University of Wisconsin - River Falls College Portrait
University of Wisconsin - River Falls410 S. Third Street River Falls, WI 54022
(715) 425-3500
University of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of Wisconsin-River Falls - Work Together. Stand Apart.
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls was founded in 1874 as the fourth State Normal School in Wisconsin and continues to carry out its original mission - to educate and prepare citizens for the future. The undergraduate curriculum offers a core of liberal studies that supports university degrees in the arts, letters, and sciences as well as specialized professional degrees at the baccalaureate level. Graduate degrees are offered in partnership with each of the four colleges and cooperative programs with other institutions within the state, region, and world.
Living in the Falcons Community
The Learning Nucleus of the St. Croix Valley
River Falls is located along the beautiful Kinnickinnic River and is named for a cascading falls at the junction of the South Fork and the Kinnickinnic. The university is the western-most institution of the 26-campus University of Wisconsin System. Increasingly, it is being called upon to meet the educational needs of the expanding Twin Cities Metropolitan area that includes River Falls. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls is the only public university located in the St. Croix River watershed of 7,650 square miles in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 6,900 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 6,373 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 3,746 | 59% |
| Men | 2,627 | 41% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 20 | <1% |
| Asian | 146 | 2% |
| African American / Black | 95 | 1% |
| Hispanic | 44 | 1% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 5 | <1% |
| White | 5,847 | 92% |
| Two or More Races | 96 | 2% |
| International | 57 | 1% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 63 | 1% |
| Where do UWRF undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 49% |
| Other US States & Territories | 50% |
| Other Countries | 1% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are UWRF undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 22 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 11% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 20 - 24 | |
| Math | 19 - 25 | 470 - 590 |
| English | 19 - 24 | |
| Critical Reading | 440 - 520 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 35% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 76% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 92% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 0 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | <1% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $17,957
Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 25% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $2,317. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- <1% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $0. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
UWRF Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 23 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 65% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 93% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 276 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 43% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 5% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | <1% |
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Campus-based Housing
75% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
39% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
The mission of UWRF Police Department is to protect and serve the university community, visitors and property of the university. The primary vehicle for accomplishing this mission is through university crime prevention programs. Crime prevention programs are a proactive mechanism of facilitating a dual concept of minimizing criminal opportunities, whenever possible, and education of the university community in crime prevention techniques.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Master's Colleges and Universities (medium programs)
- Size and Setting
- Medium four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- Very high undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, lower transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Balanced arts & sciences/professions, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Postbaccalaureate with arts & sciences (education dominant)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
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Student Activities and Involvement at UWRF
We are dedicated to helping new students make a successful transition to campus so they can become productive, creative, ethical, engaged citizens and leaders with an informed global perspective.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 96% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 62% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 27% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 82% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 21% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 58% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 60% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 25% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 98% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 96% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 73% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 61% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 94% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 51% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 79% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 97% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 70% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 59% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 85% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 36% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 83% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 87% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 83% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at University of Wisconsin - River Falls in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 1,044 |
| Master's | 173 |
| Total | 1,217 |
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| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES | 17% |
| AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURE OPERATIONS, AND RELATED SCIENCES | 17% |
| EDUCATION | 13% |
| COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS | 11% |
| BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES | 7% |
| Links to degree programs at University of Wisconsin - River Falls |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster's |
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 83% four-year success and progress rate means that 83% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
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Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 1,197 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 417 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 75%
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Student Learning at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Assessment of student learning is a high priority for the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. UWRF has seriously worked to develop a culture of assessment where programs actively engage in continuous improvement of student learning on a regular basis. All programs on campus have submitted an assessment plan, which has been analyzed by the Faculty Senate Assessment Committee and Assessment Coordinator. These efforts contribute to the institution’s mission to “help students learn so they are successful as productive, creative, ethical, engaged citizens and leaders with an informed global perspective.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
The UW-River Falls Faculty Senate has approved the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) as the instrument to be used for the assessment of student learning. The first assessment of the CAAP is scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.