School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs. RISD

Should I go to School of the Art Institute of Chicago or Rhode Island School of Design? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 MICA Yale Cooper Union Syracuse Harvard Carnegie Mellon Cornell SCAD UD NYU BU
School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs. Rhode Island School of Design comparison
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Rhode Island School of Design College 3 College 4
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Rhode Island School of Design
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
Location Chicago, IL Providence, RI
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 3,532 2,620
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #484 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saic.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
Tuition (In State) $53,550 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $53,550 $56,435
Room & Board $16,550 $15,234
Avg Net Price $53,923 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $18,290 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 34%

Admission

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,075 5,099
Admitted 4,797 888
Acceptance Rate 79% 17.4%
Enrolled % 13.6% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.51 3.71
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 22/25 29/33
SAT Range 1048/1260 1340/1525
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 15, 2024 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (96%)
  • English and Literature (3%)
  • Architecture (2%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
Graduation Rate 60% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,713 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $265 $279

Diversity

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
% Men 25% 33%
% Women 75% 67%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 36% 31%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 9% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 32% 26%
% Unknown Race 4% 8%

Students

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
% In-State 11% 1%
% Out-of-State 59% 58%

Campus

School of the Art Institute of Chicago RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (3,532 students vs. 2,620 students)

School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, School of the Art Institute of Chicago or RISD?

  • Rhode Island School of Design is 5.4% more expensive to attend than School of the Art Institute of Chicago for in-state tuition ($56,435.00 vs. $53,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.4% higher at RISD than School of the Art Institute of Chicago ($56,435.00 vs. $53,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rhode Island School of Design than School of the Art Institute of Chicago ($39,800 vs. $53,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 8.6% lower than costs at School of the Art Institute of Chicago ($15,234 vs. $16,550)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at School of the Art Institute of Chicago than Rhode Island School of Design (100% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 104.9% larger than aid received School of the Art Institute of Chicago ($37,480 vs. $18,290)

School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rhode Island School of Design (1273) is 118 points higher than at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1155)
  • Incoming RISD students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (25)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (3.51)
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago has a higher acceptance rate (79%) than RISD (17.4%)

School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than School of the Art Institute of Chicago (87% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Rhode Island School of Design earn on average $12,000 more per year than School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $39,100)
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago students graduate with a $1,287 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($25,713 vs. $27,000)
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($265 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former School of the Art Institute of Chicago students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 62%)

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