transportation (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $51,968 Year 2: $48,563 Year 3: $55,739 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $43,734 Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $50,675 Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $35,344 Year 2: $44,468 Year 3: $49,014 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $47,725 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $38,812 Year 2: $39,286 Year 3: $40,518 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $35,959 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $26,731 Year 2: $33,370 Year 3: $35,107 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $30,432	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $62,271 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $67,045 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,281 Year 2: $54,109 Year 3: $58,414 Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $42,048 Year 2: $42,363 Year 3: $46,759 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,109 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $38,818 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $34,040 Year 2: $36,560 Year 3: $37,448 Agricultural Business and Management (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $39,627 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $36,604 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $27,555 Year 2: $33,565 Year 3: $34,846 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $34,790 Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $31,271 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $29,549 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $28,764 Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,443 Year 3: N/A

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Central Lakes College-Brainerd

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