Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) vs Brown University

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Brown University, both located in Providence, Rhode Island, offer distinct educational experiences for students seeking higher education. RISD, renowned for its focus on art and design, boasts an acceptance rate of 38%, while Brown, a prestigious Ivy League institution, has a highly selective acceptance rate of 7%. RISD's student body is predominantly female (63%), while Brown's is more evenly balanced (51% female, 49% male). In terms of popular majors, RISD excels in Fine Arts, Illustration, and Graphic Design, while Brown offers a wide range of disciplines, including Social Sciences, Engineering, and Biological Sciences. With a graduation rate of 89%, RISD ensures that its students are well-prepared for careers in the creative industries, while Brown's 96% graduation rate reflects its commitment to academic excellence. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the differences between these two
Brown University logo

Brown University

Rhode Island School of Design logo

Rhode Island School of Design

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Providence, Rhode Island
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 18.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $60
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1310 - 1480
ACT range 33 - 35 28 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 7.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 4,742
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 886
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 496
Yield rate 66.4% 56.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $77,280
Average net price $25,028 $38,234
Tuition $60,944 $55,220
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
$14,790
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
37.0%
Average amount $37,286
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
36.0%
Average amount $5,296
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
4.0%
Average amount $39,311

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
2,044
Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
532
Men 34.2% Women 65.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% N/A
International students 18.6% 35.6%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 5,013 1,450
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Architecture
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 86.2%
Dropout rate 3.7% 11.9%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581
Design and Applied Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,121
  • Year 2: $68,219
  • Year 3: $70,583
Architecture (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,475
  • Year 2: $48,198
  • Year 3: $58,141
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,129
  • Year 2: $36,166
  • Year 3: $46,057
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,604
  • Year 2: $22,192
  • Year 3: $35,453
Woodworking (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,714
  • Year 2: $30,228
  • Year 3: $27,613
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,365
  • Year 2: $28,055
  • Year 3: $27,580
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,934
  • Year 2: $22,627
  • Year 3: $27,562
Architecture (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,281
  • Year 2: $50,439
  • Year 3: N/A
Interior Architecture (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $54,035
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,493
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: N/A

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