2022 best colleges in Rhode Island
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Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
Bryant University
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 76%
Grad rate: 81%
Net cost: $39,234
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $91,105
Vs. state average: + $42,080
Economic score: 1.31
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 8%
Grad rate: 96%
Net cost: $29,392
Payback: 2.3 Years
Earnings: $78,943
Vs. state average: + $29,918
Economic score: 1.43
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 76%
Grad rate: 70%
Net cost: $20,607
Payback: 2.2 Years
Earnings: $66,484
Vs. state average: + $17,459
Economic score: 1.63
Rhode Island College
Providence, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 82%
Grad rate: 55%
Net cost: $10,922
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $49,249
Vs. state average: + $224
Economic score: 2.37
Roger Williams University
Bristol, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 87%
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $36,456
Payback: 3.9 Years
Earnings: $64,743
Vs. state average: + $15,718
Economic score: 2.94
Salve Regina University
Newport, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 75%
Grad rate: 70%
Net cost: $34,644
Payback: 4.2 Years
Earnings: $68,304
Vs. state average: + $19,279
Economic score: 2.99
Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 54%
Grad rate: 85%
Net cost: $38,296
Payback: 4.5 Years
Earnings: $69,532
Vs. state average: + $20,507
Economic score: 3.16
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 28%
Grad rate: 90%
Net cost: $43,982
Payback: 5.9 Years
Earnings: $58,131
Vs. state average: + $9,106
Economic score: 4.96
Johnson & Wales University-Online
Providence, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 37%
Grad rate: 54%
Net cost: $18,499
Payback: 5.9 Years
Earnings: $41,977
Vs. state average: - $7,048
Economic score: 6.85
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Admission rate: 87%
Grad rate: 66%
Net cost: $26,775
Payback: 7.0 Years
Earnings: $41,977
Vs. state average: - $7,048
Economic score: 8.14
Roger Williams University School of Law
Bristol, Rhode Island
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: N/A
Net cost: N/A
Payback: N/A
Earnings: $64,743
Vs. state average: + $15,718
Economic score: N/A