Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) vs NorthWestern

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Northwestern University (NU) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life. RISD, renowned for its exceptional arts and design programs, boasts an acceptance rate of 38%, while NU, known for its rigorous academic offerings across various disciplines, maintains a highly selective acceptance rate of 9%. While RISD's student body primarily comprises aspiring artists and designers, NU's diverse student population reflects its broad range of academic programs. With graduation rates of 89% and 91% respectively, both institutions prioritize student success and equip their graduates with the skills and knowledge to thrive in their chosen fields. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the distinctive characteristics of these esteemed institutions and discover the ideal fit for your academic aspirations.

	Northwestern University	Rhode Island School of Design
Overview
Location	Evanston, Illinois	Providence, Rhode Island
Campus setting	City: Small	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	99.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	7.0%	18.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1470 - 1570	1310 - 1480
ACT range	34 - 35	28 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	43.0%	31.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	7.0%
Total number of applicants	47,636	4,742
Total number of admissions given out	3,321	886
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,086	496
Yield rate	62.8%	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	$83,838	$77,280
Average net price	$29,999	$38,234
Tuition	$60,276	$55,220
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,271 Meal plan: $6,993	$14,790
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	57.0% Average amount $51,087	37.0% Average amount $37,286
Students receiving federal student loan	23.0% Average amount $4,625	36.0% Average amount $5,296
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $38,595	4.0% Average amount $39,311

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,847 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%	2,044 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Graduate students	14,562 Men 47.3% Women 52.7%	532 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	17.8%	35.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	4,409	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	Business Communication and Journalism Engineering Health Professions Legal Profession	Visual & Performing Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Architecture Computer and Information Science Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	95.2%	86.2%
Dropout rate	4.2%	11.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $150,242 Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $221,242 Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $216,176 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $187,194 Year 2: $170,971 Year 3: $206,288 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $120,709 Year 2: $189,565 Year 3: $194,961 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $162,478 Year 2: $163,561 Year 3: $177,652 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $111,200 Year 2: $157,779 Year 3: $159,304 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $140,321 Year 2: $141,586 Year 3: $154,556 Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,288 Year 2: $118,465 Year 3: $132,325 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,780 Year 2: $111,323 Year 3: $130,124 Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $115,760 Year 2: $113,668 Year 3: $128,046	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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