About

About Ringling College of Art and Design

art and design focusedprivate art collegesmall class sizesflorida creative campuscareer technical emphasis

Ringling College of Art and Design is a community college in Sarasota, FL, known for its art and design focused, private art college, and small class sizes. With an acceptance rate of 65%, RCAD is accessible for most qualified applicants, typically enrolling around 415 students each year. RCAD is test optional; submitting a strong score can strengthen an application, though it is not required for consideration. RCAD offers merit scholarships regardless of financial need, with awards averaging $19,643 per year; the sticker price of $74,759 may look very different from what your family actually pays.

Admissions

Ringling College of Art and Design acceptance rate and admitted student profile

accessible for most qualified applicants

65%
Overall Accept Rate

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Ringling College of Art and Design

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Application Strategy
Your portfolio carries more weight at Ringling than your GPA or test scores, so treat it as the centerpiece of your application and make sure every piece in it reflects your strongest, most intentional work in your chosen major's discipline.
Application Strategy
Ringling reviews portfolios through the lens of your specific program, so if you are applying to Game Art versus Illustration versus Motion Design, tailor your portfolio to show work that directly relates to that field rather than submitting a generic collection.

Get a tailored strategy for Ringling College of Art and Design. Build your free list to unlock personalized advice on submitting test scores and discover your actual admission odds based on your student profile.

Build My Free List →

Financial Aid & Cost

What Ringling College of Art and Design actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$75k/yr$47.3k
30k-48k~$75k/yr$48.2k
48k-75k~$75k/yr$55.1k
75k-110k~$75k/yr$59.3k
110k+~$75k/yr$62.6k

Not sure what Ringling College of Art and Design would cost your family? Build your free SpearMatch list. We show estimated net cost for every college on your list based on your income bracket.

Unlock real pricing for Ringling College of Art and Design and matching colleges →

Personalize this page

Compare your profile to Ringling College of Art and Design's admitted class

SpearMatch builds a tiered college list from your actual grades, scores, and preferences — and shows where you stand at every college. Free, no account, 4 minutes.

Build My Free List →

✓ Free forever  ·  ✓ No account  ·  ✓ 1,300+ four-year US colleges

Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

71%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$40k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
12:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
1,545
Undergrad Enrollment
Ringling College of Art and Design Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch