Davidson vs. RISD

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

Davidson RISD
Location Davidson, NC Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 1,927 2,620
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #37 #96
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website davidson.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Davidson RISD
Tuition (In State) $56,550 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $56,550 $56,435
Room & Board $15,750 $15,234
Avg Net Price $26,704 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $46,496 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 34%

Admission

Davidson RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,479 5,099
Admitted 1,098 888
Acceptance Rate 16.9% 17.4%
Enrolled % 49.4% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.71
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 31/33 29/33
SAT Range 1350/1500 1340/1525
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 7, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Davidson RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

Davidson RISD
Graduation Rate 92% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $63,500 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $175 $279

Diversity

Davidson RISD
% Men 47% 33%
% Women 53% 67%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 68% 31%
% Black 7% 2%
% Hispanic 8% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 6% 26%
% Unknown Race 1% 8%

Students

Davidson RISD
% In-State 17% 1%
% Out-of-State 71% 58%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Rhode Island School of Design is larger than than Davidson based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 1,927 students)

Davidson vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Davidson or RISD?

  • Davidson College is 0.2% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($56,550.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at Davidson than Rhode Island School of Design ($56,550.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Davidson College than RISD ($26,704 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 3.4% lower than costs at Davidson College ($15,234 vs. $15,750)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Davidson College than Rhode Island School of Design (65% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Davidson College students is 24.1% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($46,496 vs. $37,480)

Davidson vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Davidson College (1355) is 82 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Davidson students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman Davidson students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at RISD (3.71)
  • RISD has a higher acceptance rate (17.4%) than Davidson (16.9%)

Davidson vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Davidson 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 Davidson.

  • The graduation rate at Davidson is higher than Rhode Island School of Design (92% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Davidson College earn on average $12,400 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($63,500 vs. $51,100)
  • Davidson College students graduate with a $10,000 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($17,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Davidson graduates are paying $104 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($175 vs. $279)
  • More Davidson graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RISD students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 89%)

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