Ripon College: Everything but Ordinary

EVERYTHING BUT ORDINARY

MAKE RIPON YOURS “

Endless options.

Extraordinary outcomes. On our campus, your education is yours to create.

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Excel in Every Field

Do More in Four

With our five-course Catalyst Curriculum, you can do it all in just four years. Complete multiple majors and minors, participate in research, play sports, hold an internship — you name it. Most importantly, you can build the communication and critical-thinking skills you need to excel in life and in the workplace — starting day one.

majors minors

Discover your passion or customize a course plan to pursue the professional degree you already have in mind.

14:1

Our small classes make a big difference. You’ll learn from prestigious faculty, never teaching assistants, and get the one-on-one attention and research opportunities you need to thrive.

Chemistry-biology major Cormac Madigan ’23 made a name for himself on the football and baseball fields, and now he’s ready to make his contribution to the medical field. This season, Madigan totaled a league-best 1,491 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns.

But these aren’t his only impressive stats — Madigan maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point average throughout his time at Ripon. His success in the classroom earned him a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, a $10,000 award given to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically. Now that he’s graduated, Madigan is eager to bring his skills to medical school and make a difference as a physician.

I’ve had a better college experience than I could’ve imagined. My time at Ripon enabled me to mature as a scholar, athlete and person.”

—Cormac Madigan ’23

OPPORTUNITIES THAT DEFY EXPECTATIONS

Discover the Franzen Science Center

With the new Franzen Science Center, you can discover your interests and develop in-demand skills alongside mentors who want to see you excel. Put your ideas to the test in our makerspace, or get up close and personal with astronomy concepts on our stargazing platform. This is just one of countless places on our campus where you can explore diverse interests and build career-ready skills.

EXPERIENCE NEW POSSIBILITIES

Your journey isn’t just about course credits — it’s about the experiences. Whether you’re passionate about complex scientific concepts or literary analysis, neuroscience or sustainability, we’ll help you unlock your best.

Participating in the SOAR program taught me a lot about myself and my options for education and employment after graduating.”

Follow Your Curiosity

With our Summer Opportunities for Advanced Research (SOAR) program, you’ll work with a faculty mentor to achieve goals designed around your unique research or creative interests. You’ll learn to conduct and communicate research like a pro, collaborate with peers in other programs, and lend a hand in your community.

Research Local Ecosystems

Meet Ripon College’s largest classroom: the 130-acre Ceresco Prairie Conservancy. Ripon students and faculty can enjoy miles of beautiful hiking and running trails — and make careershaping discoveries as well, like when Assistant Professor of Biology Ben Grady and student Christina Seese ’23 discovered the rare rusty patched bumblebee on the prairie.

Study Animal Behavior

In Associate Professor of Psychology Julia MeyersManor’s Animal Cognition Lab, students work with cats, alpacas, chickens and even the professor’s own dogs to determine the animals’ ability to understand human gestures.

—Kyle Koss ’25

BECOME A RED YOURHAWK, WAY

Lead the Way

We’ll never tell you what it means to be a Red Hawk — that’s for you to decide. Whether you’re here to beat your personal best, lead your team to victory, or simply try a new intramural sport, you’ll find a community ready to cheer you on. And you’ll never have to choose between the sport you love and the other passions that drive you.

You can be an accomplished athlete researcher community leader

Ripon athletes rise to the challenge. And Ben Fisher ’24 is no exception. Ben is an exercise science – physical education major with minors in educational studies and coaching, a three-time varsity letter athlete in track and field, vice president of his Theta Chi chapter, and an indoor and outdoor high jump All-American. And now he can add “award winner” to his list of impressive titles.

Ben honed his leadership, academic, and athletic skills at Ripon, and his impressive performance across the board earned him the Theta Chi fraternity’s 2021–22 James Ralph “Shug’’ Jordan Award. Ben was selected from the fraternity’s 159 active chapters as the top scholar-athlete and accepted his award at the Theta Chi conference in Washington, D.C.

At Ripon, I’m surrounded by people who support me. My classmates, teammates, fraternity brothers, coaches and faculty all make Ripon feel like home.”

— Ben Fisher ’24

RESOURCES THAT RAISE THE BAR

Discover the Willmore Center

At the Willmore Center, our athletics, health and wellness facility, you’ll have everything you need to achieve your fitness goals, explore new hobbies and — most importantly — stay healthy. Try yoga. Weight training. Dance. Bring your friends to the tennis court or fly solo on the track. Whatever your goals and interests, we have the resources.

2 gymnasiums Fitness studios

Weight room

Cardio balcony

65,000-square-foot field house complete with:

4 multipurpose performance courts

NCAA-regulation track for pit and field events

SEEK EVERY EXPERIENCE

At Ripon, we live by this truth: If you never try, you’ll never know. So try everything. Explore your interests, chase your passions and unleash your creativity. On our campus, you’ll never run out of opportunities to discover more about the world and yourself.

Embrace Traditions

Our traditions define us just as much as our courses. Every year before finals begin, we kick off our favorite campus event: Springfest. Designed to help students relax before exams, the festival brings live music, tie-dying, airbrush tattoos, face-pieing and more.

At the midpoint of final exams, Counseling Services sets up a time for students to “Paws and Relax” with the friendliest dogs in the Ripon family. Ripon faculty and staff members bring in their pups to help students get the rest and relaxation time they deserve.

Expand Horizons

Ripon is the perfect place to build your community and discover new passions alongside new friends. Explore a few of Ripon’s most popular student organizations:

Greek Life is all about motivating one another to become the best versions of ourselves. When you Go Greek, you’ll have access to a supportive network of student leaders who work together to plan fundraising events, develop their leadership skills, and become forces for positivity at Ripon and beyond.

Student Clubs and Organizations like Black Student Union inspire cultural awareness on campus with annual events like the Welcome Back BBQ and the Hair Care Fair. This group is committed to making our campus a better place for every student, energizing the community with everything from African Cuisine Night to educational presentations about intersectionality.

Service Groups like the Environmental Group of Ripon (EGOR) leverage their skills to better our community. EGOR collaborated with Ripon College to create a prairie restoration area. And their bond extends beyond our campus. The group recently traveled to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, where they hiked, cooked and explored the shoreline together.

IGNITE YOUR POTENTIAL

Franzen Center for Academic Success

This dynamic learning environment on the first floor of Lane Library brings together tutoring and academic support services into one coordinated, high-tech space with six collaborative study rooms. Join one-on-one or group tutoring sessions with one of our 80 highly trained student mentors. Review your writing or practice your presentation skills. Ask all of your unanswered questions in an environment that helps you excel.

Student Support Services

Student Support Services provides a network of academic, personal and career services for Ripon students who are first-generation, lower-income, or physically or learning disabled. We’ll connect you with everything from academic and life guidance — like helping you choose a major or shadow a working professional — to cultural enrichment experiences — like trips to see theatrical performances. And we’ll connect you with a Peer Contact who will help you navigate the transition from high school to college. We’re here to meet your needs, whatever they may be.

Career Discovery Tour

Expand your network over spring break with our weeklong Discovery Tour to vibrant cities across the United States. You’ll learn about a variety of careers directly from successful Ripon alumni and friends.

Center for Career & Professional Development

This center provides a high-energy, innovative workspace with the latest professional technologies, so you can master the skills today’s employers seek. We’ll provide internship workshops that prepare you to begin your career and host résumé-building and interview events to ensure you can make the best first impression on potential employers.

At Ripon, your professors and peer mentors will connect you with the opportunities you need to unlock your potential and achieve your goals.

Exploring Washington, D.C., on the Career Discovery Tour had a lasting impact on my life that I will never forget.”

—Rachel Reger ’24

COMMUNITY THAT INSPIRES

EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS

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#1 in wisconsin for social mobility (u.s. news & world report, 2022–2023) of graduates are employed or enrolled in grad school within six months

Reimagine the Future

It

Lincoln Wurtz ’17 says he never would have survived his first year of medical school if it hadn’t been for his Ripon education. The mathematics and chemistry-biology major chose Ripon because it promised a diverse, deeply personalized education. Looking back, it’s this unique liberal arts approach he values most. He learned how to critically appraise journal articles and how to collaborate with peers to solve real-world problems — all of which helped him excel in his dual M.D.-Ph.D. program at Mayo Clinic.

English and communication graduate Emma Bronson ’17 was accepted to the prestigious U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Next Generation Program after being nominated by Ripon College’s thenpresident Zach Messitte. Emma joined more than 100 other passionate learners from across the country to network with policymakers and learn about diplomacy, federal budgeting, advocacy training, international affairs, and more.

Now Emma is eager to use her knowledge to make a difference in our future. “This next generation of individuals is going to set the stage for our country’s future,” Emma says. “I am beyond humbled to have been chosen to be one of those leaders working toward a better world.”

I have always had a servant heart and been drawn to something bigger than myself.”

— Emma Bronson ’17

At Ripon, you’ll learn to see yourself as we see you — a leader with the power to create a future that’s everything but ordinary. You define your goals. Ripon makes them possible.

was a dream come true to spend four years exploring new subjects and applying different styles of thought to solve real-world challenges.”

CAREER SUCCESS

SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY

Explore Your Options

Our scholarship program can reward your talent and ignite your potential.

If you’ve demonstrated academic excellence and leadership skills, you’ll be considered for an Academic Scholarship ranging from $25,000 to $39,000 per year. We also reward high-achieving Ripon students with specialized academic scholarships for science, theater, history, and music.

We offer additional scholarship opportunities for students with financial need, legacy students and students who demonstrate a commitment to diversity.

Applying for financial aid here is simple. Visit our website to see the process explained.

Net Price Calculator

And we don’t want there to be any surprises, so we designed our own Net Price Calculator. Visit the Calculator to learn more about financial aid offers and estimate the net cost of your Ripon College education.

DISCOVER YOUR EXTRAORDINARY