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University or college · Public

Rhode Island College

Providence, RI181 online only

Rhode Island College is a public college in Providence, RI, with about 5,586 students on campus.

Students on campus
5,586
plus 181 studying only online
Admission rate
92%
higher than at 80% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$9,478
lower than at 92% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
48%
lower than at 64% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$56,318
higher than at 80% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Rhode Island College

A low price for what graduates go on to earn

After aid, Rhode Island College costs $9,478 a year, less than 92% of 4-year colleges. Ten years after starting, former students earn a median $56,318, more than at 80% of colleges. Outcomes ↓

Family background barely changes what graduates earn

Ten years after starting, students from lower-income families earn a median $58,619, more than the $54,500 earned by students from families making over $75,000. Outcomes ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Rhode Island College’s biggest bachelor’s programs, allied health diagnostic graduates earn a median $84,238 four years out. Teacher education and professional development graduates earn $49,069. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
48%
within 6 years · Pell students 45%
Come back for year two
73%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$56,318
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$20,500
about $217 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

5.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$217 a month against about $3,907 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

60%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 75% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$59k
Middle income$30–75k
$50k
Higher incomeover $75k
$55k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Rhode Island College?

92%

of applicants admitted

About 18 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
450–580
SAT math
420–540

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 990.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $17,454 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $27,299

Tuition & fees (in state) $11,300Room & board $13,414Books & supplies $1,200

After grants, the average family on aid pays $9,478.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$8,701

About $34,804 over 4 years · 50% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Health professions 24%Business 18%Education 11%Psychology 11%Public administration & social work 9%Visual & performing arts 7%Everything else 20%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing121 graduates a year · typical debt $24,750
$83k4 yrs out
Psychology, General113 graduates a year · typical debt $19,500
$53k4 yrs out
Social Work90 graduates a year · typical debt $21,633
$53k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations66 graduates a year · typical debt $19,033
$58k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas59 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$53k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections53 graduates a year · typical debt $18,750
$58k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions49 graduates a year · typical debt $25,152
$84k4 yrs out
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General44 graduates a year · typical debt $24,641
$51k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

5,049 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 48%Hispanic 28%Black 12%Asian 3%Two or more 3%

Women and men

Women 68%Men 32%
15 : 1
students per teacher
42%
get Pell grants (lower income)
47%
take federal loans
22%
undergrads 25 or older
14%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Providence

14% of Providence’s 195,310 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Providence pages.

Providence →
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Rhode Island College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.