Pronounced Riz-D, your Rhode Island School of Design began in 1877 as a private art school in Providence. Founded in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, she sought to increase the accessibility of design education to women; the school's origins are often traced to her 1876 visit to the Centennial Exposition. Today RISD offers bachelor's and master's degree programs across 19 majors and enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 500 graduate students.
Its museum is one of the largest college art museums in the United States, and that living collection is part of what animates student life here. RISD is affiliated with Brown University: Brown's campus sits immediately adjacent to RISD's on Providence's College Hill. The two institutions have shared social and community resources and, since 1900, have permitted cross-registration; together they offer dual degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
As of 2024, RISD alumni have received 11 MacArthur Fellowships, 9 Emmy Awards, 7 Guggenheim Fellowships, and 3 Academy Awards. Notice RISD's campus, its museum, and the adjacent Brown campus on College Hill, carrying that history and those honors with you.