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Rhode Island School of Design

Providence, Rhode Island · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

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At a glance

Average net price
$50,507What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
19%
Graduation rate
89%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
2,084
In-state tuition
$62,688Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$62,688
SAT midpoint
1,395
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$68,140Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$50,507

Better than 1% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

89%

Better than 94% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$68,140

Better than 80% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$27,000

Better than 4% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$81,727

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$50,507

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?
Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Rhode Island School of Design
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time89%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return95%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$27,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$68,140

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Rhode Island School of Design by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Architectural Sciences and Technology$55,67348
Systems Science and Theory$34,26592
Design and Applied Arts$29,48991
Woodworking$19,15129
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$17,70144
Fine and Studio Arts$16,510143
Apparel and Textiles$14,53722
Computer Software and Media ApplicationsNot reported78
ArchitectureNot reportedNot reported
Interior ArchitectureNot reportedNot reported

All 10 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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