Started by a group of women well before any woman had the right to vote in the US, RISD has always embraced art and design’s capacity to stoke curiosity and spur progress.
About RISD
RISD is a nonprofit college and museum founded in 1877 in the city of Providence, RI. Today 2,577 students from 60 countries engage in more than 40 full-time bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, supported by a committed faculty and worldwide network of more than 33,000 alumni.
By cultivating expansive and elastic thinking, RISD equips artists, designers and scholars to generate and challenge the ideas that shape our world.
RISD by the numbers
- Student-to-faculty ratio (all students, Fall 2025)
- 8:1
- Average class size (undergraduate, Fall 2025)
- 15
- Undergraduate students (degree-seeking)
- 2,253
- Graduate students (Spring 2026)
- 429
- Domestic students of color (undergraduate)
- 43%
- International students (undergraduate)
- 33%
- First-year-to-sophomore retention
- 93%
- Six-year graduation rate
- 92%
Want more information?
Explore our fact book
For detailed data regarding admissions, enrollment, student demographics and diversity, finances, and more, you can search the online RISD fact book.
Get to know RISD
Guided by President Crystal Williams, our leadership furthers the reach and champions the transformational power of creative education.
We’re always looking for new ways to connect and grow our community. Please pay us a visit, send us a question or reach out to say hello.