More selective than 89% of Rhode Island colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $81,727. College Scorecard.
Higher than 89% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 95% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 33% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
RISD acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,126 applicants, Rhode Island School of Design admitted 984 and 504 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1396–1530 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
RISD tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What RISD costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Rhode Island School of Design took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Rhode Island. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $29,135 | $128,485 | 4.5 years |
| $30–48k | $30,233 | $133,328 | 4.7 years |
| $48–75k | $25,872 | $114,096 | 4.0 years |
| $75–110k | $33,893 | $149,468 | 5.3 years |
| $110k+ | $64,493 | $284,414 | 10.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (58% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($68,140) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $28,260 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
RISD majors, earnings & careers
Rhode Island School of Design offers 10 bachelor's majors across 6 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 3
- Engineering · 3
- Science & Math · 1
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at RISD
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $67,771 | $27,000 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $59,372 | $27,000 |
| Film and Photography | $51,278 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $40,568 | $27,000 |
| Woodworking | $37,055 | $26,912 |
Quick list of all 10 majors
- Apparel and Textiles$59,372
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture—
- Film and Photography$51,278
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$67,771
- Interior Architecture—
- Software and Media Applications—
- Studio Art$40,568
- Systems Science and Theory—
- Woodworking$37,055
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Architecture → Architect
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 4.3% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Providence
Overall prices in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,879. Housing costs 4% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 37 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Providence County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Providence County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare RISD with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Rhode Island by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island School of Design | 19% | $50,507 | 89% | $68,140 | This school |
| Providence College | 51% | $48,523 | 86% | $87,054 | |
| Brown University | 5% | $25,184 | 96% | $93,487 | |
| Salve Regina University | 68% | $36,967 | 77% | $72,975 | |
| Bryant University | 65% | $41,219 | 80% | $90,008 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Rhode Island School of Design would cost you $1,984 more per year than Providence College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Rhode Island School of Design, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$2,008).
- Providence College gives aided families $723 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Rhode Island resident | RISD | Providence College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $62,688 | $63,550 | −$862 |
| Books & supplies | $2,700 | $1,150 | +$1,550 |
| Housing & meals | $15,850 | $17,150 | −$1,300 |
| Personal & travel | $3,500 | $1,492 | +$2,008 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,011 | −$2,876 | −$135 |
| Sticker price | $81,727 | $80,466 | +$1,261 |
| Average grants | −$31,220 | −$31,943 | +$723 |
| You pay | $50,507 | $48,523 | +$1,984 |
“+” means RISD costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about RISD
What is the RISD acceptance rate?
Rhode Island School of Design accepts 19% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 984 of 7,126 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1396–1530 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.
How much does Rhode Island School of Design cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $81,727 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $50,507 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $29,135 and families earning $110k+ pay $64,493.
How much do RISD graduates earn?
Former Rhode Island School of Design students earn a median $68,140 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the RISD graduation rate?
89% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 95% return for their second year.
How long does a RISD degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Rhode Island School of Design costs about $114,096 after grants ($25,872 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $68,140 ten years after starting, $28,260 more than high school graduates in Rhode Island ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 4.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Rhode Island School of Design: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/rhode-island-school-of-design (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).