RISD: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially Rhode Island School of Design · Providence, Rhode Island · Private nonprofit · Highly selective · CDS 2024-2025
Ranked #4 in Regional Universities North; Computer Science #350 (tie)U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set published by Rhode Island School of Design.
Is RISD a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places RISD against it in about a minute. No account needed.
RISD is a private nonprofit university in Providence, Rhode Island that admits about 19% of applicants, making it a highly selective school. The average family pays about $50,507 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Fine and Studio Arts, Design and Applied Arts and Systems Science and Theory, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 11.5 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
RISD is a private institution located in Providence, Rhode Island and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, RISD admits between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 applicants, with an overall admission rate of 19%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1473 and an ACT composite around 31. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $50,507 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What GPA does my child need for RISD?
Most admitted students at RISD present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.
Compare RISD with the other schools on your list
Open RISD in College Search to set it beside up to three other colleges on cost, admission odds and outcomes, and save it to a shortlist when you are ready.
Why there are no admission factors for RISD
RISD does not publish a Common Data Set. That is the survey most colleges use to report how they weight grades, essays and test scores, and it is where the admission detail on these pages comes from. We checked the school's own site rather than assuming, so this is a gap in what RISD publishes, not a gap in what we have collected.
Schools that report no Common Data Set are usually open-admission or near-open-admission, which means grades and test scores carry far less weight than they would elsewhere. The cost and outcome figures on this page come from federal reporting and are unaffected.
SAT and ACT scores RISD typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 708–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 670. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | n/a |
| 50th percentile | 1473 |
| 75th percentile | n/a |
| 25th percentile | 31 |
| 50th percentile | 31 |
| 75th percentile | 34 |
How much does RISD actually cost?
Published tuition is $62,688 for in-state students and $62,688 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,626 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $50,507 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 15% of students receive Pell Grants.
| Average net price (after aid) | $50,507 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA only (no CSS Profile)College Board 2026-27 list |
Application deadlines and early decision data for RISD
Most popular majors at RISD
The most popular undergraduate programs at RISD, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Fine and Studio Arts, Design and Applied Arts and Systems Science and Theory. Across all programs, RISD confers roughly 447 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Fine and Studio Arts program report a median income of about $42,001 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Fine and Studio Arts | 101 | $42,001 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 91 | $68,157 |
| Systems Science and Theory | 75 | n/a |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 55 | n/a |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 54 | $51,503 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 34 | n/a |
| Architecture | 22 | $69,048 |
| Apparel and Textiles | 15 | n/a |
Is RISD safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), RISD disclosed 24 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 11.5 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 15 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
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Next steps for RISD
Common questions parents ask about RISD
What GPA do I need for RISD?
Most admitted students at RISD present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.
What SAT or ACT score does RISD typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 708–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 670. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34.
How much does RISD actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at RISD after grants and scholarships is $50,507 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $62,688. Budget against the net figure.
Is RISD realistic for my child?
RISD admits 19% of applicants, so 708–780 SAT Math is target range and below 708 is a reach. Then check the $50,507 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at RISD?
RISD accepts about 19% of applicants. That makes it a highly selective school.
Is RISD a public or private school, and where is it located?
RISD is a private nonprofit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island.
What are the most popular majors at RISD?
The largest undergraduate majors at RISD by annual graduates are Fine and Studio Arts, Design and Applied Arts and Systems Science and Theory. The school awards about 447 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is RISD safe? What is its campus crime rate?
RISD reported 24 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 11.5 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Sources: the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Rhode Island School of Design, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers