Wellesley vs. RISD

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

 Wellesley RISD
Location Wellesley, MA Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 2,447 2,620
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wellesley RISD
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $56,435
Room & Board $19,080 $15,234
Avg Net Price $21,362 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 34%

Admission

 Wellesley RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 5,099
Admitted 1,152 888
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 17.4%
Enrolled % 50.8% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.71
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 33/35 29/33
SAT Range 1430/1550 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 8, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Wellesley RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 Wellesley RISD
Graduation Rate 92% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $92 $279

Diversity

 Wellesley RISD
% Men 1% 33%
% Women 99% 67%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 31%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 11% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 12% 26%
% Unknown Race 4% 8%

Students

 Wellesley RISD
% In-State 11% 1%
% Out-of-State 73% 58%

Campus

 Wellesley 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

  • Rhode Island School of Design is larger than than Wellesley based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 2,447 students)

Wellesley vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or RISD?

  • Wellesley College is 9.1% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.1% higher at Wellesley than Rhode Island School of Design ($61,584.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than RISD ($21,362 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 25.2% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($15,234 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wellesley College than Rhode Island School of Design (59% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 63.6% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($61,328 vs. $37,480)

Wellesley vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wellesley College (1369) is 96 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Wellesley students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman Wellesley students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at RISD (3.71)
  • RISD has a higher acceptance rate (17.4%) than Wellesley (13.6%)

Wellesley vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wellesley 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 Wellesley.

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is higher than Rhode Island School of Design (92% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Wellesley College earn on average $17,000 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($68,100 vs. $51,100)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $18,100 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($8,900 vs. $27,000)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $187 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($92 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wellesley students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 86%)

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