Rhode Island School of Design
Admissions
Interested in attending Rhode Island School of Design?
On this page, you'll learn how difficult it is to get into Rhode Island School of Design, we'll dig into high school grades and test scores, and you'll find out the factors the school considers when reviewing applications.
Admission Rates
Is it difficult to get into Rhode Island School of Design?
Using the most up-to-date data on record, RISD accepted 16% of applicants. We classify this as very selective.
In the most recent year, 7,126 people applied and 984 were accepted.
Applied/Accepted
Acceptance rates at colleges can change over time, with some becoming more competitive and others accepting more students. Here’s a look at the acceptance rate trend for the past 3 years at Rhode Island School of Design:
Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.
Of those accepted, 51% ended up enrolling at Rhode Island School of Design, making their yield rate Very High. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who enroll at the school. You can use the yield rate to find out how coveted a school is for the students who apply to it.
Application Factors
You can increase your chances of getting into Rhode Island School of Design by looking at what the school considers during the application process.
Here are the things RISD considers:
Very Important
- Academic GPA
- Rigor of Secondary School Record
- Talent/Ability
Important
- Application Essay
Considered
- Alumni/AE Relation
- Character/Personal Qualities
- Class Rank
- Extracurricular Activities
- First Generation
- Geographical Residence
- Recommendation(s)
- Standardized Test Scores
- Volunteer Work
- Work Experience
Not Considered
- Interview
- Level of Applicant's Interest
- Religious Affiliation/Commitment
- State Residency
Grades & Testing
Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Rhode Island School of Design?
Grades
Students who recently attended Rhode Island School of Design as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.7.
These are the high school grade point averages (unweighted) of students who enroll:
High School GPAs
RISD is Test Optional. This means scores are considered if they are submitted, but applicants do not need to submit scores.
Applicants submitting SAT Scores
Applicants submitting ACT Scores
SAT Math Scores
SAT Verb Scores
SAT Composite Scores
Application Deadlines
These are the deadlines for applying to Rhode Island School of Design. Application deadlines are subject to change, so please verify all deadlines with the school.
Regular Admissions
Early Decision
Early Decision is a program in which students commit to attend a school if they are accepted. Some schools have a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision than regular decision. RISD's Early Decision acceptance rate is 25%, compared to 16% overall. If you’re sure you want to attend Rhode Island School of Design, you might consider applying Early Decision.
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