Ringling College of Art and Design - Sarasota, Florida

Achintya Mishra

Ringling College of Art and Design exceeded all my expectations. The faculty's dedication to nurturing creativity is unparalleled, creating an inspiring environment for artistic growth. The cutting-edge facilities and diverse range of courses make it the perfect incubator for anyone passionate about the arts.

GitHug

I think majority of the programs offered here are good. Maybe not as good as some might expected from the high seasonal cost for the education，but you will learn a thing or two here. Some professor and instructors are flexible enough to teach you outside of the box and really show you how things can be done. However，each one of them are very demanding of your professionalism and you do need to keep up. It matters for your graduation and career opportunities. If one find themselves sloppy they should think twice before applying here，cause even with a tough mindset the intensity of heavy work ethic may still break you. But if you want success the hard way is the must for you to go.

But my complain against this institution are here：

They can NOT protect you from encroachment when it comes from some students with a high profile background. And the illusion of a free country will immediately shatter when you runing into one of them.
It not like you may be assaulted by your classmates，nobody does that here. But you might see some of the most insane，and maybe horrific speech control，as well as deception，abnormal method for treating others. Not from the faculty but from students. And they are really good at doing these kinds of things unlike anywhere else that I have ever been before. It is almost like a secret sociaty going on underground，and the institution appears have no say in any of their agenda or matters. No it is not the illuminaty but some kids can use their foreign and instate connection to force others to speak their well and the college gives a green light to them to do just that.
I can not forgive this.

I do not see any other schools that has some elite students just inflame anyone as they please，and walking in to classrooms to order instructors to do things in their liking. Even verbal assault on other kids in front of the instructors‘ supervision inside the classroom that they have no business in to begain with. Then give instructor a smile and walk free. It was disgusting and unreal.
I’m not coming back nor set foot on the campus just because things like this. The college cost was already too high and I can't afford getting background checks from the state several times a month and people keeping making up genders for me，nor loving to be insulted three times a day，and running to kids who has same gender as me demand sexual service just because they feel themselves are the better man. I don't need a years long character assignation and black mailing just for an overpriced undergraduate degree.

And another thing is that I think it would be better to have a program for people who aren't handy with computers，to learn the basic of animation software before rolling into the task. Some computer class feels too pushy and unclear. This should much easier to fix than the power hungry degenerate people who applied there.

Ricardo Gutierrez-Diaz

I am a product designer who went back to school to study motion design at Ringling College. I was particularly drawn to Ringling because it's ranked as the #1 School of Motion Design in the World by "The Rookies," and I was also offered a substantial scholarship. However, after my first year in the program, I decided not to continue for several reasons.

While most of the instructors are excellent, like any school, there are a few who seem to be just going through the motions. Some of the standout teachers for me were Jared, Hunter Huang, Rob Tarbell, and Josh Funk, among others.

The level of instruction at Ringling is actually quite high, but having previously taken similar classes at community college, School Of Motion, Domestika, and Skillshare, I couldn't justify the $100K price tag ($250K without the scholarship). For that kind of investment, I'd expect a guarantee of a job making at least $80K/year. Or at least the guarantee of a job, period.There are coding boot camps that can offer that assurance, at a fraction of the cost and time commitment. Unfortunately, Ringling couldn't provide anything comparable, even with the hefty price tag. In fact, Ringling's job placement record isn't better than that of other more affordable four-year colleges. Considering my family's future, I know the challenges of affording a home, raising kids, and having enough for leisure activities. With the expected income from a motion design job, buying a nice house seems out of reach. While I might be able to afford a subpar dwelling eventually, I wouldn't want my children to grow up in such a place. I've heard of graduates landing 40K internships in cities like New York or LA. In comparison, I could work as a grocery delivery person at Target and live in Florida just as comfortably, if not more so, without the burden of student loans.

I empathize with those who are attending without a scholarship. I've seen how AI advancements are affecting entry-level motion design positions. Platforms like Fiverr, Toptal, and Upwork are becoming oversaturated with designers. It's crucial to thoroughly research job availability, salaries, cost of living in your desired location, and how much of your earnings will be left after taxes and paying off your school debt. You can easily calculate this with ChatGPT. For example, paying $1,000 per month toward a $144,000 loan at a 5% interest rate would take approximately 18 years and 5 months to repay.

Another reason for my departure from Ringling is the outdated facilities. For the exorbitant cost, I expected better. While there are some new buildings, most of the school is antiquated. The unreliable AC units and frequently malfunctioning elevators are just the beginning. The projectors in classrooms don't accurately display colors due to age. Simple solutions like using affordable TVs would be a significant improvement. The quality of the printers is subpar; I have a better printer at home. The school's bathrooms are often out of order, and soap is frequently unavailable. It's truly disheartening to see such a prestigious institution be so poorly maintained despite its high cost. The computers provided are inadequate; I had to use my own 4 year old Mac for my work. Even after paying $36K for one year, I had to return the equipment they provided.
For those skeptical of my experiences, I urge you to witness it firsthand in your first year. Remember, "don't say I didn't warn you." Personally, it was a $36K lesson learned the hard way. While I am passionate about motion design, hearing from industry professionals about taking on unfulfilling projects makes me reconsider. I hope my experience can serve as a cautionary tale for those considering taking on a substantial loan for any career path without adequate pay prospects.

Having money in your pocket today is far better than being burdened with a massive debt and the uncertainty of landing a fulfilling job. I personally enjoy having financial stability and being debt-free.

Good luck!

Summer Dean

Very expensive. Not educational compared to what’s been paid.
CA major is the only major people look up to come here but it sucks. (I was in CA) The amount of work, stress everything is so bad here.
A lot of panic attacks during semester, and I had to take a gap year eventually. I do not recommend this school at all. I regret everything here.
Also so many weird people. People poop on sofas of dorms and a lot of childish people acting like they weren’t parented at all.

Jessie Cross

It’s a great college with kind faculty, amazing classes and a great community. Ive learned so much about art and design here.

Ron B

The campus is growing and expanding. Several buildings that being built are finished. It is really a nice place to go to school for all of those artist and gamers.

AP 1977

Beautiful campus. Self tour of school. Ample security. Great programs.

Mel Delgado

This school screwed me up. It's also EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. Go to your local public college's art program instead.

I got hospitalized and developed a panic disorder because of this place. I wasn't able to draw, at all, for a year afterward because of the anxiety. The experience varies WILDLY by major, but... Do NOT go here unless you're very wealthy, mentally stable, and willing to forsake your entire social life... and I mean it.

I stayed up for days and days and DAYS in a row. I had to quit my part-time job. I swear I could feel myself losing years from my life because of how much stress I was constantly under. Daily panic attacks. And I don't mean anxiety attacks, I mean full on-the-floor-hyperventilating meltdowns. There was little understanding from my professors as far as mental health issues went. I honestly felt as if I was set up to fail from the start because 1.) I'm not rich and 2.) I'm not neurotypical.

Simply put - if you aren't rich, mentally stable, and type A, it isn't worth it. Put your happiness and sanity first. You don't need to go to an expensive elite private college to be successful.