Today marks the first official day of classes at Ringling College of Art and Design. Students crowd the campus that sat empty just weeks ago, awaiting their return. 

The campus slowly began to come to life on Move-in Day last Wednesday, August 14. On Thursday,  the College’s incoming first-year students were welcomed onto campus for New Student Orientation—moving into their new dorm rooms, attending workshops, and collecting their new notebook computers and other tech gear. Each student received a high-end notebook and a tablet, fully loaded with software tailored to their academic programs and based on their specific technical needs.

Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing Dr. Jason Good shared, “Ringling College has an unwavering commitment to preparing our students for their future careers by providing them with technology and facilities that are beyond industry standards—and a faculty of professionals with substantial experience in the field and who are committed to their students’ successes.”

The incoming class comes to Ringling College from as close as Sarasota and across the globe, hailing from 25 countries, including Argentina, China, Eswatini, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Vietnam, and close to 40 U.S. states. Approximately 30% of the incoming students are from the state of Florida. Five students from neighboring Booker High School join the cohorts and 34 from other Sarasota and Manatee County high schools.

The College will host 45 United World College Davis Scholars this year, with 14 new incoming Scholars. The Davis UWC Scholars Program provides financial support to UWC high school graduates to pursue higher education. The scholars represent 160 countries worldwide and have over 10,000 alumni.   

Director of International Affairs Amy Pettengill shared, “The Ringling College UWC/Davis Scholars come from more than 30 countries. They bring diversity, energy, creativity, leadership, and a global perspective that enriches every member of our community.”

Ringling also welcomed many new faculty members this year. The College prioritizes maintaining a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, ensuring students have the hands-on support they need. The faculty are not only top-notch instructors but they also come with years of direct industry experience as well. As professional practitioners, they bring valuable and dual perspectives you bring to the classroom: excellent instruction coupled with real-world experience.