Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) vs California Institute of the Arts

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) stand out as two of the most prestigious art and design schools in the United States, each offering a unique educational experience. RISD, located in Providence, Rhode Island, is known for its rigorous fine arts programs, while CalArts, situated in Valencia, California, emphasizes experimentation and interdisciplinary studies. With acceptance rates of 30% and 35%, respectively, both schools are highly selective, attracting talented students from around the world. RISD's student body is predominantly female (63%), while CalArts has a more balanced gender ratio (52% female, 48% male). In terms of popular majors, RISD excels in Fine Arts, Illustration, and Graphic Design, while CalArts is renowned for its Film/Video, Animation, and Dance programs. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with RISD at 88% and CalArts at 85

	California Institute of the Arts	Rhode Island School of Design
Overview
Location	Valencia, California	Providence, Rhode Island
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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	94.0%	95.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	29.0%	18.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	1310 - 1480
ACT range	N/A	28 - 34
Students submitting SAT score		31.0%
Students submitting ACT score		7.0%
Total number of applicants	2,364	4,742
Total number of admissions given out	685	886
Admitted students who chose to enroll	203	496
Yield rate	29.6%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$79,792	$77,280
Average net price	$53,916	$38,234
Tuition	$52,850	$55,220
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,040 Meal plan: $5,095	$14,790
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $18,119	37.0% Average amount $37,286
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $5,615	36.0% Average amount $5,296
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $12,000	4.0% Average amount $39,311

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	965 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	2,044 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Graduate students	479 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	532 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	29.0%	35.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	441	1,450
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies	Visual & Performing Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Architecture Computer and Information Science Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.9%	86.2%
Dropout rate	28.1%	11.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $24,469 Year 2: $32,563 Year 3: $36,735 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $14,239 Year 2: $23,456 Year 3: $29,527 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $29,030 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,555 Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: $28,984 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,629 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $28,791 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,992 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $22,579 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $15,918 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $21,662 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $26,425 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $21,635 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,773 Year 2: $15,182 Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: N/A	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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