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Portsmouth Rhode Island Town HallPhoto: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Portsmouth

Roger Williams University is 3.9 miles from Portsmouth

No college sits inside Portsmouth’s boundary, but Roger Williams University’s campus in Bristol, with 4,074 students on campus, is 3.9 miles from the center of town, and Community College of Rhode Island is 9.5 miles away in Warwick. About 6% of Portsmouth’s residents are enrolled in college, below Rhode Island (8%).

Roger Williams University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Portsmouth. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
11
56,317 students on campus
Nearest college
3.9 mi
Roger Williams University
Residents in college
6%
Below RI (8%)
Nearest community college
9.5 mi
Community College of Rhode Island · $5,550 tuition
Nearest public university
14.3 mi
University of Rhode Island · $16,942 in-state
Median household income
$117K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Portsmouth

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A university 3.9 miles awayRoger Williams University has 4,074 students on campus in Bristol, 69% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 9.5 miles awayCommunity College of Rhode Island in Warwick: tuition and fees $5,550 a year for Rhode Island residents.In-state price at University of Rhode IslandLiving in Rhode Island, the University of Rhode Island charges $16,942 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $37,146. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 6% of residentsBelow Rhode Island (8%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Portsmouth

Eight private colleges within 14 miles, one public college within 14.3 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Rhode IslandBrown UniversityCommunity College of Rhode IslandPortsmouth
University or collegeCommunity college
Roger Williams UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,074 on campus · 3.9 mi · Bristol88%admitted$38knet price69%graduate$70kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Roger Williams University School of LawUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 516 on campus · 3.9 mi · Bristol$70kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Graduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.New England Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,751 on campus · 9 mi · East Greenwich67%admitted$36knet price60%graduate$49kearningsCommunity College of Rhode IslandCommunity college · Public · 9,996 on campus · 9.5 mi · Warwick$7knet price26%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $5,550 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Salve Regina UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,220 on campus · 11.2 mi · Newport68%admitted$37knet price77%graduate$73kearningsBristol Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,080 on campus · 12.6 mi · Fall River, MA$6knet price22%graduate$39kearningsTuition and fees: $5,832 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.College UnboundUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 225 on campus · 12.7 mi · Providence$21knet priceJohnson & Wales University-ProvidenceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,285 on campus · 13.6 mi · Providence88%admitted$31knet price55%graduate$43kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.Brown UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 11,009 on campus · 13.9 mi · Providence5%admitted$25knet price96%graduate$93kearningsRhode Island School of DesignUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,540 on campus · 14 mi · Providence19%admitted$51knet price89%graduate$68kearningsUniversity of Rhode IslandUniversity or college · Public · 16,621 on campus · 14.3 mi · Kingston72%admitted$21knet price73%graduate$70kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where Portsmouth’s median household income ($117,467) falls.

Community College of Rhode Island9.5 mi · Warwick · sticker $12,725 · tuition $5,550$8,152a year
Bristol Community College12.6 mi · Fall River, MA · sticker $12,168 · tuition $5,832$11,257a year
College Unbound12.7 mi · Providence · sticker $27,138$21,894a year
University of Rhode Island14.3 mi · Kingston · sticker $34,321$28,460a year
Johnson & Wales University-Providence13.6 mi · Providence · sticker $60,314$35,464a year
Salve Regina University11.2 mi · Newport · sticker $70,630$39,244a year
Roger Williams University3.9 mi · Bristol · sticker $61,950$40,792a year
New England Institute of Technology9 mi · East Greenwich · sticker $48,543$42,414a year
Brown University13.9 mi · Providence · sticker $87,648$44,937a year
Rhode Island School of Design14 mi · Providence · sticker $81,727$64,493a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Portsmouth: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Roger Williams UniversityCommunity College of Rhode IslandBristolJohnson & Wales University-ProvidenceBrown UniversityUniversity of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island73% graduate$70k earnings$22k typical debt
Brown University96% graduate$93k earnings$11k typical debt
Community College of Rhode Island26% graduate$43k earnings$11k typical debt
Johnson & Wales University-Providence55% graduate$43k earnings*$26k typical debt
Roger Williams University69% graduate$70k earnings*$27k typical debt
Bristol Community College22% graduate$39k earnings$8k typical debt
Rhode Island School of Design89% graduate$68k earnings$27k typical debt
Salve Regina University77% graduate$73k earnings$27k typical debt
New England Institute of Technology60% graduate$49k earnings$17k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Roger Williams University (2); Johnson & Wales University-Providence (3).

Questions about college near Portsmouth

Is Portsmouth a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Portsmouth residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Rhode Island (8). The nearest campus, Roger Williams University, is 3.9 miles away in Bristol.

What colleges are near Portsmouth?

11 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: the University of Rhode Island (14.3 miles, 16,621 students on campus), Brown University (13.9 miles, 11,009) and Community College of Rhode Island (9.5 miles, 9,996).

What is the closest community college to Portsmouth, and what does it cost?

Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, 9.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,550 a year for Rhode Island residents; the federal net price, $6,513, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Rhode Island cost if we live in Rhode Island?

Tuition and fees are $16,942 a year in-state and $37,146 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $14,368 (under $30,000 income) to $28,460 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Portsmouth. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →