Rhode Island School of Design

Providence, RI · founded 1877 · 2,600 students · specialty arts

Known for: One of the world's leading art and design schools, known for its rigorous studio-based education and close association with Brown University, offering a unique blend of creative and liberal arts studies.

Top programmes

Illustration
Industrial Design
Graphic Design
Architecture
Fine Arts
Textiles

Notable alumni

Seth MacFarlane — Creator of 'Family Guy'
Shepard Fairey — Artist and graphic designer, creator of the 'Hope' poster for Barack Obama
Nicole Miller — Fashion designer
James Franco — Actor and filmmaker
Jillian Tamaki — Award-winning illustrator and cartoonist
Brian Chesky — Co-founder and CEO of Airbnb
Tina Weymouth — Musician, bassist for Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club
David Macaulay — Author and illustrator of 'The Way Things Work'

Traditions

Nude Donut Run
RISD Sale
WaterFire Providence (community event)
Senior Show

If Rhode Island School of Design were…

As a food: Omakase at Masa — Exquisitely crafted, ruinously expensive, and demanding total commitment to the chef's vision. RISD's intensity and prestige require you to surrender to the process, trust the rigor, and emerge transformed—or broke tryin
As an athlete: Simone Biles — Technically flawless, impossibly disciplined, and operating at a level most people can't fathom. RISD students execute with precision under crushing pressure, making the difficult look effortless while everyone else watc
As a person alive today: Virgil Abloh — Straddled high art and commercial success, redefined creative industries, and proved that design school credibility translates to cultural power. RISD alumni dominate everything from Pixar to Supreme.
As a historical figure: Leonardo da Vinci — Obsessive polymath who blurred art, engineering, and science into singular vision. RISD's dual-degree program and cross-disciplinary ethos echo Leonardo's refusal to separate aesthetics from function.
As a movie or TV show: Whiplash — Brutal mentorship, all-consuming dedication, and the question of whether genius justifies suffering. RISD's studio culture demands everything; you'll bleed for your craft and wonder if it was worth it.
As a US president: Theodore Roosevelt — Cultured, vigorous, and unafraid to break things to make them better. RISD combines intellectual refinement with a scrappy, hands-on ethos—speak softly but carry a big portfolio.
As a city: Copenhagen — Small, design-obsessed, effortlessly cool, and punching above its weight culturally. Providence's walkable scale and RISD's global influence mirror Copenhagen's blend of coziness and cutting-edge creativity.
As an element: Titanium — Strong, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and used in everything from aerospace to jewelry. RISD grads are versatile, durable, and indispensable across industries—expensive but worth every penny.
As a car: 1972 Citroën DS — RISD is the audaciously designed French avant-garde masterpiece—hydropneumatic suspension, sculptural form, and engineering as art. Intensely creative, unapologetically eccentric, and producing alumni like the Airbnb fou

Campus life

Creative, intense, and hands-on, with students deeply immersed in studio culture. The campus vibe is eclectic and artistic, with strong cross-registration opportunities at neighboring Brown University. Social life blends art openings, critiques, and Providence's vibrant arts scene.