Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD /ˈrɪzdiː/, pronounced "Riz-D"[3]) is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the accessibility of design education to women.[4] Today, RISD offers bachelor's and master's degree programs across 19 majors and enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 500 graduate students.[2] The Rhode Island School of Design Museum—which houses the school's art and design collections—is one of the largest college art museums in the United States.[5]
The Rhode Island School of Design is affiliated with Brown University, whose campus sits immediately adjacent to RISD's on Providence's College Hill. The two institutions share social and community resources and since 1900 have permitted cross-registration.[6][7] Together, RISD and Brown offer dual degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
As of 2022, RISD alumni have received 10 MacArthur Genius fellowships, five Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Academy Awards.[8][9] A 2016 analysis of the most successful American artists at auction found that more than twice as many held undergraduate degrees from RISD than from any other school.[10]
Rankings and admission[edit]
In 2014, U.S. News & World Report ranked RISD first amongst fine arts programs nationwide.[30] In 2020, graduate programs in Graphic Design, Painting, Sculpture, and Photography, among others, were ranked in the top 5 nationally, however, in 2023, RISD announced its withdrawal from the rankings, citing its inability to accurately assess art and design education, while also running counter to principles of social equity and inclusion.[31][32] The school's undergraduate architecture program ranked 6 in DesignIntelligence's ranking of the Top Architecture Schools in the US for 2019.[33] In 2018, the institution was also named among Forbes' America's Top Colleges[34] and the Chronicle of Higher Education's Top Producers of US Fulbright Scholars.[35]
RISD's acceptance rate is 19%.[36] In August of 2019, the school announced it would be adopting a test-optional policy for admissions.[37]
Athletics[edit]
RISD has many athletic clubs and teams.[42] The symbolism used for their teams is unique. The hockey team is called the "Nads", and their cheer is "Go Nads!"[43] The logo for the Nads features a horizontal hockey stick with two hockey pucks at the end of the stick's handle.
The basketball team is known simply as "The Balls", and their slogan is, "When the heat is on, the Balls stick together!"[43][44] The Balls' logo consists of two balls next to one another in an irregularly shaped net.[45]
Lest the sexual innuendo of these team names and logos be lost or dismissed, the 2001 creation of the school's unofficial mascot, Scrotie, ended any ambiguity. Despite the name, Scrotie is not merely a representation of a scrotum, but is a 7-foot tall penis.[46]
The school's color is a vivid blue.[47]
