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Rhode Island School of Design
Getting into Rhode Island School of Design is competitive — a 18.7% admission rate — and the 1370–1540 range below says what competitive means in numbers.
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Rhode Island School of Design sits in Providence proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. International students are a visible presence here — 33.1% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Design and Applied Arts, where graduates median $67,771 four years out. 14.8% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 2,084 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 95% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1370 and 1540 — above the RI middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Rhode Island School of Design's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Rhode Island School of Design received 7,126 applications and admitted 984 (13.8%), with 504 enrolling.
Scores help here but aren't the gate. If your SAT sits inside the 1370–1540 submitter range, sending it likely helps; below it, Rhode Island School of Design's own policy says you can leave it out.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 680 | 730 | 760 |
| SAT Math | 690 | 760 | 780 |
| ACT Composite | 30 | 32 | 33 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Rhode Island School of Design compares
| Rhode Island School of Design | Rhode Island median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 18.7% | 70.2% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $62,688 | $44,418 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $68,140 | $70,005 | $53,781 |
At $68,140, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($70,005). Look at Rhode Island School of Design's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $62,688 regardless of where you're from. At Rhode Island School of Design, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
At 2,084 undergrads, Rhode Island School of Design is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
88.8% of Rhode Island School of Design students finish a bachelor's within six years — 33.9 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $62,688 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Rhode Island School of Design
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $67,771 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $59,372 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $51,278 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $40,568 |
| Woodworking | $37,055 |
Median earnings for these 5 Rhode Island School of Design programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $68,140 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 5 additional Rhode Island School of Design programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Rhode Island School of Design?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1370–1540 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 18.7% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Rhode Island School of Design's acceptance rate?
13.8% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 984 admitted from 7,126 applicants.
How much does Rhode Island School of Design cost?
At Rhode Island School of Design, published tuition is $62,688 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Rhode Island School of Design's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Rhode Island School of Design graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $68,140 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Rhode Island
- University of Rhode Island — 72.2% admitted
- Roger Williams University — 87.7% admitted
- Salve Regina University — 68.2% admitted
- Rhode Island College — 91.8% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.