Public Associate Strong 75/100

Northwood Technical College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Rice Lake, Wisconsin

About Northwood Technical College

Thinking about Northwood Technical College, a college in Wisconsin where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Northwood Technical College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. It enrolls 2,149 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
51.6%
Net Price
$8,989
Median Earnings (10yr)
$43,406
Enrollment
2,149
Student : Faculty
7:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
75/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 72
Value 66
Affordability 48
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Northwood Technical College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $8,989 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$8,989
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
31%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
24%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,926
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$7,169
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,148
Books & Supplies
$1,465
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,625
Total Cost of Attendance
$14,981

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $6,515
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $7,601
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $9,154
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,957
  • Over $110,000
    $14,726

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,750
10% percentile
$3,500
25% percentile
$8,250
Median percentile
$10,000
75% percentile
$14,386
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $6,662 ↓ $1,588
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $2,750
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $2,750
Independent students $6,999 ↓ $1,251
Female students $6,500 ↓ $1,750
Male students $5,500 ↓ $2,750
Pell recipients: 18.2% (1,499 students)No Pell: 15.0% (1,238 students)Dependent students: 15.0% (1,238 students)Independent students: 19.1% (1,575 students)Female students: 17.7% (1,463 students)Male students: 15.0% (1,238 students)Overall Median$8,250
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($8,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

52% of students who start here finish within six years, and 77% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
52%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
77%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $43,406 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$43,406
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$41,500$42,000$42,500$43,000$43,5006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$31,200

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$42,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$30,700

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$40,100

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$41,300

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,500, about 27% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 5.1 pts across 6 years
71.2%1yr73.8%3yr73.2%5yr76.2%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 76% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,149 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 42% are the first in their family to go to college, and 58% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
2,149
Part-Time
58%
First-Generation
42%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 85.3% 1,833
Other 6.2% 134
Hispanic 3.7% 80
Black 2.4% 51
Asian 1.1% 23
International 0.1% 2
White: 85.3% (1,833 students)Other: 6.2% (134 students)Hispanic: 3.7% (80 students)Black: 2.4% (51 students)Asian: 1.1% (23 students)International: 0.1% (2 students)Total2,149

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Northwood Technical College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
39% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Precision Production graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Northwood Technical College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 49 distinct programs across 15 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

12 Programs
9 Programs
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 7 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
7:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$17,106
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$5.2M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$77,447
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

141 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Instructors 141 100% $77,447

Pros & Cons of Northwood Technical College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Northwood Technical College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Open admissions
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Northwood Technical College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwood Technical College

The questions families ask most about Northwood Technical College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Northwood Technical College hard to get into?
Not especially. Northwood Technical College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Northwood Technical College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Northwood Technical College cost?
Budget around $8,989 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Northwood Technical College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $43,406 a year against a net price of $8,989, about 4.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Northwood Technical College known for?
Mostly Practical Nursing, Precision Metal Working, Precision Metal Working. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Northwood Technical College graduates earn?
About $43,406 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Northwood Technical College accredited?
Yes. Northwood Technical College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Northwood Technical College?
2,149 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Northwood Technical College?
52% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Northwood Technical College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Northwood Technical College located?
Northwood Technical College is located in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
What programs does Northwood Technical College offer?
49 different programs, most commonly Practical Nursing, Precision Metal Working, Precision Metal Working. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Northwood Technical College?
7 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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