Penn State Brandywine vs. RISD

Should I go to Penn State Brandywine or Rhode Island School of Design? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Brandywine 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Pratt Institute Penn State Abington MICA WCU Yale Cooper Union Syracuse John Jay Harvard Carnegie Mellon Cornell SCAD
Penn State Brandywine vs. Rhode Island School of Design comparison
Penn State Brandywine Rhode Island School of Design College 3 College 4
Penn State Brandywine Rhode Island School of Design
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
Location Media, PA Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 1,223 2,540
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #766 #90
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $58,690
Tuition (Out of State) $24,562 $58,690
Room & Board $13,820 $15,850
Avg Net Price $21,739 $42,106
Avg Grant Aid $9,380 $36,743
% Receiving Grant Aid 69% 33%

Admission

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,461 7,126
Admitted 2,346 984
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 13.8%
Enrolled % 18.8% 51.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.71
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 18/29 30/33
SAT Range 1110/1340 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, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (28%)
  • Work and Family Studies (28%)
  • Communication (23%)
  • Ethnic Studies (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
Graduation Rate 37% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
% Men 0% 5%
% Women 0% 13%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 63% 31%
% Black 15% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 1% 26%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
% In-State 74% 1%
% Out-of-State 24% 61%

Campus

 Penn State Brandywine RISD
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No 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 Penn State Brandywine based on total student enrollment (2,540 students vs. 1,223 students)

Penn State Brandywine vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Brandywine or RISD?

  • Rhode Island School of Design is 301.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Brandywine for in-state tuition ($58,690.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 138.9% higher at RISD than Penn State Brandywine ($58,690.00 vs. $24,562.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Brandywine than RISD ($21,739 vs. $42,106)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 14.7% lower than costs at Rhode Island School of Design ($13,820 vs. $15,850)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Brandywine than Rhode Island School of Design (69% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 291.7% larger than aid received Penn State Brandywine ($36,743 vs. $9,380)

Penn State Brandywine vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rhode Island School of Design (1273) is 304 points higher than at Penn State Brandywine (969)
  • Incoming RISD students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Brandywine (22)
  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than RISD (13.8%)

Penn State Brandywine vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Brandywine 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 Penn State Brandywine.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than Penn State Brandywine (87% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Brandywine earn on average $4,200 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,100)
  • Penn State Brandywine students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Brandywine graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Brandywine students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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