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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota, Florida

21
F
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Poor return
$-246,187 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.

Never
Break-even
-102%
10-year ROI
$44,462
Median earnings as of 2024
59% of Ringling College of Art and Design students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$57,742
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$44,462
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$28,137
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$27,000
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
72%
Graduation rate as of 2024
59%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
71%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
86%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$-246,187
After 10 years
$-251,567
After 20 years
$-256,947
After 30 years
$-262,327
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$42,147
Men
$45,185

7% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$41,747
From higher-income families
$40,360

3% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$44,743
Independent students
$36,787

18% gap between the two groups

17%
First-generation students
38%
Take federal student loans
88%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 43%Hispanic 17%Asian 10%Black 4%Other 28%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$47,261
$30k–$48k$48,213
$48k–$75k$55,121
$75k–$110k$59,265
$110k+$62,609

How Ringling College of Art and Design compares

This college against the Florida and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Ringling College of Art and Design students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Ringling College of Art and Design

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Graphic CommunicationsAssociate's$74,421$27,000+135%Strong return
Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's$44,462$27,000-104%Poor return
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsAssociate's$29,879$27,000-221%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Ringling College of Art and Design

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

70%
Admission rate
0
Average SAT
0
Median ACT
1,662
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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