RISD vs. Middlebury

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

RISD Middlebury
Location Providence, RI Middlebury, VT
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,620 2,843
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #96 #26
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website risd.edu middlebury.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RISD Middlebury
Tuition (In State) $56,435 $62,000
Tuition (Out of State) $56,435 $62,000
Room & Board $15,234 $17,800
Avg Net Price $39,800 $22,181
Avg Grant Aid $37,480 $56,639
% Receiving Grant Aid 34% 51%

Admission

RISD Middlebury
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,099 12,952
Admitted 888 1,644
Acceptance Rate 17.4% 12.7%
Enrolled % 54.2% 38.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.71 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 29/33 33/35
SAT Range 1340/1525 1425/1540
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 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

RISD Middlebury
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Foreign Languages (12%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)

Outcomes

RISD Middlebury
Graduation Rate 87% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $72,400
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $15,889
Median Loan Payment $279 $164

Diversity

RISD Middlebury
% Men 33% 46%
% Women 67% 54%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 31% 65%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 26% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

RISD Middlebury
% In-State 1% 4%
% Out-of-State 58% 70%

Campus

RISD Middlebury
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

  • Middlebury College is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (2,843 students vs. 2,620 students)

RISD vs. Middlebury Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RISD or Middlebury?

  • Middlebury College is 9.9% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($62,000.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.9% higher at Middlebury than Rhode Island School of Design ($62,000.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Middlebury College than RISD ($22,181 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 16.8% lower than costs at Middlebury College ($15,234 vs. $17,800)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Middlebury College than Rhode Island School of Design (51% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Middlebury College students is 51.1% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($56,639 vs. $37,480)

RISD vs. Middlebury Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Middlebury College (1383) is 110 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Middlebury students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman Middlebury students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at RISD (3.71)
  • RISD has a higher acceptance rate (17.4%) than Middlebury (12.7%)

RISD vs. Middlebury Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RISD or Middlebury? 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 Middlebury and RISD.

  • The graduation rate at Middlebury is higher than Rhode Island School of Design (90% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Middlebury College earn on average $21,300 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($72,400 vs. $51,100)
  • Middlebury College students graduate with a $11,111 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($15,889 vs. $27,000)
  • Middlebury graduates are paying $115 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($164 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Middlebury students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 88%)

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