Williams vs. RISD

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

 Williams RISD
Location Williamstown, MA Providence, RI
Setting Distant Town Midsize City
Enrollment 2,222 2,620
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Williams RISD
Tuition (In State) $61,450 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $61,450 $56,435
Room & Board $15,530 $15,234
Avg Net Price $20,965 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $57,121 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 34%

Admission

 Williams RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,321 5,099
Admitted 1,302 888
Acceptance Rate 8.5% 17.4%
Enrolled % 44.3% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.71
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 34/35 29/33
SAT Range 1480/1570 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 10, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Williams RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 Williams RISD
Graduation Rate 95% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $150 $279

Diversity

 Williams RISD
% Men 47% 33%
% Women 53% 67%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 31%
% Black 8% 2%
% Hispanic 13% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 8% 26%
% Unknown Race 0% 8%

Students

 Williams RISD
% In-State 14% 1%
% Out-of-State 76% 58%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Rhode Island School of Design is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (2,620 students vs. 2,222 students)

Williams vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or RISD?

  • Williams College is 8.9% more expensive to attend than RISD for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.9% higher at Williams than Rhode Island School of Design ($61,450.00 vs. $56,435.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than RISD ($20,965 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island School of Design are 1.9% lower than costs at Williams College ($15,234 vs. $15,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Williams College than Rhode Island School of Design (45% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 52.4% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($57,121 vs. $37,480)

Williams vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 169 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at RISD (3.71)
  • RISD has a higher acceptance rate (17.4%) than Williams (8.5%)

Williams vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Williams 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 Williams.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Rhode Island School of Design (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $22,500 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $51,100)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $12,418 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($14,582 vs. $27,000)
  • Williams graduates are paying $129 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($150 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 83%)

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