2023-2024 Housing + Dining Rates
RISD offers three areas of student housing: First Year, Sophomore, and Upperclass. All on-campus housing includes a dining allotment which can not be removed.
Priority is given to each area by class designation, and programming and support is framed with the transitional and developmental needs of these class designations in mind.
The First Year Area is designed to support students through the Experimental and Foundation Studies curriculum, and to help them meet new friends and adjust to independent life at RISD and in Providence.
Living in the Sophomore Area, second year students at RISD are supported as they enter their major and begin their advanced studies. The sophomore area features suites and community centric housing ideal for both students who wish to room with a small group of friends, or for those who prefer to be around a larger community of makers.
The Upperclass Area offers a high degree of independence for Juniors, Seniors, and even Grad Students who prefer to live in a cooperative or independent apartment. Programs are aimed supporting the transition to life beyond RISD with career and professional development opportunities. Independent housing options allow for more self-reliance and meal preparation, while maintaining the financial simplicity and security benefits of living on campus.
Although these areas are designed for specific student populations, there are instances where a student may live in an area that does not specifically match their class standing, such as Junior or Seniors living in the Sophomore Area, or Sophomores living in apartments.
Room and board offerings are specific to the room, not the class year of the student living in it.
First Year Area
First Year students at RISD live within the First Year Quad (East, South, North, Homer and Nickerson Halls). First Year students are part of the RISD Launch Residential Experience which helps students to transition to life at RISD through community engagement with focus on success through academic, artistic, social, and personal growth. First Year Rooms share community resources like study and work rooms, communal kitchens, social lounges, and communal or semi‐private bathrooms. All First Year area rooms are air-conditioned.
Students in these rooms enjoy unlimited access to The Met, RISD’s “Unlimited Access” facility. In addition, students will receive 225 Dining Points each semester which can be utilized in any RISD Dining Services facility and 5 weekly Café Credits which can be applied at a majority of the cafés on campus. These rooms also include a one-time $50 risdbucks credit which work in campus vending machines, all dining venues, campus stores, and laundry machines for use during the academic year. Also included are 3 guest meal credits per semester.
First Year Area Pricing (Per Semester)
- First Year Area Shared Rooms (Double, Triple, Quads) – $7,925
- First Year Area Single Rooms – $9,022
Sophomore Area
Sophomores at RISD have priority selection to live in the Sophomore Area which includes the Alcove Suites in 15 West, the Hill Houses, and South Hall. The Sophomore Area offers sophomore students a bit more privacy and independence and aims to help sophomores navigate their majors, forge new connections and paths of success within the RISD community, develop concrete connections between academics and extracurricular experiences, and foster skills that will aid them beyond RISD.
15 West Alcove Suite amenities include air conditioning, social lounges, laundry and work rooms, and easy access to the Fleet Library and Portfolio Café. Alcove Suites also have small kitchenettes. For a more communal residential experience, the Hill Houses provide amenities for all students living the house to share. The smallest Hill Houses, Dunnell and Larned, are home to 19 students. The largest Hill House is Congdon – which houses 34 students. All others house between 21 and 25 students.
To support health and wellness through their second year transition, the following meal allotment is provided for specific room types per semester:
All Sophomore rooms (Hill Houses, South, Alcove Suites) will receive unlimited Met access, 225 Dining Points, 5 weekly Café Credits, & 3 Guest meals.
Hill House Pricing (Per Semester)
- Hill House Shared Rooms: $7,858
- Hill House Single Rooms: $8,955
South Hall Pricing (Per Semester)
- South Hall Shared Rooms: $7,925
- South Hall Single Rooms: $9,022
15 West Alcove Suite Pricing (Per Semester)
- 15 West Shared Alcove Rooms: $8,076
- 15 West Alcove Single Rooms: $9,558
*Note that while these rooms are designed to support second year students, they are also made available to Juniors and Seniors after priority selection is offered to Sophomores.
Upperclass Area
Students living in the Upperclass Area enjoy the highest levels of independence and privacy afforded to students at RISD. Located in 15 West, Colonial Apartments, and Dwight House; these apartments feature bathrooms, common space, and kitchen facilities. Depending on amenity level and configuration, Upperclass Area apartments at RISD are identified as either Cooperative or Independent. Independent Apartments are highly desirable with features such as one bathroom per student or a complete apartment for one student, etc.
All apartment & loft rooms* come with 30 Met swipes, 700 Dining Points, 100 Café Credits, & 3 Guest Meals per semester
Upperclass Cooperative Apartment Pricing (Per Semester)
Single Rooms
- Colonial 2 and 3 Bedroom Apartments – $8,556
- 15 West 2, 3, and 4 Bedroom Apartments – $8,624
Shared Rooms
- 15 West Shared Lofts (Doubles & Triples) – $7142
Upperclass Independent Apartment Pricing (Per Semester)
Single Rooms
- Colonial Studio – $9,628
- Dwight Studio – $9,628
- 15 West Studio Loft – $9,695
- 15 West Mini Loft – $9,558
- *Because it does not have kitchen amenities, the Mini Loft comes with the same “Essential” meal allotment as the Sophomore area (unlimited Met access, 225 Dining Points, 5 weekly Café Credits, & 3 Guest meals.)
*Note that while this area is designed primarily for upperclass students, rooms are also made available to Sophomores who choose to live in a group with upperclass students, or to sophomores after priority selection is offered to upperclass students.
Additional Information
FULL FLEX MEAL ALLOTMENT (Freshmen not included)
Students who reside on campus and want a little more flexibility are welcome to request a change to the following meal allotment:
- 100 Met Swipes per semester
- 500 Dining points per semester
- 150 Café Credits per semester
- 3 Guest Meals per semester
Students residing in Sophomore housing OR Mini Lofts will have no additional charge to make this change. Students in Apartments and Lofts (excluding the mini loft) will have a $1090 increase/semester.
Students may request this change by completing the REQUEST FORM through Summer 2023 and up until the end of week 2 of Fall 2023.
Dining Terminology
- Met Swipes: Are used as entry to the Met ONLY
- Café Credits: Can be applied at a majority of the Cafés (not including Carr House) on campus and are equivalent to $8 at dinner, $10 at lunch and $12 at dinner.
- Dining broke out different equivalencies for each meal period this year to stretch the value of a Café credit at lunch and dinner, giving students more flexibility when budgeting their allotments for their schedules.
- Guest Meals: Credits that can be utilized for one of your guests
- Dining Points: 1 point = $1.00. This is for items such as coffee, grab and go items, grocery items, and any overage incurred from a café credit purchase.
- For 23/24, Dining has changed meal allotments to be more focused on points than Café credits in response to student feedback from 22/23. Doing so allows for more flexibility in how and what students decide to purchase throughout the semester.
Dining note:
- Points, Met Swipes, Café Credits, and/or Guest Meals included with rooms expire at the end of each semester. Fall semester points and Meal credits expire on January 19, 2024. Students who run out of Meal credits may purchase additional meals by contacting Dining directly.
- Additional meal blocks or points (bonus points) may be purchased through Dining. These tenders carry through until the end of the academic year.
- No part of the dining allotment is carried over from semester to semester, or academic year to academic year.
- If a student changes rooms mid-semester, their charges are prorated by days in each room type. If moving between a First Year or Sophomore room and an Upperclass apartment, their meal and points total may be adjusted based on previous use and portion of semester remaining.
Additional Dining Questions and Dining FAQ
Please visit our Dining + Catering website for additional information.
Card Services
risdbucks: risdbucks is a declining balance account not associated with dining allotment. They are accepted in vending machines, laundry, printing and at all dining units; please visit https://info.risd.edu/card-services-risdbucks/ for more information. risdbucks roll over from semester to semester.