Minneapolis College of Art and Design vs Ringling College of Art and Design

Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) and Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) stand out as two prominent institutions dedicated to nurturing artistic talent. While both colleges share a commitment to excellence in art education, they offer distinct experiences for aspiring artists. MCAD, located in the vibrant city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on contemporary art practices. In contrast, RCAD, situated in the sunny Sarasota, Florida, is renowned for its emphasis on classical art techniques and its close ties to the local arts community. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, MCAD and RCAD cater to different artistic aspirations and learning preferences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your unique artistic journey.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design logo

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Ringling College of Art and Design logo

Ringling College of Art and Design

Overview

Location Minneapolis, Minnesota Sarasota, Florida
Campus setting City: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 77.0% 83.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 65.5% 68.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
$70
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 638 2,117
Total number of admissions given out 418 1,455
Admitted students who chose to enroll 163 401
Yield rate 39.0% 27.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA 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 $55,702 $74,563
Average net price $28,520 $51,318
Tuition $41,344 $46,600
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,980

Meal plan: $1,200
Room/dormitory: $9,260

Meal plan: $6,740
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $25,957
97.0%
Average amount $15,756
Students receiving federal student loan 96.0%
Average amount $5,416
57.0%
Average amount $5,391
Students taking out private loans 20.0%
Average amount $15,914
12.0%
Average amount $35,044

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 675
Men 31.6% Women 68.4%
1,663
Men 28.2% Women 71.8%
Graduate students 100
Men 22.0% Women 78.0%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 44.4% N/A
International students 4.1% 20.9%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 288 1,272
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Iowa South Dakota N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Business
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Precision Production
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 66.2% 80.5%
Dropout rate 18.6% 19.5%
Transferred out 15.2% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: $34,987
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,412
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: $34,268
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,993
  • Year 2: $28,236
  • Year 3: $28,847
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,090
  • Year 2: $18,771
  • Year 3: $26,963
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,098
  • Year 2: $22,192
  • Year 3: $25,223
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,078
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,528
  • Year 2: $48,725
  • Year 3: $57,463
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,371
  • Year 2: $26,121
  • Year 3: $32,078
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,460
  • Year 2: $19,592
  • Year 3: $21,539
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,707
  • Year 2: $14,627
  • Year 3: N/A
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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