RISD worth the price?

taxguy
Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:22:30 +0000

Of course these kids will tell you it is worth the price! What people won’t tell you is whether it was worth the debt that they may have incurred. If you have access to a LOT of parental money so that tuition isn’t a problem, RISD is a fine school and Providence is a great city. On the other hand, if you have to take out lots of debt or if your parents have to compromise their financial security due to the high tuition then there may be much less expensive, good alternatives that you should consider. This is particularly true for art and design programs.

For example, if my a student had to pay full tuition as RISD but got a substantial scholarship elsewhere such as MICA or Pratt, I would have suggested to take that scholarship since the education and connections would be simillar to what RISD provides. Likewise, many state schools provide strong art and design programs at a fraction of the cost of RISD. See Mass College of Art and Design as an example.

Finally, let me suggest that you read over the thread “Should you incur substantial debt for that dream school” or art school? This is found at the top of the CC forums or at the top of the Parent’s forum. REALLY read over all of the posts in that thread. Therer are some good eye-opening analysis and suggestions.