10-yr median earnings
$68,140
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Providence, Rhode Island
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a private nonprofit institution in Providence, Rhode Island. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $68,140
- 10-yr median earnings
- 18.7%
- Acceptance rate
- $50,507
- Avg net price / yr
- 88.6%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Rhode Island School of Design pairs top-10% former-student earnings with a very selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 8%
- former-student earnings, US
- 18.7%
- acceptance rate
- 88.6%
- 150%-time completion
- +48%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Rhode Island School of Design profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C+
College Value Score
62/100
Rhode Island School of Design
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$68,140
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$50,507
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
88.6%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$27,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
89.9%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A+
95.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$50,507
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
88.6%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 88.6%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Rhode Island School of Design vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Rhode Island School of Design ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Rhode Island School of Design: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$68,140 Top 8% higher than 92% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Rhode Island School of Design | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $68,140 | #429 of 5103 | 92nd |
| Average net price | $50,507 | #4988 of 5020 | 1st (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 88.6% | #279 of 4858 | 94th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,084 | #1433 of 5462 | 74th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
2,084
Undergraduate enrollment
18.7%
Acceptance rate
1,473
SAT average
88.6%
150%-time completion
$68,140
10-yr median earnings
95.0%
First-year retention
How Rhode Island School of Design ranks in Rhode Island
State rank among 19 reporting Rhode Island colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Rhode Island School of Design | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $68,140 | #8 of 19 | 58th |
| Average net price | $50,507 | #20 of 20 | 0th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 88.6% | #3 of 18 | 83rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,084 | #11 of 20 | 45th |
Highest former-student earnings in Rhode Island
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brown University | $93,487 | $25,184 |
| 2 | Bryant University | $90,008 | $41,219 |
| 3 | Providence College | $87,054 | $48,523 |
| 4 | Salve Regina University | $72,975 | $36,967 |
| 5 | Roger Williams University | $70,266 | $37,999 |
| 6 | Roger Williams University School of Law | $70,266 | - |
| 7 | University of Rhode Island | $69,743 | $21,440 |
| 8 | Rhode Island School of DesignThis school | $68,140 | $50,507 |
| 9 | Rhode Island College | $56,318 | $9,478 |
| 10 | New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island | $53,085 | $15,866 |
| 11 | New England Institute of Technology | $48,684 | $36,483 |
| 12 | MotoRing Technical Training Institute | $48,281 | $30,141 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 18.7% |
| SAT Average | 1,473 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 708 – 780 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 688 – 750 |
| ACT Average | 31 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 31 – 34 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Rhode Island School of Design
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$29,135 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$30,233 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$25,872 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$64,493 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Rhode Island School of Design - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $62,688 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $62,688 |
| Average Net Price | $50,507 |
14.8%
Pell Grant Rate
28.6%
Federal Loan Rate
$27,000
Median Debt
$286/mo
Monthly Payment
2013–2023: what Rhode Island School of Design costs has stayed close to flat
Average net price moved +14.8% over 10 years, from $40,306 to $46,253 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $40,3062023 · $46,253
Over the same years, enrollment went +4.2% (2,005 → 2,090 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
66.1%
Female
10.6%
First Generation
Outcomes
95.0%
Retention Rate
$45,932
Median Earnings (6yr)
65.7%
Earning Over $25K
89.9%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 88.6% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 95.0% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $45,932 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $68,140 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 65.7% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 89.9% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $286/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 8 | 399 | $51,209 | $67,771 | $26,884 |
| Master's | 6 | 125 | $73,857 | $93,136 | $59,075 |
Top programs at Rhode Island School of Design by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts
$93,136 median earnings
- Architectural Sciences and…
Architectural Sciences and Technology
$80,220 median earnings
- Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts
$67,771 median earnings
- Apparel and Textiles
Apparel and Textiles
$59,372 median earnings
- Film/Video and Photographi…
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
$51,278 median earnings
- Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts
$48,215 median earnings
- Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts
$40,568 median earnings
- Woodworking $37,055
Woodworking
$37,055 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | Master's | - | $93,136 | - |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Master's | 70 | $80,220 | $76,145 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's | 91 | $67,771 | $27,000 |
| Apparel and Textiles | Bachelor's | 15 | $59,372 | $27,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's | 54 | $51,278 | $27,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's | 32 | $48,215 | $42,005 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's | 101 | $40,568 | $27,000 |
| Woodworking | Bachelor's | 7 | $37,055 | $26,558 |
| Architecture | Bachelor's | 22 | - | - |
| Architecture | Master's | - | - | - |
| Interior Architecture | Master's | - | - | - |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Bachelor's | 34 | - | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's | 23 | - | - |
| Systems Science and Theory | Bachelor's | 75 | - | $26,748 |
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Rhode Island School of Design? ▼
Rhode Island School of Design is a private nonprofit institution in Providence, Rhode Island. The acceptance rate is 18.7%. The average SAT score is 1,473. Undergraduate enrollment is 2,084 students.
How much do Rhode Island School of Design former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Rhode Island School of Design who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $68,140 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $45,932.
How much does Rhode Island School of Design cost? ▼
The average net price at Rhode Island School of Design is $50,507. In-state tuition is $62,688 and out-of-state tuition is $62,688. Median student debt at graduation is $27,000.
What is the graduation rate at Rhode Island School of Design? ▼
Rhode Island School of Design has a 88.6% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 95.0%.
Is Rhode Island School of Design worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Rhode Island School of Design is $27,000, while former students earn a median of $68,140 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 40% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 89.9% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $286.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Rhode Island School of Design
- Compare Rhode Island School of Design against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Rhode Island side by side.Browse Rhode Island
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.