Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Ripon College

Ripon College's liberal arts program sits well below what Wisconsin families should expect from an in-state humanities degree. At $34,731 in first-year earnings, graduates earn $9,000 less than the state median—landing in just the 25th percentile among Wisconsin's 27 liberal arts programs. Even UW-Green Bay graduates start at $54,436, nearly $20,000 higher. The $27,000 debt load itself is reasonable, but paired with earnings that trail both state and national averages, the return looks weak.

The 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming on its own—you're not looking at crippling debt. But context matters: Wisconsin's public universities deliver the same degree type with significantly better earnings outcomes at similar or lower debt levels. The robust sample size (100+ graduates) confirms this isn't a data fluke; this is the actual outcome pattern for Ripon's liberal arts majors.

For a family paying private college tuition, these numbers should prompt a hard conversation. If your child is set on liberal arts at a smaller private school, understand you're likely paying a premium for outcomes that lag behind Wisconsin's public options. The UW System schools aren't just cheaper—they're launching liberal arts graduates into better-paying first jobs. Unless Ripon offers something specific your child can't get elsewhere, the state's public universities present a stronger value proposition for this major.