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Cal Poly Stanford Pratt Institute MIT HMC Yale Carnegie Mellon UCLA UC Berkeley MICA Pomona Rice| California Institute of Technology | Rhode Island School of Design | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Caltech | RISD | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Providence, RI | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Midsize City | ||
| Enrollment | 2,401 | 2,620 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #5 | #96 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | risd.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | RISD | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $58,479 | $56,435 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $58,479 | $56,435 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,606 | $15,234 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $20,755 | $39,800 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $59,192 | $37,480 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 57% | 34% |
Admission |
Caltech | RISD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 16,626 | 5,099 | ||
| Admitted | 448 | 888 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 2.7% | 17.4% | ||
| Enrolled % | 50% | 54.2% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 3.71 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Exceptional | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Very High | ||
| ACT Range | 35/36 | 29/33 | ||
| SAT Range | 1530/1580 | 1340/1525 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 3, 2025 | Feb 1, 2025 |
Academics |
Caltech | RISD | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 9:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Caltech | RISD | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 87% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $51,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 89% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $27,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $279 |
Diversity |
Caltech | RISD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 61% | 33% | ||
| % Women | 39% | 67% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 31% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 2% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 8% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 4% | ||
| % International | 8% | 26% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 8% |
Students |
Caltech | RISD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 29% | 1% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 58% | 58% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | RISD | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Rhode Island School of Design is larger than than Caltech based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 2,401 students)
Caltech vs. RISD Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or RISD?
- California Institute of Technology is 3.6% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($58,479.00 vs. $56,435.00)
- Out of state tuition is 3.6% higher at Caltech than Rhode Island School of Design ($58,479.00 vs. $56,435.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than RISD ($20,755 vs. $39,800)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 22.1% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($15,234 vs. $18,606)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California Institute of Technology than Rhode Island School of Design (57% vs. 34%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 57.9% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($59,192 vs. $37,480)
Caltech vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or RISD? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between RISD or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 271 points higher than at RISD (1273)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at RISD (29)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at RISD (3.71)
- RISD has a higher acceptance rate (17.4%) than Caltech (2.7%)
Caltech vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech or RISD? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between RISD and Caltech.
- The graduation rate at Caltech is the same as at Rhode Island School of Design (87% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $34,700 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $51,100)
- California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $12,650 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($14,350 vs. $27,000)
- Caltech graduates are paying $131 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($148 vs. $279)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/