Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) vs Berkeley

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and University of California-Berkeley (UC Berkeley) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life. RISD, a private art and design college, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 29%, while UC Berkeley, a public research university, welcomes a more diverse student body with an acceptance rate of 17%. While RISD specializes in art and design programs, UC Berkeley offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees across various disciplines. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details on acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Rhode Island School of Design logo

Rhode Island School of Design

University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Berkeley, California
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 18.7% 14.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1310 - 1480 N/A
ACT range 28 - 34 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 7.0%
Total number of applicants 4,742 112,843
Total number of admissions given out 886 16,295
Admitted students who chose to enroll 496 6,931
Yield rate 56.0% 42.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $77,280
In state: $37,920

Out of state: $67,674
Average net price $38,234 $17,652
Tuition $55,220
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board $14,790 $20,236
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

37.0%
Average amount $37,286
52.0%
Average amount $21,406
Students receiving federal student loan 36.0%
Average amount $5,296
15.0%
Average amount $4,586
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $39,311
6.0%
Average amount $7,122

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,044
Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
31,814
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students 532
Men 34.2% Women 65.8%
13,222
Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 16.9%
International students 35.6% 18.0%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 1,450 9,630
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A California New Jersey Texas Virginia New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Architecture
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Precision Production
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 86.2% 92.8%
Dropout rate 11.9% 6.3%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $171,936
  • Year 3: $191,597
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $167,052
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $125,250
  • Year 2: $125,388
  • Year 3: $161,399
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,367
  • Year 2: $128,868
  • Year 3: $160,666
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $160,390
  • Year 2: $142,470
  • Year 3: $143,984
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $119,358
  • Year 3: $143,516
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,442
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $112,973
Optometry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,750
  • Year 2: $91,363
  • Year 3: $104,601
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,600
  • Year 2: $85,760
  • Year 3: $103,738
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,282
  • Year 2: $65,387
  • Year 3: $102,543

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