Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Rhode Island School of Design

Providence, Rhode Island·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·risd.edu
6-yr Graduation
89%
+10.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
2,520
peer median 3,238
Avg net price
$46,253
+$8.0k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
6,692
6,692 candidates competed
Admitted
1,249
18.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
518
41.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
89%+10.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
49%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
89%
Full-time retention
95%

Pell equity

14.0pp gap
Pell recipients
78%
Non-Pell
92%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 14.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 22 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 14 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
22
Passing
7
31.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
4.5% of portfolio
Fail rate
4.5%
+3.9pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

22programs
  • Passing7 · 31.8%
  • No Data14 · 63.6%
  • Failing1 · 4.5%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
1
Watch
1
Safe
5
No data
14

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

8
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-0.2%
$48,215 vs $48,304
Woodworking
Bachelor Degree · Precision Production
+6.5%
$37,055 vs $34,808
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+16.5%
$40,568 vs $34,808
Architectural Sciences and Technology
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
+33.5%
$80,220 vs $60,112
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+47.3%
$51,278 vs $34,808
Apparel and Textiles
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+70.6%
$59,372 vs $34,808
Design and Applied Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+92.8%
$93,136 vs $48,304
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+94.7%
$67,771 vs $34,808

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-0.2%
$89

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

7
Design and Applied Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
92%
$85,925 debt · $93,136 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
89%
$43,010 debt · $48,215 earn
Architectural Sciences and Technology
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
77%
$61,500 debt · $80,220 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
67%
$27,000 debt · $40,568 earn
Woodworking
Bachelor Degree · Precision Production
58%
$21,500 debt · $37,055 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
53%
$27,000 debt · $51,278 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
40%
$27,000 debt · $67,771 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1949Next review Dec 2026
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation

Accredited since 1949Next review Jun 2026

Action history · 4

  1. Jul 2022Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  2. Jun 2021Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  3. Oct 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  4. Nov 2016Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$33,653
$30–48k$31,023
$48–75k$36,834
$75–110k$46,882
$110k+$60,428

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$46,253
+$7,989vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $38,264
Federal loans
28.6%
In-state tuition
$59,760
Out-of-state
$59,760

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 362 students received $2.2M in Pell grants, alongside $12.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
362
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.2M
$2,215,227 total
Direct Loans
$12.4M
1,145 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.9M
422 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.5M
439 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.8M
98 loan awards
Parent PLUS$5.9M
144 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.3M
42 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 325 borrowers who entered repayment, 2 (0.6%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.6%
-1.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
325
Defaulted
2
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.1%
2017
1.4%
2018
2.3%
2019
0.6%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Rhode Island School of Design

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs20
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

749 total completions
01Visual/Performing Arts
34345.8%
02Multi/Interdisciplinary
13017.4%
03Architecture
12917.2%
04Computer Sciences
7510.0%
05Precision Production
395.2%
06Family/Consumer Sci
152.0%
07Education
131.7%
08Communication
50.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
2,520
12-mo unduplicated
2,593
Undergraduate
2,127
Graduate
466

Gender split

Men
31%793
Women
69%1,800

Race / ethnicity composition

Non-resident
33.5%
Asian
24.7%
White
22.1%
Hispanic
8.8%
Two or more
4.9%
Black
4.6%
Unknown
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.29
6 offenses · 2,620 students

3-year trend

4.942 yrs ago8.541 yr ago2.29Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
39
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
9
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
6
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
2
Motor vehicle theft
2
Burglary
1
Aggravated assault
1

By location

6total
  • On campus5
  • Public property1

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
2
Stalking
2 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Gender1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs01
Liquor066

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
8.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
200

Rhode Island School of Design vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Rhode Island School of Design selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectRhode Island School of Design
89%2,520$46,253Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Salve Regina University
77%68.2%2,791$35,682Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Johnson & Wales University-Online
0%91.0%2,839$21,611Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bryant University
80%65.5%3,636$40,846Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
50%88.4%4,303$32,478Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Providence College
86%50.9%4,666$45,538Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median79%68.2%3,238$38,264

Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island School of Design

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Rhode Island School of Design.

What is the graduation rate at Rhode Island School of Design?

Rhode Island School of Design reports a 6-year graduation rate of 89% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Rhode Island School of Design?

Rhode Island School of Design reports a total enrollment of 2,520 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Rhode Island School of Design?

The average net price at Rhode Island School of Design is $46,253 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Rhode Island School of Design?

Rhode Island School of Design's yield rate is 41.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Rhode Island School of Design located?

Rhode Island School of Design is located in Providence, Rhode Island 02903-2784.

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