Public · Community college
River Parishes Community College
Gonzales, Louisiana · Fringe rural
- 19%
- Transfer rate
- $10,756
- Avg net price
- 30%
- Grad / completion
- $37,848
- Median earnings
River Parishes Community College is a public certificate-granting institution in Gonzales, Louisiana (fringe rural setting), enrolling 1,880 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Gonzales, Louisiana
Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. Early European settlers of the area that was developed as Gonzales were, for the most part, of French and Spanish ancestry. They settled among the Houma Indians who lived in the area. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 24 miles to Baton Rouge, LA
- To the ocean
- 30 miles
- Nearest airport
- 27 miles to Baton Rouge Metropolitan (BTR)
How River Parishes Community College compares
Higher than 12% · #64 of 73 in Louisiana
Higher than 12%
Higher than 59% · #6 of 61 in Louisiana
Cheaper than 67% · #19 cheapest of 71 in Louisiana
Lower than 29%
Lower than 16%
Larger than 81%
Percentiles compare River Parishes Community 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 Louisiana.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,12660%
- Men75440%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White47%
- Black43%
- Hispanic5.9%
- Other or multiracial4.5%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,880
- Student–faculty ratio
- 24 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 41%
- First-generation students
- 46%
- Students over 25
- 26%
- Median family income
- $24,485
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $54,927
- Endowment
- $2,332,708
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,079
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,353
- Total cost of attendance
- $16,783
- Average net price
- $10,756
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
- 30%
- First-year retention
- 50%
- Transferred to another college
- 19%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $34,205
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $37,848
- Median debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Students with federal loans
- 28%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 60%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
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 4 campuses (2,597 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: 14% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,168. 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 315 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)
- $37,848
- Typical debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 32%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 46%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
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 $17,877 (53%) 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
- 91°F
- Winter low
- 42°F
- Annual rain
- 63.4″
- Annual snow
- 0.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Donaldsonville 4 SW, LA US station (10.1 mi from campus).
What River Parishes Community 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 River Parishes Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare River Parishes Community College side by side →
Louisiana State University-Eunice
Eunice, Louisiana · Distant town · 30 mi to Lafayette
- Students
- 2,826
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 69%
- Earnings
- $36k
Nunez Community College
Chalmette, Louisiana · Large suburb · 7 mi to New Orleans
- Students
- 1,520
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $35k
Southern University at Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana · Midsize city · 5 mi to Shreveport
- Students
- 1,910
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $33k
Fletcher Technical Community College
Schriever, Louisiana · Fringe rural · 48 mi to New Orleans
- Students
- 2,136
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $32k
Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier City, Louisiana · Small city · 6 mi to Shreveport
- Students
- 4,935
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $35k
SOWELA Technical Community College
Lake Charles, Louisiana · Small city · 68 mi to Lafayette
- Students
- 2,966
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $32k
Colleges near River Parishes Community College
Fortis College-Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 482 students
ITI Technical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Private for-profit · Associate · 555 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 249 students
Remington College-Baton Rouge Campus
Baton Rouge, LA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 210 students
Unitech Training Academy-Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 72 students
Louisiana Culinary Institute
Baton Rouge, LA · Private for-profit · Associate · 77 students
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute-Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 175 students
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Baton Rouge, LA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 821 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.