Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) vs Dartmouth

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Dartmouth College stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique path to academic excellence. RISD, renowned for its artistic legacy, nurtures creative minds in the realm of fine arts, design, and architecture. In contrast, Dartmouth, steeped in liberal arts tradition, emphasizes critical thinking, intellectual exploration, and leadership development across a broad spectrum of disciplines. While both institutions share a commitment to academic rigor and personal growth, they differ markedly in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discern the nuances that set these esteemed institutions apart and discover the ideal fit for your educational aspirations.

	Dartmouth College	Rhode Island School of Design
Overview
Location	Hanover, New Hampshire	Providence, Rhode Island
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Quarter	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	6.2%	18.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1440 - 1560	1310 - 1480
ACT range	33 - 35	28 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%	31.0%
Students submitting ACT score	30.0%	7.0%
Total number of applicants	28,356	4,742
Total number of admissions given out	1,750	886
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,221	496
Yield rate	69.8%	56.0%
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	$81,501	$77,280
Average net price	$24,078	$38,234
Tuition	$58,953	$55,220
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,569 Meal plan: $6,792	$14,790
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	48.0% Average amount $56,106	37.0% Average amount $37,286
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $5,066	36.0% Average amount $5,296
Students taking out private loans	37.0% Average amount $5,335	4.0% Average amount $39,311

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,556 Men 50.7% Women 49.3%	2,044 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Graduate students	2,205 Men 50.4% Women 49.6%	532 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	97.3%	N/A
International students	17.0%	35.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	3,733	1,450
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California New York Mississippi New Jersey Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Engineering Social Sciences Mathematics and Statistics	Visual & Performing Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Architecture Computer and Information Science Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	93.6%	86.2%
Dropout rate	4.9%	11.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $160,724 Year 2: $167,295 Year 3: $180,970 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $111,259 Year 2: $113,015 Year 3: $128,856 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $85,069 Year 2: $87,604 Year 3: $98,252 Public Health (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $77,715 Year 3: $88,684 Engineering Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,341 Year 2: $78,343 Year 3: $81,883 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,277 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $81,813 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,302 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $80,946 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,095 Year 2: $62,192 Year 3: $75,463 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,013 Year 2: $103,078 Year 3: $71,100 Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $58,996 Year 2: $61,728 Year 3: $70,914	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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