Ridgewater College
Ridgewater College offers hands-on training for skilled careers, with strong programs in areas like Registered Nursing, Electromechanical Instrumentation, and various construction trades, including Electrician and Plumbing. The college emphasizes industry-specific content and flexible delivery options, including on-site, online, and hybrid formats, to accommodate working adults. Ridgewater also provides career services, including an online job board (Handshake), to connect students and alumni with employers.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition
All Programs at Ridgewater College
13 trade programs at Ridgewater College, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.
| Program | Score | Earnings | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Agricultural Business
Agricultural Business and Management Compare nationwide → |
79 | $44,875/yr | $10,779 |
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
78 | $59,082/yr | $15,250 |
|
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
76 | $44,921/yr | $18,048 |
|
Electrical Installation
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
74 | $46,852/yr | — |
|
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice and Corrections Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
73 | $49,040/yr | — |
|
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
68 | $44,421/yr | $9,750 |
|
Health Administration
Health and Medical Administrative Services Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
68 | $40,206/yr | $22,399 |
|
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
68 | $38,001/yr | $9,885 |
|
Carpentry
Carpenters Compare nationwide → |
62 | $33,969/yr | — |
|
Electromechanical Technology
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
59 | $58,968/yr | $15,015 |
|
Veterinary Technology
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
50 | $37,141/yr | $13,000 |
|
Cosmetology
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
49 | $21,574/yr | $9,500 |
|
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare nationwide → Compare in MN → |
45 | $29,262/yr | $10,960 |
Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.
More Trade Schools in Minnesota
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Minnesota, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in Minnesota
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Minnesota. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
Trade Schools Near Willmar
Other cities in Minnesota with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Willmar.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 13 trade and vocational programs at Ridgewater College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.