Oxy vs. RISD

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

 Oxy RISD
Location Los Angeles, CA Providence, RI
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 1,942 2,620
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #72 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website oxy.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Oxy RISD
Tuition (In State) $59,970 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $59,970 $56,435
Room & Board $17,330 $15,234
Avg Net Price $44,853 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $33,025 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 76% 34%

Admission

 Oxy RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,305 5,099
Admitted 2,484 888
Acceptance Rate 39.4% 17.4%
Enrolled % 21.4% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.71
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Very High
ACT Range 31/34 29/33
SAT Range 1370/1510 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 10, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Oxy RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 Oxy RISD
Graduation Rate 83% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,600 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,652 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $244 $279

Diversity

 Oxy RISD
% Men 41% 33%
% Women 59% 67%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 31%
% Black 5% 2%
% Hispanic 16% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 4%
% International 6% 26%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

 Oxy RISD
% In-State 34% 1%
% Out-of-State 61% 58%

Campus

 Oxy RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes 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 Oxy based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 1,942 students)

Oxy vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Oxy or RISD?

  • Occidental College is 6.3% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($59,970.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.3% higher at Oxy than Rhode Island School of Design ($59,970.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rhode Island School of Design than Oxy ($39,800 vs. $44,853)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 13.8% lower than costs at Occidental College ($15,234 vs. $17,330)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Occidental College than Rhode Island School of Design (76% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 13.5% larger than aid received Occidental College ($37,480 vs. $33,025)

Oxy vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Occidental College (1304) is 31 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Oxy students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at Oxy (3.63)
  • Oxy has a higher acceptance rate (39.4%) than RISD (17.4%)

Oxy vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Oxy 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 Oxy.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than Occidental College (87% vs. 83%)
  • Graduates from Occidental College earn on average $5,500 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($56,600 vs. $51,100)
  • Occidental College students graduate with a $3,348 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($23,652 vs. $27,000)
  • Oxy graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($244 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Oxy 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/