Northwood Technical College
Public Community College in Rice Lake, WI. Six-year graduation rate 56%. Median 10-year earnings $43,406.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $43,406 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. The six-year graduation rate is 56%, meaning about two in five students who start do not finish. Median debt at graduation is $8,250, a light load against those earnings.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.19 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
- ! Mobility score 0.9 — limited economic uplift documented
Academics
Six-year completion sits at 56%, meaning about two in five students who enroll leave without finishing. Retention is strong at 80%, and first-year attrition is where most degrees are lost. Retention and completion are close, which places the gap between entering and finishing almost entirely in year one. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 69% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. A 8:1 ratio points to small classes and accessible faculty.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 2,029 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Students pay an average of $9,016 annually, well below typical undergraduate net price. The income table below is the number that matters — $6,515 at $0–30k versus $14,726 at $110k+. About 55% get grants averaging $5,306, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. About 32% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 309 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $6,515 |
| $30–48k | $7,601 |
| $48–75k | $9,154 |
| $75–110k | $11,957 |
| $110k+ | $14,726 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 642 of these 2,029 students, totalling $2,946,489 — an average of $4,590 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Barron County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)