UC Berkeley vs. RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)

So I’m planning to be an art major and I got into both UC Berkeley and RISD and I can’t really decide if I want to go to a university or a specialized college.

Obviously UCB is a really top and well-known school, but its art program really isn’t much to talk about. At the same time, I’m also interested in literature and psychology, and Berkeley (as a university) really has more opportunities for me to take classes outside of my major.

RISD, on the other hand, is super strong in art, and it’s considered one of the top art schools, which I think could really give me an edge when looking for a career specific to my major. But it’s more limiting in that it’s focused only on art practice, and when I attended the pre-college over summer I found that I didn’t have much freedom to experiment with my other subject interests.

I’ve also considered WashU (Washington University in St. Louis), but I’ve got some financial issues with that so I’ve set that aside for now.

Anyways, I’m just looking for any advice or input (if you go to either of those schools, that’s even better), so thank you in advance!

If you go to RISD, can you take some classes at Brown? I know the two schools have some kind of relationship.

Yes, for upperclassmen - but the classes have to apply towards RISD’s degree requirements so I still don’t have as much freedom to choose classes.

If you plan a career in art/media, then RISD might be the better choice - art/design companies will hire from there. If you just want to major in art but not sure if you’ll make a career out of it, then UCB gives you more options.