Swarthmore vs. RISD

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

 Swarthmore RISD
Location Swarthmore, PA Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 1,625 2,620
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website swarthmore.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Swarthmore RISD
Tuition (In State) $58,928 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $58,928 $56,435
Room & Board $18,026 $15,234
Avg Net Price $20,715 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $47,703 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 34%

Admission

 Swarthmore RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,707 5,099
Admitted 1,019 888
Acceptance Rate 6.9% 17.4%
Enrolled % 42.5% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.71
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 32/35 29/33
SAT Range 1440/1560 1340/1525
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 Jan 4, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Swarthmore RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 Swarthmore RISD
Graduation Rate 95% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $201 $279

Diversity

 Swarthmore RISD
% Men 49% 33%
% Women 51% 67%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 31%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 13% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 4%
% International 11% 26%
% Unknown Race 3% 8%

Students

 Swarthmore RISD
% In-State 10% 1%
% Out-of-State 75% 58%

Campus

 Swarthmore RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
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 Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 1,625 students)

Swarthmore vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Swarthmore or RISD?

  • Swarthmore College is 4.4% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.4% higher at Swarthmore than Rhode Island School of Design ($58,928.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than RISD ($20,715 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 18.3% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($15,234 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Rhode Island School of Design (63% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 27.3% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($47,703 vs. $37,480)

Swarthmore vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 158 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at RISD (3.71)
  • RISD has a higher acceptance rate (17.4%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Swarthmore vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Swarthmore 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 Swarthmore.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Rhode Island School of Design (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $14,700 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $51,100)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($19,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($201 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 87%)

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