Penn State Harrisburg vs. RISD

Should I go to Penn State Harrisburg or Rhode Island School of Design? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Harrisburg or RISD is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Penn State Harrisburg vs. Rhode Island School of Design comparison
Penn State Harrisburg Rhode Island School of Design College 3 College 4
Penn State Harrisburg Rhode Island School of Design
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Overview

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
Location Middletown, PA Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 4,572 2,620
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #96
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $56,435
Room & Board $14,978 $15,234
Avg Net Price $22,096 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 34%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 5,099
Admitted 9,483 888
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 17.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.71
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 24/28 29/33
SAT Range 1100/1310 1340/1525
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
Graduation Rate 63% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
% Men 60% 33%
% Women 40% 67%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 31%
% Black 11% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 10% 26%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
% In-State 46% 1%
% Out-of-State 27% 58%

Campus

 Penn State Harrisburg RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 2,620 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or RISD?

  • Rhode Island School of Design is 266.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($56,435.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 118.3% higher at RISD than Penn State Harrisburg ($56,435.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than RISD ($22,096 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 1.7% lower than costs at Rhode Island School of Design ($14,978 vs. $15,234)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than Rhode Island School of Design (63% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rhode Island School of Design students is 322% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($37,480 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Harrisburg or RISD? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between RISD or Penn State Harrisburg .

  • The average SAT score at Rhode Island School of Design (1273) is 230 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming RISD students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than RISD (17.4%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or RISD? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between RISD and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (87% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $4,200 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,100)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than RISD graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than RISD graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More RISD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/