How to apply to art and design at RISD: 17 BFA majors and the BArch, a shared foundation year (EFS) with major declaration in early spring, a 12–20-piece portfolio with observational drawing, Early Decision and Regular Decision deadlines, and portfolio requirements and timelines for students in China, Canada and transfer applicants

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is a dedicated art and design college in Providence, Rhode Island. This guide summarizes the official undergraduate requirements for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and majors

• Degrees: the undergraduate list has 17 Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) majors and one Bachelor of Architecture (BArch).
• Fine arts: Ceramics, Glass, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Sound, Film / Animation / Video, and Art and Computation.
• Design: Apparel Design, Furniture Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture and Textiles.
• Concentrations: students may add an optional concentration beyond the studio major; RISD describes these as similar to minors elsewhere.
• Brown|RISD Dual Degree: apply to both schools by their own deadlines (Brown January 5, RISD January 20) and add the Dual Degree Supplement in the Common App. Applicants must be admitted to both schools before the dual degree is considered, and you cannot apply Early Decision to both.

2. First year: foundation studies, major declared in spring

• All first-year students take Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS): the Drawing, Design and Spatial Dynamics studios. The major begins in sophomore year. In fall, sections of about 20 students take all three studios together; groups are reshuffled for spring.
• During the five-week Wintersession between fall and spring, first-year students can take a course related to their intended major.
• Declaring a major: the first-year advising page says students must make an early declaration in early spring, even if they listed a major on the application, and the major listed on the application does not limit the choice. A final declaration follows; changing a declared major requires paperwork at the EFS office.
• First Year in Florence: apply through the Common App to spend one semester of foundation studies in Florence, Italy (expected fall class size about 30). Florence notifications follow the RISD admission decision. Students must be 18 by the start of the Florence semester; those turning 18 after September 1 cannot attend in fall but may be considered for spring.

3. Deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Deadlines: Early Decision November 1 (decisions mid December; binding) and Regular Decision January 20 (decisions mid March). You may submit only one application type per year; applicants denied Early Decision cannot reapply in Regular Decision.
• Application and fees: apply through the Common App. The fee is USD 60 (nonrefundable), plus a nonrefundable USD 10 to submit the required portfolio through SlideRoom. Fee waivers are available through the Common App, or by emailing admissions@risd.edu if the Common App criteria don’t fit.
• Transcripts: official transcripts of all secondary work through the most recent grading period; credentials not in English must be translated by an approved translator. Include a school profile if possible.
• Testing: domestic and international applicants may apply test-optional; submitted SAT/ACT scores are superscored.
• Essay: the Common App personal essay (up to 650 words).
• Recommendations: one is required and up to three are accepted, ideally from teachers or professionals who know your art or academic work.
• Eligibility: you need a high school diploma or equivalent before enrolling. College courses taken during high school (including dual enrollment) still count as first-year. Students who attended college may apply first-year only with 21 or fewer total college credits by enrollment; more than 21 means applying as a transfer. Students with a bachelor’s degree cannot apply for undergraduate admission.

4. Portfolio

• Size: 12–20 examples of recent work showing your thinking and making, uploaded to SlideRoom after you start the RISD Common Application.
• Content: any medium; most pieces should be finished (some works in progress are fine), from assigned projects or self-directed exploration.
• Observational work: RISD strongly recommends including drawing and/or painting from direct observation rather than from imagination, photographs or video.
• Process work: show research or preparatory work in up to three, and no more than three, uploads.
• Authenticity: you will confirm the work is conceived and made by you; for collaborative work, describe your contribution and credit other artists in SlideRoom’s Additional Details field.
• Format: jpeg, png, gif, mp4 and mov are recommended. Additional angles or details can be split across slides, combined into one composite of no more than three images, or shown in a single video. Google Drive links and zip files are discouraged, as are slides crowded with images and text.
• Feedback: RISD holds Portfolio Days in Providence and elsewhere, online portfolio days and portfolio webinars. No admission decisions are made and no application portfolios are accepted at Portfolio Days, and attending is not required.

5. English requirements

• Applicants who speak English as a second language (including US citizens) must submit one of: TOEFL 5 (previously 93), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 120. TOEFL MyBest, TOEFL Home Edition and IELTS UKVI are accepted (not IELTS UKVI General).
• SAT Reading and Writing 600, or ACT 25 in both English and Reading, also satisfies the requirement.
• Waiver: possible for applicants who completed secondary education at an English-medium institution with three consecutive full-time years without ESL, ELL or ENL courses. The waiver form is in the applicant portal after you apply.
• RISD does not publish a country list, so Canadian students should check the conditions above with admissions (admissions@risd.edu).

6. Students at high schools in China

• International and domestic undergraduate requirements are the same; Chinese transcripts need an English translation by an approved translator.
• How the Gaokao or provincial art exams are used is not published; ask admissions.
• Credit: AP scores of 4–5, A-Level grades of C or higher and IB Higher Level scores of 5–7 can count toward Liberal Arts requirements, up to nine credits for first-year students. AP and IB credit is not given for art or studio classes.
• Admitted international students who plan to enroll submit the I-20 application in the applicant status portal, then pay the SEVIS fee and schedule a visa interview. Don’t send I-20 materials before admission.

7. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• Apply as an international applicant; requirements are the same as for US applicants.
• BC grade requirements and whether Canadian students are automatically exempt from English testing are not published; ask admissions.

8. Costs and financial aid (2026-27)

• Cost of attendance: tuition USD 66,460, activity fee USD 308, academic and technology fee USD 908, estimated housing USD 10,750, food USD 7,450, books and supplies USD 3,400, personal expenses USD 2,800 and travel USD 1,700, for an estimated total of USD 93,776. Unless waived, students are charged USD 2,657 in fall for health insurance.
• First Year in Florence tuition and room are the same as in Providence, but meals are not charged while in Florence.
• Aid: RISD institutional funding is awarded on financial need at admission. International applicants can be considered by submitting the institutional financial aid form in the applicant portal (expected October 2026). Deadlines are November 15, 2026 for Early Decision and January 25, 2027 for Regular Decision. RISD says aid may not meet full need; awards are level-funded for the program and rise in proportion to tuition increases.
• The pages we read do not describe a separate merit scholarship.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: at least 24 college credits at an accredited institution (12 in liberal arts) by June of the application year. High school students in dual-degree or early-college programs must apply first-year.
• Deadlines: March 1 for summer/fall entry (decisions late April or early May); financial aid March 15, 2027. Painting and Industrial Design are not accepting transfer applications for 2027.
• Application: apply through the RISD Applicant Portal (not the Common App); the fee is USD 60. Submit official college and high school transcripts and proof of high school graduation.
• Portfolio: also 12–20 works, uploaded in the applicant portal. Transfers apply directly to a specific major, so RISD recommends showing interest and aptitude in that area, though other work may be included.
• Writing and recommendations: a statement of purpose of up to 650 words on your reasons for transferring; one recommendation required, up to three.
• Entry level: most transfers enter at the sophomore level and must take the six-week summer foundation program (SEFS) starting mid June, which earns 9 of the 18 required EFS credits. Applicants with 18 comparable foundation art credits may receive a waiver at the EFS dean’s discretion.
• Credits: liberal arts, math, science and language courses with C or better are usually transferable toward the 42 liberal arts credits. Studio credits generally don’t transfer at entry, though they occasionally allow placement at a more advanced level. At least two years of residency are required for the degree.
• Changing majors: transfers must complete a full academic year in their admitted program before requesting a change, which depends on department requirements and space.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare 12–20 works, including observational drawing, with no more than three process slides
• Take TOEFL (5, previously 93), IELTS (7) or Duolingo (120)
• Submit the Common App, portfolio, essay, recommendation and translated transcripts by November 1 (ED) or January 20 (RD)
• If you need aid, submit the institutional financial aid form by the deadline

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Prepare the same materials as an international applicant
• Ask admissions whether you qualify for the English waiver and how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Confirm you will have 24 credits (12 in liberal arts) by June and that your intended department accepts transfers for 2027
• Apply through the RISD Applicant Portal with a major-focused portfolio by March 1
• Plan for the summer foundation program starting mid June

Sources: Rhode Island School of Design, First-year application requirements; First-year eligibility; International applicants; Portfolio preparation; Undergraduate degrees; Experimental and Foundation Studies; First-year advising; First Year in Florence; Financing your education; Transfer application; Transfer eligibility; 2026-27 cost of attendance. Dates are for fall 2027 entry and costs are 2026-27 figures; check RISD’s website for the latest.