by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Rhode Island School of Design, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
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Published attendance costs at Rhode Island School of Design stands at about $78,857.00 per academic year.
The three scenarios below move from the full sticker price, to the net price after average aid, to the net price low-income students typically pay.
| Tuition and fees | $62,688.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $16,169.00 |
| Total cost | $78,857.00 |
| That is 140% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $78,857.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$31,220.00 |
| Net price | $47,637.00 |
| That is 45% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $78,857.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$52,592.00 |
| Net price | $26,265.00 |
| That is 20% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising by around 3.7% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. Below, the cost is projected across a degree for three students at once — low-income with aid, average aid, and no aid. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| Freshman year | $27,226.00 | $49,380.00 | $81,743.00 |
| Senior year | $30,326.00 | $55,003.00 | $91,050.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $115,031.00 | $208,632.00 | $345,364.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $43,823.00 | $79,481.00 | $131,571.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,324.00 | $2,401.00 | $3,974.00 |
| Total amount paid | $158,853.00 | $288,113.00 | $476,935.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| Freshman year | $27,226.00 | $49,380.00 | $81,743.00 |
| Senior year | $28,223.00 | $51,188.00 | $84,735.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $55,449.00 | $100,568.00 | $166,478.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $21,124.00 | $38,313.00 | $63,422.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $638.00 | $1,157.00 | $1,916.00 |
| Total amount paid | $76,573.00 | $138,881.00 | $229,900.00 |
Read more in the net price section below.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. It is usually a better planning number than the sticker cost above.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $50,507.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $46,253.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $33,653.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $31,023.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $36,834.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $46,882.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $60,428.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the Rhode Island School of Design Net Price Calculator, or visit the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the financial aid page.
Typical debt at graduation from Rhode Island School of Design is $23,250.00, landing it in the Moderate ($20-30k) debt-burden category.
Across borrowers, debt at graduation distributes like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,750.00 |
| 25th | $14,000.00 |
| Median (50th) | $23,250.00 |
| 75th | $30,250.00 |
| 90th | $35,000.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt page.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. The table below divides borrowers into three income tiers:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $26,000.00 |
| Middle income | $24,126.00 |
| High income | $21,500.00 |
Borrowers from lower-income families leave school with $4,500.00 in extra median debt compared with high-income peers.
First-gen students typically face different financial-aid contexts than students whose parents attended college.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $27,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $21,500.00 |
First-generation graduates from Rhode Island School of Design hold $5,500.00 in additional median debt versus continuing-generation peers.
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Rhode Island School of Design is $5,854.00. Federal data flags this school for Pell-related debt inequity.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Rhode Island School of Design is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 2.6% |
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at Rhode Island School of Design reach $123,526,123.00 spread across 4,944 disbursements.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 7 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $35,721.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veteran aid breakdown.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Rhode Island School of Design, the questions below are worth your time:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.