History
RISD was founded and nurtured by a small group of women more than 40 years before women in America even gained the right to vote. That year Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf urged 34 members of the Rhode Island Women’s Centennial Commission to invest their group’s surplus funding of $1,675 in founding a school of art and design.
Education
Undergraduate Study
- First-Year Program
- Liberal Arts Departments
- Degree Programs
- Concentrations
Graduate Study
- Degree Programs
- Certificates + Concentrations
Career
The Career Center offers comprehensive support for students and alumni through an extensive array of resources and programming. With our unparalleled Portfolio Review events, exclusive ArtWorks job board, in-depth career advisement and numerous career programs, we educate, advise and empower your students to effectively translate their education and creativity into fulfilling professional experiences.
Rhode Island School of Design Scholarships
Below you will find scholarships related to Rhode Island School of Design. Distinction can be made between scholarships provided by the University and those provided by independent providers.
Independent provider
Grant
72000 USD
Deadline
31 Oct 2025
Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF)
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
10000 USD
Deadline
01 Dec 2025
Latin American Caribbean Scholarship
Merit-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
07 Oct 2025
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
Not specified
Other Scholarships For Graduate Students
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
332500 USD
Deadline
31 May 2026
Study Abroad Graudate Scholarships Of SBS Foundation
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
300000 HKD
Deadline
30 Sep 2025
Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowships For Overseas Studies
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
40000 USD
Deadline
30 Sep 2025
Study Abroad Graduate Scholarships of Chungcheongnam-do
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
40000 AUD
Deadline
30 Sep 2025
Veterans’ Fund Indigenous Scholarships
Merit-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
40000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
Becas Fulbright - Ampliación De Estudios
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
38000 GBP
Deadline
18 Sep 2025
Marshall Scholarships
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
30000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
Baltic American Freedom Foundation Scholarships
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
30000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
International Education Center's Study Abroad Programs
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
20000 USD
Deadline
04 Mar 2026
Thanks To Scandinavia Grants To Danish Students
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
11000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
Dositeja Fund For Young Talents Of Serbia
Merit-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
5000 USD
Deadline
31 Jul 2025
Udaan India Scholarship
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
5000 USD
Deadline
31 Jul 2025
MPOWER 追梦永不息 Scholarship
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
5000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
Korean American Scholarship Foundation
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
3000 USD
Deadline
Anytime
Belizean Student Scholarship
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
1580 EUR
Deadline
Not specified
The Marietta Blau Grant
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
01 Nov 2025
Fulbright-Masaryk Award
Merit-based Need-based
Read more about eligibility
Student services
Queer Student Association strives to help queer-identifying students cope with life at RISD by providing a supportive structure paired with safe spaces for conversation. QSA also provides a great deal of cultural and educational programs geared towards the community at large as well as the queer community to weld the two with a unified code of respect, safety, and understanding.
Housing services
Charles Landing
- One Bedroom Private Apartment
- One Bedroom Shared Apartment
- Two Bedroom Apartment
- Town House
- Studio Apartment
First Year Housing
Hill Houses
- Single Room
- Shared Room (Double or Triple)
Benefit Street Apartments
- Apartment (2 or 3 bedroom)
- Colonial Studio Apartment
- Dwight Studio Apartment
- Alcove Suite Single
- Alcove Suite Shared (Double or Triple)
- Apartments (3 or 4 bedrooms)
- Group Loft
- Shared Triple Loft
- Shared Double Loft
- Studio Loft
- Two Bedroom Loft
Library services
With more than 150,000 circulating books, RISD’s library offers a wide range of specialized resources in art, design, architecture and more in a beautifully redesigned historic grand banking hall.
Medical services
RISD’s Health Center is your first line of defense for confidential, quality health care, whether you’ve got a minor bug or injury or are concerned with a more serious health care problem.
We’re your on-campus urgi-care center.
- Basic Health Care
- Gynecologic Care
- Wellness Care
- Medical Referrals
- Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing
Campus life
Given its relatively small footprint, Providence is comfortable and easy to navigate, with seven colleges and universities making it very student-focused. A vibrant community of artists and designers—including many alumni who choose to stay in the area—adds to the flavor, as do the city’s eclectic neighborhoods, which offer a variety of lifestyles, restaurants and entertainment options. Students often take advantage of day trips to Boston, New York or beautiful beaches as appealing options for inspiration and refreshment.
Sports facilities
- Catanzaro Student Fitness Center for dance, pilates, spinning, tai-chi and yoga
- Brown athletic complex, where you'll have access to a swimming pool, ice skating rink, indoor and outdoor tracks, and courts for tennis, squash, racquetball and basketball
Student clubs
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- Anime Manga Illustration Club
- Behind the Scene
- Better World By Design
- Black Artists and Designers
- Brown-RISD Game Developers
- Brown-RISD Hong Kong Student Association
- Concept Art Club
- Design For America
- Queer Student Association
Accreditation
RISD is accredited by two organizations: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE, formerly NEASC) and National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Several programs have specialized accreditation: Architecture (National Architecture Accrediting Board), Landscape Architecture (Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board) and the Master of Art in Teaching (RI Department of Education).