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Angell-Ballou HouseAngell-Ballou House · Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Smithfield

Smithfield is a college town: 17 of every 100 residents are students

Bryant University (3,504 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Rhode Island, 8 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town17% of residents are studentsBryant 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 Smithfield. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
9
42,829 students on campus
Nearest college
1.4 mi
Bryant University
Residents in college
17%
Above RI (8%)
Nearest community college
13.2 mi
Community College of Rhode Island · $5,550 tuition
Nearest public university
5.2 mi
Rhode Island College · $11,300 in-state
Students on campus in Smithfield
3,504
next to 22,625 residents

What stands out about college in Smithfield

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

A college town17 of every 100 Smithfield residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Rhode Island.A university in SmithfieldBryant University has 3,504 students on campus in Smithfield, 80% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Rhode Island CollegeLiving in Rhode Island, Rhode Island College charges $11,300 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $27,299. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 13.2 miles awayCommunity College of Rhode Island in Warwick: tuition and fees $5,550 a year for Rhode Island residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Smithfield

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

17 of every 100 Smithfield residents are in college (RI: 8).

3,504students on campus at Bryant University, next to 22,625 residents (dorm students count as residents)
785college students live in Smithfield households rather than dorms
41.8median age · RI 40.6
18%of homes rented · RI 36%
$1,016median rent · 24% below the state
Cost of living$1,016/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBIA−HealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Smithfield’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 6.0% of Smithfield residents are below the poverty line, 6.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 2% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 17%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Smithfield’s median age is 41.8 (Rhode Island 40.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Smithfield

Seven private colleges within 14.4 miles, one public college within 5.2 miles, and Community College of Rhode Island 13.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miBrown UniversityCommunity College of Rhode IslandRhode Island CollegeSmithfield
University or collegeCommunity college
Bryant UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,504 on campus · In Smithfield65%admitted$41knet price80%graduate$90kearningsRhode Island CollegeUniversity or college · Public · 5,586 on campus · 5.2 mi · Providence92%admitted$9knet price48%graduate$56kearningsProvidence CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,576 on campus · 6.2 mi · Providence51%admitted$49knet price86%graduate$87kearningsRhode Island School of DesignUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,540 on campus · 8 mi · Providence19%admitted$51knet price89%graduate$68kearningsJohnson & Wales University-ProvidenceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,285 on campus · 8.2 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 · 8.3 mi · Providence5%admitted$25knet price96%graduate$93kearningsCollege UnboundUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 225 on campus · 8.8 mi · Providence$21knet priceCommunity College of Rhode IslandCommunity college · Public · 9,996 on campus · 13.2 mi · Warwick$7knet price26%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $5,550 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Dean CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,108 on campus · 14.4 mi · Franklin, MA74%admitted$31knet price54%graduate$38kearnings

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 $75–110k, where Smithfield’s median household income ($102,077) falls.

Community College of Rhode Island13.2 mi · Warwick · sticker $12,725 · tuition $5,550$6,965a year
Rhode Island College5.2 mi · Providence · sticker $17,454$12,809a year
Brown University8.3 mi · Providence · sticker $87,648$16,219a year
Dean College14.4 mi · Franklin, MA · sticker $64,889$31,161a year
Johnson & Wales University-Providence8.2 mi · Providence · sticker $60,314$31,803a year
Providence College6.2 mi · Providence · sticker $80,466$33,169a year
Rhode Island School of Design8 mi · Providence · sticker $81,727$33,893a year
Bryant UniversityIn Smithfield · sticker $69,964$39,680a year
College Unbound8.8 mi · Providence · sticker $27,138—a 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 Smithfield: 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 →Bryant UniversityRhode Island CollegeProvidence CollegeJohnson & Wales University-ProvidenceBrown UniversityCommunity College of Rhode Island
Brown University96% graduate$93k earnings$11k typical debt
Community College of Rhode Island26% graduate$43k earnings$11k typical debt
Rhode Island College48% graduate$56k earnings$20k typical debt
Providence College86% graduate$87k earnings$27k typical debt
Johnson & Wales University-Providence55% graduate$43k earnings*$26k typical debt
Bryant University80% graduate$90k earnings$27k typical debt
Rhode Island School of Design89% graduate$68k earnings$27k typical debt
Dean College54% graduate$38k earnings$25k 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: Johnson & Wales University-Providence (3).

Majors

What students study in Smithfield

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Bryant University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 82%Social sciences 3%Psychology 3%Biology 3%Math & statistics 2%Health professions 2%Everything else 4%

Biggest programs

Finance and Financial Management Services173 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
Marketing165 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations109 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services80 graduates a year
$98k4 yrs out
International Business46 graduates a year
$89k4 yrs out
Applied Mathematics39 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies25 graduates a year
$69k4 yrs out
Human Resources Management and Services21 graduates a year
$76k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Smithfield

Is Smithfield a college town?

Yes. 17 of every 100 Smithfield residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 8 across Rhode Island. Bryant University has 3,504 students on campus, next to 22,625 residents.

What colleges are in Smithfield?

Bryant University is inside the town. Community College of Rhode Island is 13.2 miles away in Warwick.

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

Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, 13.2 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 hard is it to get into Bryant University?

Bryant University admitted 65% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,190–1,330 on the SAT.

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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 Smithfield. 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 →