URI vs. RISD

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

 URI RISD
Location Kingston, RI Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 17,473 2,620
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #361 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uri.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 URI RISD
Tuition (In State) $13,586 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $32,068 $56,435
Room & Board $13,584 $15,234
Avg Net Price $20,695 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $13,257 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 34%

Admission

 URI RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,481 5,099
Admitted 19,465 888
Acceptance Rate 76.4% 17.4%
Enrolled % 17.6% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.58 3.71
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 25/30 29/33
SAT Range 1050/1270 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

 URI RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 URI RISD
Graduation Rate 63% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,200 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,438 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $242 $279

Diversity

 URI RISD
% Men 42% 33%
% Women 58% 67%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 31%
% Black 5% 2%
% Hispanic 9% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 26%
% Unknown Race 7% 8%

Students

 URI RISD
% In-State 40% 1%
% Out-of-State 59% 58%

Campus

 URI RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (17,473 students vs. 2,620 students)

URI vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, URI or RISD?

  • Rhode Island School of Design is 315.4% more expensive to attend than URI for in-state tuition ($56,435.00 vs. $13,586.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 76% higher at RISD than University of Rhode Island ($56,435.00 vs. $32,068.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Rhode Island than RISD ($20,695 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 12.1% lower than costs at Rhode Island School of Design ($13,584 vs. $15,234)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than Rhode Island School of Design (97% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 182.7% larger than aid received University of Rhode Island ($37,480 vs. $13,257)

URI vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rhode Island School of Design (1273) is 196 points higher than at URI (1077)
  • Incoming RISD students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at URI (24)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at URI (3.58)
  • URI has a higher acceptance rate (76.4%) than RISD (17.4%)

URI vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, URI 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 URI.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than University of Rhode Island (87% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $5,100 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $51,100)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $3,562 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($23,438 vs. $27,000)
  • URI graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($242 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former URI students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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