RISD vs. Olin College

Should I go to Rhode Island School of Design or Olin College of Engineering? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RISD or Olin College 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 MICA MIT Cooper Union Yale Syracuse Tufts HMC Northeastern Harvard Carnegie Mellon Cornell
Rhode Island School of Design vs. Olin College of Engineering comparison
Rhode Island School of Design Olin College of Engineering College 3 College 4
Rhode Island School of Design Olin College of Engineering
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

RISD Olin College
Location Providence, RI Needham, MA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,620 386
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website risd.edu olin.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RISD Olin College
Tuition (In State) $56,435 $57,280
Tuition (Out of State) $56,435 $57,280
Room & Board $15,234 $18,524
Avg Net Price $39,800 $38,502
Avg Grant Aid $37,480 $40,522
% Receiving Grant Aid 34% 100%

Admission

RISD Olin College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,099 862
Admitted 888 165
Acceptance Rate 17.4% 19.1%
Enrolled % 54.2% 45.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.71 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 29/33 35/35
SAT Range 1340/1525 1490/1560
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 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

RISD Olin College
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)
  • Engineering (100%)

Outcomes

RISD Olin College
Graduation Rate 87% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 89% -
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $14,710
Median Loan Payment $279 $152

Diversity

RISD Olin College
% Men 33% 50%
% Women 67% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 31% 53%
% Black 2% 0%
% Hispanic 8% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 26% 8%
% Unknown Race 8% 11%

Students

RISD Olin College
% In-State 1% 12%
% Out-of-State 58% 79%

Campus

RISD Olin College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
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 Olin College based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 386 students)

RISD vs. Olin College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RISD or Olin College?

  • Olin College of Engineering is 1.5% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($57,280.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.5% higher at Olin College than Rhode Island School of Design ($57,280.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Olin College of Engineering than RISD ($38,502 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 21.6% lower than costs at Olin College of Engineering ($15,234 vs. $18,524)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Olin College of Engineering than Rhode Island School of Design (100% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Olin College of Engineering students is 8.1% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($40,522 vs. $37,480)

RISD vs. Olin College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Olin College of Engineering (1506) is 233 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Olin College students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman Olin College students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at RISD (3.71)
  • Olin College has a higher acceptance rate (19.1%) than RISD (17.4%)

RISD vs. Olin College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RISD or Olin College? 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 Olin College and RISD.

  • The graduation rate at Olin College is higher than Rhode Island School of Design (96% vs. 87%)
  • Olin College of Engineering students graduate with a $12,290 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($14,710 vs. $27,000)
  • Olin College graduates are paying $127 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($152 vs. $279)

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