Public · University

University of Wisconsin-River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin · Distant town

#4 best value in Wisconsin
81.7%
Admit rate
$14,054
Avg net price
57%
Graduation rate
$54,458
Median earnings

University of Wisconsin-River Falls is a public bachelor's-granting institution in River Falls, Wisconsin (distant town setting), enrolling 4,205 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 4,205 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 82% admitNCAA Division III with football · Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Wisconsin-River Falls's admitted students.

Admit rate
81.7%
ACT (mid 50%)
19–26
Avg GPA (est.)
3.30

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Wisconsin-River Falls's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Wisconsin-River Falls's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About River Falls, Wisconsin

River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is mostly within the town of River Falls, and adjacent to the town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is the most populous city in Pierce County. It is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area and about 30 miles (48 km) east of the center of that region. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
131 miles
Nearest airport
29 miles to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP) · major hub

How University of Wisconsin-River Falls compares

Selectivity81.7%

More selective than 42% · #18 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin

SAT average1150

Higher than 45%

Graduation rate57%

Higher than 55% · #21 of 33 in Wisconsin

First-year retention76%

Higher than 50%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,458

Higher than 52% · #24 of 36 in Wisconsin

Average net price$14,054

Cheaper than 77% · #4 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin

Median debt at graduation$20,500

Lower than 72%

Student–faculty ratio19 : 1

Lower than 14%

Undergraduate enrollment4,205

Larger than 75%

Percentiles compare University of Wisconsin-River Falls with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Wisconsin.

University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

4,568students
  • Undergraduate4,20592%
  • Graduate3638%

Undergraduates by gender

4,205undergrads
  • Women2,68664%
  • Men1,51936%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White85%
  • Black2.1%
  • Hispanic5.0%
  • Asian2.4%
  • Other or multiracial5.2%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,205
Graduate enrollment
363
Student–faculty ratio
19 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
21%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$69,526
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$79,092
Endowment
$33,139,029

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,063 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wisconsin51%
  • Other U.S. states49%

A regional draw: about 51% of first-years come from Wisconsin, the rest from elsewhere.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
81.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
1150
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
19–26
Average GPA (estimated)
3.30

Cost

In-state tuition
$9,008
Out-of-state tuition
$17,470
Room & board
$7,982
Books & supplies
$450
Total cost of attendance
$19,781
Average net price
$14,054

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 (within 6 years)
57%
Graduated on time (4 years)
42%
First-year retention
76%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,524
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,458
Median debt at graduation
$20,500
Students with federal loans
43%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
72%

About 15% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
42%
Low-income (Pell)
55%
First-generation
54%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,417
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
57%
Housing charge (year)
$4,808
Meal plan (year)
$2,780
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
704 (433 men · 271 women)

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%.

Varsity sports (12)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)232
Football121
Soccer61
Other Sports56
Ice Hockey55
Baseball53
Basketball42
Lacrosse27
Softball18
Volleyball17
Tennis15
Golf7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
37
Property offenses (2022–2024)
6

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (5,243 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.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

14reported offenses a year
12 violent a year2.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
9.3
Fondling
3.0
Burglary
1.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

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.

< $30k
$8,472
$30–48k
$9,014
$48–75k
$10,796
$75–110k
$16,578
$110k+
$18,234

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$47,556

$10,796/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

66%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,703
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 66% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,703. 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 997 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)
$54,458
Typical debt at graduation
$20,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
69%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$50,404
Men
$60,304

Men out-earn women by $9,900 (20%) 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
82°F
Winter low
4°F
Annual rain
34.1″
Annual snow
43.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, River Falls, WI US station (0.5 mi from campus).

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 University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Wisconsin-River Falls side by side →

Colleges near University of Wisconsin-River Falls

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.