Dartmouth vs. RISD

Should I go to Dartmouth College or Rhode Island School of Design? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Dartmouth 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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Dartmouth College vs. Rhode Island School of Design comparison
Dartmouth College Rhode Island School of Design College 3 College 4
Dartmouth College Rhode Island School of Design
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Overview

Dartmouth RISD
Location Hanover, NH Providence, RI
Setting Remote Town Midsize City
Enrollment 6,746 2,540
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #12 #90
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dartmouth.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Dartmouth RISD
Tuition (In State) $63,684 $58,690
Tuition (Out of State) $63,684 $58,690
Room & Board $19,009 $15,850
Avg Net Price $17,322 $42,106
Avg Grant Aid $66,480 $36,743
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 33%

Admission

Dartmouth RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,841 7,126
Admitted 1,797 984
Acceptance Rate 6.2% 13.8%
Enrolled % 67.1% 51.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.71
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 33/35 30/33
SAT Range 1500/1570 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 Jan 3, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Dartmouth RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Ethnic Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

Dartmouth RISD
Graduation Rate 95% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $104,000 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $13,461 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $139 $279

Diversity

Dartmouth RISD
% Men 17% 5%
% Women 17% 13%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 31%
% Black 7% 2%
% Hispanic 8% 8%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 8% 26%
% Unknown Race 5% 8%

Students

Dartmouth RISD
% In-State 2% 1%
% Out-of-State 80% 61%

Campus

Dartmouth RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Dartmouth College is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (6,746 students vs. 2,540 students)

Dartmouth vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dartmouth or RISD?

  • Dartmouth College is 8.5% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($63,684.00 vs. $58,690.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.5% higher at Dartmouth than Rhode Island School of Design ($63,684.00 vs. $58,690.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dartmouth College than RISD ($17,322 vs. $42,106)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 19.9% lower than costs at Dartmouth College ($15,850 vs. $19,009)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dartmouth College than Rhode Island School of Design (46% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dartmouth College students is 80.9% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($66,480 vs. $36,743)

Dartmouth vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Dartmouth College (1437) is 164 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Dartmouth students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman Dartmouth students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at RISD (3.71)
  • RISD has a higher acceptance rate (13.8%) than Dartmouth (6.2%)

Dartmouth vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth.

  • The graduation rate at Dartmouth is higher than Rhode Island School of Design (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Dartmouth College earn on average $52,900 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($104,000 vs. $51,100)
  • Dartmouth College students graduate with a $13,539 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($13,461 vs. $27,000)
  • Dartmouth graduates are paying $140 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($139 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Dartmouth students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 87%)

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