St Olaf vs. RISD

Should I go to St Olaf College or Rhode Island School of Design? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St Olaf 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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St Olaf College vs. Rhode Island School of Design comparison
St Olaf College Rhode Island School of Design College 3 College 4
St Olaf College Rhode Island School of Design
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Overview

St Olaf RISD
Location Northfield, MN Providence, RI
Setting Distant Town Midsize City
Enrollment 3,046 2,620
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #156 #96
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stolaf.edu risd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St Olaf RISD
Tuition (In State) $54,650 $56,435
Tuition (Out of State) $54,650 $56,435
Room & Board $12,450 $15,234
Avg Net Price $26,171 $39,800
Avg Grant Aid $40,399 $37,480
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 34%

Admission

St Olaf RISD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,524 5,099
Admitted 3,116 888
Acceptance Rate 56.4% 17.4%
Enrolled % 27.9% 54.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 3.71
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 28/33 29/33
SAT Range 1300/1480 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 Jan 15, 2024 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

St Olaf RISD
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)

Outcomes

St Olaf RISD
Graduation Rate 85% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

St Olaf RISD
% Men 42% 33%
% Women 58% 67%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 75% 31%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 7% 26%
% Unknown Race 1% 8%

Students

St Olaf RISD
% In-State 47% 1%
% Out-of-State 43% 58%

Campus

St Olaf RISD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • St Olaf College is larger than than RISD based on total student enrollment (3,046 students vs. 2,620 students)

St Olaf vs. RISD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or RISD?

  • Rhode Island School of Design is 3.3% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($56,435.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.3% higher at RISD than St Olaf College ($56,435.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than RISD ($26,171 vs. $39,800)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 22.4% lower than costs at Rhode Island School of Design ($12,450 vs. $15,234)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than Rhode Island School of Design (99% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 7.8% larger than aid received Rhode Island School of Design ($40,399 vs. $37,480)

St Olaf vs. RISD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Olaf College (1282) is 9 points higher than at RISD (1273)
  • Incoming St Olaf students have at the same average ACT score (29) as students at RISD (29)
  • Accepted freshman RISD students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • St Olaf has a higher acceptance rate (56.4%) than RISD (17.4%)

St Olaf vs. RISD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St Olaf 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 St Olaf.

  • The graduation rate at RISD is higher than St Olaf College (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from St Olaf College earn on average $2,600 more per year than RISD graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $51,100)
  • Rhode Island School of Design and St Olaf graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Rhode Island School of Design and St Olaf graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RISD students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 89%)

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