Active Report Report ID: EDU-173063-2026

Riverland Community College

Austin, MN 55912-1473

Tuition$6,298Published sticker
Avg. net price$7,427After aid
Graduation rate52.13%150% time
Median salary$45,24710yr post-entry
ROI1,423%10yr vs net cost

About Riverland Community College

Riverland Community College is a public community college in Austin, Minnesota, enrolling about 2,003 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Typical net price after grant aid is about $7,427 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $6,298. Student demographics in federal data include White (63.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (17.0%) among the largest enrollment groups.

Key findings

  • Riverland Community College charges 14% above the national public median tuition ($6,298).
  • Versus the Minnesota median, sticker tuition is 35% below.
  • Average net price runs below the Minnesota median net price.
  • Completion within 150% of normal time is 52.13%.
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry are $45,247.

Research findings

01

Finding

Modeled return on investment at Riverland Community College is strong.

Estimated ROI reaches about 1423% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.

— Evidence from EDsmart Data analysis

Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.

Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.

Cost benchmarks

Benchmark Median Tuition Median Net Price Count
Riverland Community College$6,298$7,4271
Public (national median)$5,5121,688
Minnesota (state median)$9,706$13,32292
Town (locale median)$9,600$14,9711,517
United States (national median)$11,900$17,156

Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.

Cost

How expensive is Riverland Community College really?

Source College Scorecard + EDsmart aggregatesMethod Sticker vs net; peer mediansUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Undergraduate (Title IV net price)Confidence Federal extract

Key findings

  • Riverland Community College charges 14% above the national public median tuition ($6,298).
  • Versus the Minnesota median, sticker tuition is 35% below.
  • Average net price runs below the Minnesota median net price.
Published sticker

Riverland Community College tuition

Published undergraduate tuition $6,298

Finding Riverland Community College charges 14% above the national public median tuition.

Evidence Published tuition is $6,298. That is 14% above the national public median ($5,512). Versus the Minnesota median ($9,706), sticker tuition is 35% below. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 0.5×.

Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.

Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.

Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.

Evidence: published tuition at Riverland Community College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Evidence: average net price at Riverland Community College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Average net price

What undergraduates typically pay

Finding Average net price at Riverland Community College is $7,427.

Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $7,427 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $5,895 below the Minnesota median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $7,544 below the locale median.

Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.

Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.

Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.

Key takeaway At Riverland Community College, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.

School guide

Riverland Community College: research record

Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Riverland Community College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.

Research findings

Interpretation

The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.

Financial profile

Annual tuition

$6,298

Avg. net price

$7,427

Net price by family income

Income bracketAvg. annual net price
$0–$30,000$6,612
$30,001–$48,000$6,402
$48,001–$75,000$7,274
$75,001–$110,000$8,827
$110,001+$12,676

Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $25,192. See cost investigation.

Student outcomes

First-year retention74.9%

Share of first-year students returning the following fall.

$41,043Median earnings (6 years after entry)

Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.

Is Riverland Community College a good school?

Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.

Riverland Community College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.

EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.

Earnings outcomes
Campus snapshot

More from the data

Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Riverland Community College.

Campus

Location

Austin, MN

City / state

ZIP
55912-1473
NCES locale
Town distant

Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is about 0.5× the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).

Control

Institution type

Public

Control

Region
Plains
Carnegie
Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-High Nontraditional

Size

Enrollment

2,003

Total enrollment

Undergraduate
5,236
Full-time share
45%

Student aid

Debt & aid

$12,000

Median federal loan debt

Pell grant share
23.84%
Cost detail

Total Cost, Aid & Default

Total Cost of Attendance

$29,708Estimated 4-year total cost
$7,427Average annual net price (after aid)
$25,1924-year tuition
$9,452Room & board (annual, on-campus estimate)
$1,600Books & supplies (annual estimate)
$17,350Estimated annual sticker (tuition + room/board + books)
$69,400Estimated 4-year sticker (before aid)

Tuition vs average net price after aid for Riverland Community College.

Financial Aid by Income Level

23.84% Undergraduates receiving aid through grants
13.76% Undergraduates receiving aid through loans

Financial aid distribution by income level.

Student Loan Default Rate

0.00% 3-year cohort default rate (College Scorecard)

The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Riverland Community College was 0.00%.

Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.

Multi-year tracker

Tuition tracker

Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Riverland Community College in that year.

Reporting years in the table below: 20132023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).

Year In-state tuition & fees Out-of-state tuition & fees Average net price
2013$5,522$5,522$10,217
2014$5,522$5,522$9,758
2015$5,538$5,538$9,991
2016$5,507$5,507$9,102
2017$5,570$5,570$8,911
2018$5,570$5,570$9,748
2019$5,732$5,732$8,893
2020$5,826$5,826$9,149
2021$6,060$6,060$9,362
2022$6,250$6,250$9,695
2023$6,250$6,250$8,463

Sticker tuition and net price over time

Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.

College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).

Net price by family income

Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).

Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.

Access

How difficult is it to get in?

Acceptance Rate

Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.

Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.

Test Scores

Test score data is not available for this institution.

Score distribution is not available for this institution.

Academic Requirements

GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.

Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.

Student body

Enrollment & Student Demographics

Riverland Community College reported total enrollment of about 2,003 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 48% male and 52% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (63.5%), Hispanic or Latino (17.0%), and Black or African American (7.5%). About 23.84% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 35.7% of students are first-generation college students.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

45.3% Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Riverland Community College in 2024 is 2,003 students.

Undergraduate enrollment is about 5,236 students.

Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.

Retention Rate over Time

74.9%
2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.

Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

63.5%White or Caucasian
9Reported race/ethnicity groups

Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.

  • White or Caucasian63.5%
  • Hispanic or Latino17.0%
  • Black or African American7.5%
  • Asian4.3%
  • Race/ethnicity unknown3.3%
  • Two or More Races2.3%
  • Non-Resident Alien1.5%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0.4%
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0.1%

College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).

Outcomes

Do students complete their programs?

Time to Complete

47.56% 100% Completion Time

52.13% 150% Completion Time

In 2024, 47.56% of students graduating from Riverland Community College completed their program within 100% "normal time".

Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.

Completions by Sex (Top Programs)

  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies: 32% male / 68% female
  • Farm/Farm and Ranch Management: 86% male / 14% female
  • Electrician: 95% male / 5% female

IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).

Completions by Race & Ethnicity

507White or Caucasian
7Reported groups

Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.

  • White or Caucasian507
  • Hispanic or Latino152
  • Black or African American30
  • Asian27
  • Two or More Races19
  • American Indian or Alaska Native4
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander1

Summed across program completion records in our extract.

Outcomes & academic profile

Riverland Community College graduates earn a median of $45,247 ten years after entry

Source College ScorecardMethod Earnings + debt + net price modelsUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Institution-wideConfidence Federal extract

Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Riverland Community College.

Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $45,247. Median federal loan debt: $12,000. Average net price used in cost models: $7,427.

Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.

Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.

Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.

Key takeaway Riverland Community College graduates report median earnings of $45,247 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.

Return on Investment

1,423%Modeled return on investment
$12,000Median student debt
$45,247Median annual earnings (10 years)
26.52%Debt-to-earnings ratio
2.7 yearsEstimated payback period

Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Riverland Community College.

Top Programs by Completions

Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (48 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).

  1. Farm/Farm and Ranch Management 58

IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Riverland Community College.

Employment Outcomes

$45,247Median earnings (10 years after entry)
$41,043Median earnings (6 years after entry)
$41,797Median earnings (8 years after entry)
89.21%Working & not enrolled (8-year cohort share)

Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Riverland Community College graduates.

How financially powerful is this institution?

Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Riverland Community College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.

Institutional endowment

$2M

End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023

Start of year: $2M

Year change: $44,000

  • Minnesota median 0.14× the median ($14.3M)
  • Plains median 0.08× the median ($24.1M)
  • U.S. median 0.08× the median ($26.4M)

Per FTE: $1,013

  • Minnesota median 0.12× the median ($8,738)
  • Plains median 0.07× the median ($15,020)
  • U.S. median 0.08× the median ($12,100)

Instructional Resources

  • Full-time faculty share: 50.0%
    • Minnesota median 2.6 pp below median (52.6%)
    • Plains median 14.7 pp below median (64.7%)
    • U.S. median 8.0 pp below median (58.0%)
  • Average faculty salary (monthly): $9,379
    • Minnesota median near the median ($9,138)
    • Plains median 1.3× the median ($7,194)
    • U.S. median 1.2× the median ($7,615)
  • Instructional expenditure per FTE: $7,791
    • Minnesota median 0.89× the median ($8,795)
    • Plains median near the median ($8,150)
    • U.S. median 1.1× the median ($7,288)

Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.

Riverland Community College at a glance

Institution snapshot

Riverland Community College

Austin, MN 55912-1473 · Public · Plains

Riverland Community College is a public institution in Austin, MN, classified as Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-High Nontraditional.

Tuition$6,298
Avg. net price$7,427
Enrollment2,003
Completion (150%)52.13%
Pell Grant share23.84%
First-generation35.7%
Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal StudiesFarm/Farm and Ranch ManagementElectrician
Largest enrollment groups
White or Caucasian63.5%
Hispanic or Latino17.0%
Black or African American7.5%
Nearby

Schools near Riverland Community College

Other campuses in Austin, MN when available, plus nearby institutions in Minnesota.

Peers

Similar schools

Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C-) within Minnesota, then by similar ownership and admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Riverland Community College located?

Riverland Community College is located in Austin, MN.

What is Riverland Community College's tuition?

Riverland Community College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $6,298 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $7,427 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.

How much does Riverland Community College cost?

Reported tuition is $6,298 and average net price is $7,427 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $9,452 annually.

What explains Riverland Community College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?

EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($7,427), completion (52.1% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($45,247). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.

What is the student body demographics at Riverland Community College?

Riverland Community College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 5,236 students, White (63.5%), Hispanic or Latino (17.0%) in federal College Scorecard data.

How many first-generation students attend Riverland Community College?

About 35.7% of students at Riverland Community College are first-generation college students.

What do graduates of Riverland Community College earn?

Median earnings are $41,043 six years after entry and $45,247 ten years after entry.

What is the graduation rate at Riverland Community College?

The 150%-time completion rate is 52.1% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.

How much debt do Riverland Community College students have?

Median federal loan debt among completers is $12,000.

Is Riverland Community College public or private?

Riverland Community College is a public institution located in Austin, MN.

Is Riverland Community College an HBCU?

No. Riverland Community College is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.

Is Riverland Community College a tribal college?

No. Riverland Community College is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology & Data Scope

This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.

Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.