The New School vs. RISD

Deciding between The New School and Rhode Island School of Design? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

The New School
Rhode Island School of Design

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • The New School New York, NY
  • RISD Providence, RI
  • Setting
  • The New School Large City
  • RISD Midsize City
  • Total enrollment
  • The New School 9,068
  • RISD 2,520
  • Type
  • The New School Private 4 Year
  • RISD Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • The New School #164
  • RISD #92
  • Religious Affiliation
  • The New School -
  • RISD -
  • Status
  • The New School Non-profit
  • RISD Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • The New School
  • RISD

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • The New School $58,694
  • RISD $62,688
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • The New School $58,694
  • RISD $62,688
  • Room & Board
  • The New School $25,337
  • RISD $16,626
  • Average Net Price
  • The New School $67,224
  • RISD $43,492
  • Average Grant Aid
  • The New School $22,174
  • RISD $38,223
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • The New School 94%
  • RISD 31%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • The New School 9,828
  • RISD 6,692
  • Admitted
  • The New School 6,238
  • RISD 1,249
  • Acceptance Rate
  • The New School 63.5%
  • RISD 18.7%
  • Enrolled
  • The New School 21.3%
  • RISD 41.5%
  • Typical SAT score
  • The New School 1250
  • RISD 1460
  • Typical ACT score
  • The New School 28
  • RISD 32
  • Average High School GPA
  • The New School 3.59
  • RISD 3.71
  • Typical High School Grades
  • The New School A-
  • RISD A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • The New School Difficult
  • RISD Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • The New School Low
  • RISD Very High
  • ACT Range
  • The New School 26/30
  • RISD 31/34
  • SAT Range
  • The New School 1140/1360
  • RISD 1396/1530
  • Submit Test Scores
  • The New School Test-free
  • RISD Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • The New School
  • RISD Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • The New School 9:1
  • RISD 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • The New School
    • Visual and Performing Arts (62%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Foreign Languages (4%)
    • Social Sciences (3%)
  • RISD
    • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
    • Architecture (18%)
    • Work and Family Studies (5%)
    • Precision Production Trades (4%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • The New School 61%
  • RISD 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • The New School $52,700
  • RISD $51,100
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • The New School 65%
  • RISD 89%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • The New School $23,872
  • RISD $27,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • The New School $246
  • RISD $279

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • The New School 25%
  • RISD 29%
  • % Women
  • The New School 75%
  • RISD 71%
  • Racial Diversity
  • The New School Very High
  • RISD Very High
  • HBCU
  • The New School No
  • RISD No
  • % White
  • The New School 33%
  • RISD 31%
  • % Asian
  • The New School 9%
  • RISD 19%
  • % Black
  • The New School 6%
  • RISD 2%
  • % Hispanic
  • The New School 12%
  • RISD 8%
  • % Native American
  • The New School 0%
  • RISD 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • The New School 0%
  • RISD 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • The New School 4%
  • RISD 4%
  • % International
  • The New School 32%
  • RISD 26%
  • % Unknown Race
  • The New School 4%
  • RISD 8%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • The New School 13%
  • RISD 2%
  • % Out-of-State
  • The New School 48%
  • RISD 55%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • The New School Yes
  • RISD Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • The New School No
  • RISD No
  • Meal Plan
  • The New School Yes
  • RISD Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • The New School Yes
  • RISD No
  • Daycare Facility
  • The New School No
  • RISD No

Comparable Facts

Compare The New School in New York, NY with Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

The New School is larger than RISD based on total student enrollment (9,068 students vs. 2,520 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • The New School is located in New York, NY (Large City setting); Rhode Island School of Design is in Providence, RI (Midsize City setting).
  • The New School is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Rhode Island School of Design is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: The New School 9:1; Rhode Island School of Design 8:1.

The New School vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, The New School or RISD? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rhode Island School of Design than The New School ($43,492 vs. $67,224).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 34.4% lower than at The New School ($16,626 vs. $25,337).
  • Rhode Island School of Design is 6.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than The New School (about $3,994 more per year; $62,688.00 vs. $58,694.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 6.8% higher at RISD than at The New School (about $3,994 more per year; $62,688.00 vs. $58,694.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at The New School than at Rhode Island School of Design (94% vs. 31%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 72.4% larger than aid received by The New School students ($38,223 vs. $22,174).

The New School vs. RISD Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, The New School or RISD? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between RISD and The New School.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Rhode Island School of Design (1460) is 210 points higher than at The New School (1250).
  • Incoming RISD students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (32 vs. 28 at The New School).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The New School 1140/1360; Rhode Island School of Design 1396/1530.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The New School 26/30; Rhode Island School of Design 31/34.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: The New School - Test-free; RISD - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: RISD Feb 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at The New School (3.59).
  • The New School has a higher acceptance rate (63.5%) than RISD (18.7%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 21.3% at The New School vs. 41.5% at RISD.

The New School vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for The New School and RISD? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Rhode Island School of Design's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than The New School's (61%).
  • Graduates from The New School earn a median of about $1,600 more per year than RISD graduates about ten years after starting college ($52,700 vs. $51,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, The New School graduates have a $3,128 lower median loan debt than RISD graduates ($23,872 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, The New School graduates have an estimated $33 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than RISD graduates ($246 vs. $279).
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former The New School students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.