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BobEvansFarmHallRioGrandePhoto: Vbofficial · Public domain
Colleges in and near Rio Grande

Rio Grande is a college town: 27 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Rio Grande (1,965 students on campus) is inside the village. Across Ohio, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town27% of residents are studentsUniversity of Rio Grande

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Rio Grande. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
1,965 students on campus
Nearest college
0.1 mi
University of Rio Grande
Residents in college
27%
Above OH (6%)
Nearest community college
29 mi
Ohio University-Southern Campus · $6,362 tuition
Nearest public university
29 mi
Ohio University-Southern Campus · $6,362 in-state
Students on campus in Rio Grande
1,965
next to 837 residents

What stands out about college in Rio Grande

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town27 of every 100 Rio Grande residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.A university in Rio GrandeThe University of Rio Grande has 1,965 students on campus in Rio Grande, 36% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 29 miles awayOhio University-Southern Campus in Ironton: tuition and fees $6,362 a year for Ohio residents.In-state price at Ohio University-Southern CampusLiving in Ohio, Ohio University-Southern Campus charges $6,362 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $9,444. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Rio Grande

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

27 of every 100 Rio Grande residents are in college (OH: 6).

1,965students on campus at University of Rio Grande, next to 837 residents (dorm students count as residents)
10college students live in Rio Grande households rather than dorms
21.7median age · OH 39.7
76%of homes rented · OH 33%
$473median rent · 54% below the state
Rio GrandeRio Grande, OH
Cost of living$473/mo median rentSafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Rio Grande’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 48.1% of Rio Grande residents are below the poverty line, 48.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 10 points either way). 20% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (27% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Rio Grande’s median age is 21.7 (Ohio 39.7), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Rio Grande

One private college within 0.1 miles. The nearest public four-year college, Ohio University-Southern Campus, is 29 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Rio GrandeRio Grande
University or collegeCommunity college
University of Rio GrandeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,965 on campus · In Rio Grande$24knet price36%graduate$41kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Under $30k, where Rio Grande’s median household income ($24,524) falls.

Ohio University-Southern Campus29 mi · Ironton · sticker $11,607 · tuition $6,362$4,649a year
University of Rio GrandeIn Rio Grande · sticker $33,716$21,776a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of Rio GrandeOhio University-Southern Campus
University of Rio Grande36% graduate$41k earnings$18k typical debt
Ohio University-Southern Campus21% graduate$53k earnings*$21k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Ohio University-Southern Campus (6).

Majors

What students study in Rio Grande

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of Rio Grande, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 35%Education 14%Business 11%Liberal arts 10%Parks & recreation 5%Engineering tech 4%Everything else 21%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations16 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness13 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing11 graduates a year
$88k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Rio Grande

Is Rio Grande a college town?

Yes. 27 of every 100 Rio Grande residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Ohio. The University of Rio Grande has 1,965 students on campus, next to 837 residents.

What colleges are in Rio Grande?

The University of Rio Grande is inside the village. Ohio University-Southern Campus is 29 miles away in Ironton.

What is the closest community college to Rio Grande, and what does it cost?

Ohio University-Southern Campus in Ironton, 29 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,362 a year for Ohio residents; the federal net price, $5,993, counts housing and food at full cost.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Rio Grande. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →