Public · Community college
Ridge Technical College
Winter Haven, Florida · Small city
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $23,170
- Avg net price
- 99%
- Grad / completion
- $33,484
- Median earnings
Ridge Technical College is a public certificate-granting institution in Winter Haven, Florida (small city setting), enrolling 407 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The Timucua were particularly affected by the expedition of Hernando de Soto. By the 19th century, both these groups no longer existed. During these expeditions the Spanish explorers claimed the entire peninsula of Florida for the Spanish monarchy. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Certificate
- Nearest big city
- 36 miles to Orlando, FL
- To the ocean
- 48 miles
- Nearest airport
- 23 miles to Lakeland Linder (LAL)
How Ridge Technical College compares
Higher than 96% · #8 of 211 in Florida
Higher than 1%
Higher than 44% · #90 of 171 in Florida
Cheaper than 22% · #136 cheapest of 207 in Florida
Lower than 29%
Larger than 59%
Percentiles compare Ridge Technical College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Florida.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women24961%
- Men15839%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White35%
- Black22%
- Hispanic42%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 407
- Student–faculty ratio
- 20 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 57%
- First-generation students
- 58%
- Students over 25
- 45%
- Median family income
- $16,062
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $3,930
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,530
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,500
- Total cost of attendance
- $27,493
- Average net price
- $23,170
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 99%
- First-year retention
- 0%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $31,904
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $33,484
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 0%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $30
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (407 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 18% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $831. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 325 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $33,484
- Typical debt at graduation
- —
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- —
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 25%
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $1,401 (4%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 93°F
- Winter low
- 52°F
- Annual rain
- 46.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Winter Haven Gilbert AP, FL US station (6.2 mi from campus).
What Ridge Technical College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Ridge Technical College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Ridge Technical College side by side →
Okaloosa Technical College
Fort Walton Beach, Florida · Small city · 36 mi to Pensacola
- Students
- 421
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $33k
Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater
Clearwater, Florida · Small city · 16 mi to Tampa
- Students
- 732
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $35k
Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, Florida · Large city · 19 mi to Tampa
- Students
- 810
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $36k
Lake Technical College
Eustis, Florida · Midsize suburb · 28 mi to Orlando
- Students
- 799
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $33k
Emerald Coast Technical College
DeFuniak Springs, Florida · Distant town · 68 mi to Pensacola
- Students
- 189
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $36k
H W Brewster Technical College
Tampa, Florida · Large city · 1 mi to Tampa
- Students
- 695
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $27k
Colleges near Ridge Technical College
Polk State College
Winter Haven, FL · Public · Associate · 7,180 students
UR Beauty & Barber Academy-At True Family Barber Academy
Winter Haven, FL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 13 students
Ruben's Five Star Academy
Lake Wales, FL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 22 students
Florida Polytechnic University
Lakeland, FL · Public · Bachelor's · 1,689 students
Traviss Technical College
Lakeland, FL · Public · Certificate · 460 students
Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 4,813 students
Warner University
Lake Wales, FL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 756 students
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Lakeland
Lakeland, FL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 185 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.