City College of New York vs. RISD

Should I go to CUNY City College or Rhode Island School of Design? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if City College of New York or RISD is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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CUNY City College vs. Rhode Island School of Design comparison
CUNY City College Rhode Island School of Design College 3 College 4
CUNY City College Rhode Island School of Design
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Overview

 City College of New York RISD
Location New York, NY Providence, RI
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 15,012 2,540
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #90
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 City College of New York RISD
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $58,690
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $58,690
Room & Board $18,104 $15,850
Avg Net Price $4,599 $42,106
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $36,743
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 33%

Admission

 City College of New York RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 7,126
Admitted 18,576 984
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 13.8%
Enrolled % 14.4% 51.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.71
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 30/33
SAT Range 1220/1460 1370/1540
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 City College of New York RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 City College of New York RISD
Graduation Rate 40% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $117 $279

Diversity

 City College of New York RISD
% Men 7% 5%
% Women 11% 13%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 31%
% Black 16% 2%
% Hispanic 35% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 6% 26%
% Unknown Race 0% 8%

Students

 City College of New York RISD
% In-State 87% 1%
% Out-of-State 0% 61%

Campus

 City College of New York RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 2,540 students)

City College of New York vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or RISD?

  • Rhode Island School of Design is 746.9% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($58,690.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 294.4% higher at RISD than CUNY City College ($58,690.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than RISD ($4,599 vs. $42,106)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 14.2% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($15,850 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Rhode Island School of Design (86% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 297.8% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($36,743 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, City College of New York or RISD? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between RISD or City College of New York .

  • The average SAT score at Rhode Island School of Design (1273) is 148 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than RISD (13.8%)

City College of New York vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, City College of New York 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 City College of New York.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than CUNY City College (87% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Rhode Island School of Design earn on average $1,300 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $15,600 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($11,400 vs. $27,000)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $162 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($117 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 52%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/