TCNJ vs. RISD

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

 TCNJ RISD
Location Ewing, NJ Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 7,629 2,620
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #175 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcnj.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TCNJ RISD
Tuition (In State) $14,140 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $26,934 $56,435
Room & Board $14,144 $15,234
Avg Net Price $22,273 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $11,826 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 34%

Admission

 TCNJ RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,302 5,099
Admitted 6,638 888
Acceptance Rate 64.4% 17.4%
Enrolled % 23.8% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 3.71
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 24/30 29/33
SAT Range 1140/1350 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 Feb 1, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 TCNJ RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 TCNJ RISD
Graduation Rate 87% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,100 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $240 $279

Diversity

 TCNJ RISD
% Men 42% 33%
% Women 58% 67%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 66% 31%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 12% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 4%
% International 0% 26%
% Unknown Race 5% 8%

Students

 TCNJ RISD
% In-State 95% 1%
% Out-of-State 5% 58%

Campus

 TCNJ 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

  • The College of New Jersey is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (7,629 students vs. 2,620 students)

TCNJ vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCNJ or RISD?

  • Rhode Island School of Design is 299.1% more expensive to attend than TCNJ for in-state tuition ($56,435.00 vs. $14,140.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 109.5% higher at RISD than The College of New Jersey ($56,435.00 vs. $26,934.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The College of New Jersey than RISD ($22,273 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The College of New Jersey are 7.7% lower than costs at Rhode Island School of Design ($14,144 vs. $15,234)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The College of New Jersey than Rhode Island School of Design (58% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 216.9% larger than aid received The College of New Jersey ($37,480 vs. $11,826)

TCNJ vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rhode Island School of Design (1273) is 46 points higher than at TCNJ (1227)
  • Incoming RISD students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at TCNJ (28)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.42 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at TCNJ (3.29)
  • TCNJ has a higher acceptance rate (64.4%) than RISD (17.4%)

TCNJ vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCNJ 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 TCNJ.

  • The graduation rate at TCNJ is the same as at Rhode Island School of Design (87% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from The College of New Jersey earn on average $11,000 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $51,100)
  • The College of New Jersey students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($23,250 vs. $27,000)
  • TCNJ graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($240 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former TCNJ students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 85%)

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