Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Brown University ranked first and University of Rhode Island ranked second for the best colleges in Rhode Island. Rhode Island may be tiny, but Providence is a bustling hub for students from surrounding universities, thanks in part to its nightlife. Rhode Island is famous for its local food specialties, including clam chowder, clam cakes, and its own style of pizza known as "grilled pizza." Once you're finished stuffing yourself, check out the beautiful coastline and the mansions of Newport.
www.degreechoices.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Propel your career from anywhere.
Take our quiz to find the online degree that’s best for you. Compare hundreds of schools and apply to your dream college today.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$29,544
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$78,943
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate96%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,638
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$66,484
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$40,533
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$91,105
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate81%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$38,338
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$69,532
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate86%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,144
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$49,249
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate58%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$33,806
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$68,304
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate78%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$36,054
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$64,743
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate66%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$44,979
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$58,131
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate88%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$35,654
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$45,100
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate63%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$28,582
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$41,977
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Explore more schools without data
Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in Rhode Island for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$25,885
CertificateN/A
Associate$45,100
Bachelor$52,796
Master$64,042
Cost of attending college in Rhode Island
In-state-tuition$34,445
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$37,115
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in Rhode Island
In Florida the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and Finance. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 1,215graduates
2Registered Nursing 688graduates
3Finance 647graduates
4Psychology 565graduates
5Marketing 533graduates
6Accounting 529graduates
7Biology 516graduates
8Criminal Justice 377graduates
9Computer Science 344graduates
10Communication & Media Studies 313graduates
Fastest growing careers
Rhode Island job growth
11.4%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
53.8%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
41.7%
Information Security Analysts
35%
Advertising and Promotions Managers
33.3%
Physical Therapist Assistants
30.3%
Medical and Health Services Managers
26.6%
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
25.5%
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
25%
Chemical Engineers
25%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
25%
Best bachelor’s degrees in Rhode Island
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in Rhode Island are shown below.
www.degreechoices.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Propel your career from anywhere.
Take our quiz to find the online degree that’s best for you. Compare hundreds of schools and apply to your dream college today.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
36.9%
Filters
Rhode Island
11.4%
