RISD vs. Whitman College

Should I go to Rhode Island School of Design or Whitman College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RISD or Whitman 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.

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Rhode Island School of Design vs. Whitman College comparison
Rhode Island School of Design Whitman College College 3 College 4
Rhode Island School of Design Whitman College
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Overview

RISD Whitman College
Location Providence, RI Walla Walla, WA
Setting Midsize City Remote Town
Enrollment 2,620 1,493
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #96 #84
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website risd.edu whitman.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RISD Whitman College
Tuition (In State) $56,435 $58,200
Tuition (Out of State) $56,435 $58,200
Room & Board $15,234 $14,220
Avg Net Price $39,800 $39,935
Avg Grant Aid $37,480 $32,047
% Receiving Grant Aid 34% 94%

Admission

RISD Whitman College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,099 5,497
Admitted 888 2,622
Acceptance Rate 17.4% 47.7%
Enrolled % 54.2% 12.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.71 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 29/33 30/33
SAT Range 1340/1525 1293/1473
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 15, 2025

Academics

RISD Whitman College
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 (25%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Physical Sciences (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

RISD Whitman College
Graduation Rate 87% 86%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $56,900
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 93%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $17,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $180

Diversity

RISD Whitman College
% Men 33% 44%
% Women 67% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 31% 72%
% Black 2% 1%
% Hispanic 8% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 26% 5%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

RISD Whitman College
% In-State 1% 27%
% Out-of-State 58% 59%

Campus

RISD Whitman 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 Whitman College based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 1,493 students)

RISD vs. Whitman College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RISD or Whitman College?

  • Whitman College is 3.1% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($58,200.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.1% higher at Whitman College than Rhode Island School of Design ($58,200.00 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 Whitman College ($39,800 vs. $39,935)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Whitman College are 7.1% lower than costs at Rhode Island School of Design ($14,220 vs. $15,234)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Whitman College than Rhode Island School of Design (94% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 17% larger than aid received Whitman College ($37,480 vs. $32,047)

RISD vs. Whitman College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Whitman College (1314) is 41 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Whitman College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at Whitman College (3.68)
  • Whitman College has a higher acceptance rate (47.7%) than RISD (17.4%)

RISD vs. Whitman College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RISD or Whitman 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 Whitman College and RISD.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than Whitman College (87% vs. 86%)
  • Graduates from Whitman College earn on average $5,800 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($56,900 vs. $51,100)
  • Whitman College students graduate with a $9,500 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($17,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Whitman College graduates are paying $99 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($180 vs. $279)
  • More Whitman College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RISD students, three years after graduation. (93% vs. 89%)

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