Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, Rhode Island · Also known as RISD · Website
$68,140
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$68,140
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Rhode Island School of Design is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Providence, Rhode Island with 2,084 undergraduates and 433 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $50,507 a year (tuition and fees $62,688). It admits 19% of applicants and 89% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $68,140 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $27,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$50,507
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$62,688
US median $11,837
Admission rate
19%
US median 78%
Completion rate
89%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$27,000
About $286 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$68,140
Rank 429 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $50,507
- Tuition and fees
- $62,688
- Cost of attendance
- $81,727
- Students with a need-based grant
- 15%
- Students with federal loans
- 29%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $29,135
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $30,233
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $25,872
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $33,893
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $64,493
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $45,840 in 2015-16 to $62,688 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1,473
- SAT reading, middle
- 670
- SAT math, middle
- 725
- ACT, middle
- 31
- Undergraduates
- 2,084
- Graduate students
- 433
- Part-time students
- 0%
- Women
- 71%
- Students per teacher
- 8
- Completion rate
- 89%
- Retention rate
- 95%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 25
- Endowment
- $427.8M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 429 of 5,094 US colleges and 8 of 19 in Rhode Island (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | RI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $50,507 | $25,425 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $62,688 | $39,847 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 19% | 70% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 89% | 78% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 95% | 83% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $27,000 | $13,000 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $45,932 | $46,407 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $68,140 | $53,085 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 87% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 62% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
25 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 143 | $27,000 | $16,510 | $40,568 | $41,367 |
| Architectural Sciences and TechnologyMaster's | Master's | 110 | $76,145 | $53,439 | $80,220 | $77,466 |
| Systems Science and TheoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 92 | $26,748 | $34,265 | Withheld | - |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $27,000 | $29,489 | $67,771 | $51,490 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 78 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $58,894 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsMaster's | Master's | 50 | $42,005 | $28,281 | $48,215 | $49,079 |
| Architectural Sciences and TechnologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 48 | Withheld | $55,673 | Withheld | $70,074 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $27,000 | $17,701 | $51,278 | $43,765 |
| WoodworkingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $26,558 | $19,151 | $37,055 | $47,488 |
| Sustainability StudiesMaster's | Master's | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,897 |
| Apparel and TextilesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | $27,000 | $14,537 | $59,372 | $57,640 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsMaster's | Master's | 18 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationMaster's | Master's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's | Master's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,707 |
| Systems Science and TheoryMaster's | Master's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsMaster's | Master's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,486 |
| WoodworkingMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and AnalysisMaster's | Master's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMaster's | Master's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| ArchitectureBachelor's | Bachelor's | - | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $66,914 |
| ArchitectureMaster's | Master's | - | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $74,139 |
| Interior ArchitectureBachelor's | Bachelor's | - | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $60,369 |
| Interior ArchitectureMaster's | Master's | - | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $66,993 |
| Landscape ArchitectureMaster's | Master's | - | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $70,306 |
| Design and Applied ArtsMaster's | Master's | - | Withheld | Withheld | $93,136 | $70,073 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Providence and Rhode Island on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Rhode Island
- Homes: Homes for sale in Rhode Island
Questions and answers
How much does Rhode Island School of Design cost?
$50,507 a year is the average net price at Rhode Island School of Design after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $62,688, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $81,727. Families earning under $30,000 pay $29,135 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Rhode Island School of Design?
19% of applicants are admitted to Rhode Island School of Design. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,473 and the middle ACT score is 31. The median admission rate of colleges in Rhode Island is 70%.
How much do Rhode Island School of Design graduates earn?
$68,140 a year is the median pay of former Rhode Island School of Design students who work, 10 years after they started ($45,932 after 6 years). That ranks 429 of 5,094 US colleges and 8 of 19 in Rhode Island. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Architectural Sciences and Technology (Bachelor's) at $55,673.
How much student debt do Rhode Island School of Design graduates have?
$27,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Rhode Island School of Design graduates, about $286 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 29% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Rhode Island School of Design?
89% of first-time, full-time students at Rhode Island School of Design finish within 6 years. 95% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Rhode Island School of Design?
Fine and Studio Arts (143 bachelor's graduates), Architectural Sciences and Technology (110 master's graduates), Systems Science and Theory (92 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 25 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.