Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Admissions 2026: Application Deadline, Eligibility & Fees

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Admissions 2026: Application Deadline, Eligibility & Fees

Providence, Rhode IslandLocation
SchoolSchool type
Estd1877established year
2480enrollment
Private (Not for Profit)
6.8/10
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Collegedunia Team

Content Curator | Updated 3+ months ago

Rhode Island School of Design Admissions 2022

  • Academics: Rhode Island School of Design offers 16 programs at the undergraduate level, 18 programs on the postgraduate level, an experimental and foundation program for first-year students, and 1 certificate program.
  • Admission Deadline: The admission process for undergraduate and graduate programs at RSID begin in Fall and Spring semester. The upcoming deadline is marked for Feburary 1 under the regular application. 
  • Application Process: The application process for undergraduate programs is through Common application with no application fees. Students applying for graduate programs can apply through Online application with a fee of 60 USD. 
  • Academic Requirement: The GPA score required for admission is 3.73 on the 4.0 scale (90%).  Accepted freshmen had an average SAT math and Evidence-based reading writing score of 688 and 655, which is competitive.

Highlights

Application Portal UG – Common application
PG –RISD Online Application
Application fee UG – No fee charged
PG – 60 USD
Graduation rate 89%
Retention rate 92%
Student of Faculty ratio 9:1
International student percentage 36% from 69 countries
School code SAT/TOEFL - 3726
ACT - 003812
SAT Score 1298
ACT Score 28
Academic Calendar Semester
Intake Seasons Fall/Spring
Interview Required after selection of application
International Admissions RISD Admissions

Rhode Island School of Design Admission Deadlines

The admission begins either during the Fall or Spring season. The deadline is the same for both undergraduate and graduate programs is usually the same at the institute. The table below shows the deadline for admission.

Type of Deadline Application Deadline
Early action application November 1
Early action decision Mid-December
Regular action application February 1
Regular action decision Mid-march

Rhode Island School of Design International Admissions

International applicants have to fulfil some additional requirements in comparison to Domestic applicants. The requirements are given below:
Application Portal: Common Application (Online portal application)
Application Fee: 60 USD
Admission requirements:

  • Official transcripts of all academic secondary work translated into English.
  • SAT/ACT scores.
  • Grade IB lever 5,6 or 7 accepted by RISD.
  • English Proficiency test scores.
  • Portfolio with 10-12 examples of sample work.
  • Complete assignment to be submitted in slide room format.
  • College essay with a word limit of 650 words to be submitted.
  • 1-3 letters of recommendation are required. 
  • A minimum GPA of 3.0 required.

English Proficiency Requirements for International Students

The minimum requirements for undergraduate and graduate programs are given below -

Test Minimum scores
TOEFL 93
IELTS 6.5
Duolingo 63

USA Visa for International Students

After the student is selected for admission, the university will email the Certificate of Eligibility for a Student Visa (Form I-20 A/B). Once received, all the details should be checked carefully. This form is essential for obtaining an American student visa to study at RISD.

  • Completed non-immigration visa application form (DS-156) with passport size photo.
  • A valid passport.
  • Receipt of visa application fee.
  • Evidence of SEVIS fee payment (I-901 receipt)

Rhode Island School of Design Undergraduate Admissions

The School offers bachelor’s courses in the field of Furniture Design, Architecture, Glass, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Textiles, Graphic Design, and illustration. To apply for admission, the applicant has to fulfill the following requirements.
Application Portal: Online
Basic Admission Requirements:

  • Academic transcripts
  • ACT/SAT scores
  • Portfolio
    • The applicant also needs to upload a portfolio, where about 12-20 recent projects need to be described that the applicant has done recently. 
    • This needs to be uploaded with the common application.
  • Writing Sample
    • A writing sample also needs to be submitted. 
    • The word limit is 650 words. 
    • The prompts for the writing are given in the personal essay section of the common application.
  • Letters of recommendation (optional)
  • The assignment
    • The applicants also need to complete an assignment. Details of the assignment are given on their website.

Rhode Island School of Design Graduate Admissions

RISD offers graduate courses in the field of Architecture, Furniture Design, Ceramics, Industrial Design, Textile, Printmaking, and Painting. To apply for admission the applicant has to fulfill the following requirements.
Application Portal; Online
Admission requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field
  • Undergraduate coursework
  • Application form
  • Academic transcripts
  • English language proficiency
  • Portfolio
    • Graduate applicants need to provide 10-20 examples of previous projects that they were involved in as a part of their portfolio.
  • Statement of purpose
  • Writing sample
  • Three Letters of recommendation
  • CV/resume 

Admission in Rhode Island School of Design is highly competitive, with thousands of students applying each semester.. Although, if the applicants have a strong academic background and the passion for arts then that would give them an upper hand in the selection process.

Rhode Island School of Design Program Fees & Deadlines

ProgramImportant DatesFeesApplication FeesEligibility
Application Deadline For 2026 Intake (6th Jan 2026)
Application Deadline For financial aid 2026 (1st Feb 2026)
INR 58.8 L/Yr
USD 63,966 /Yr
60TOEFL: 93, IELTS: 6.5

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Reviews


StreamDegree TypeStudent StatusNationalityBatchCourse
Sort By :
Newest First

Arts (1)
Design (1)
Fine Arts (1)

2 Reviews Found

V
5.3 /10

Overview

The first year was a great experience. Each semester included 3 studios (design, drawing and spatial dynamics), art history and liberal arts. It allowed me to explore all the possible options provided at RISD as well as come out as a much more multidisciplinary person before even going into my chosen major. The foundation year, however, is very stressful because of the high work load. The college is extremely helpful in terms of resources for mental health, which helped me get through the year.

Scholarship

The college doesn’t give scholarships to international students.

academic: 8/10
faculty: 8/10
accomodation: 9/10
placement: 7/10

YJ
8.2 /10

Overview

Reputation, faculty, rankings, location, exposure to people and job opportunities through networking

academic: 10/10
faculty: 9/10
infrastructure: 10/10
accomodation: 10/10
placement: 10/10

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