Colleges

Private nonprofit · University

Johnson & Wales University-Online

Providence, Rhode Island · Midsize city

#2 best value in Rhode Island
91.0%
Admit rate
$20,252
Avg net price
0%
Graduation rate
$43,418
Median earnings

Johnson & Wales University-Online is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Providence, Rhode Island (midsize city setting), enrolling 2,202 undergraduates. Programs are offered entirely online.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,202 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 91% admitCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

About Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Providence was settled in June 1636 by Puritan theologian Roger Williams and grew into one of the original Thirteen Colonies. Much of Providence culture is synonymous with the culture of Rhode Island as a whole. Like the state, the city has a non-rhotic accent that can be heard on local media. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
Providence, RI
To the ocean
1 mile

How Johnson & Wales University-Online compares

#97 · Colleges Closest to the Beach
Selectivity91.0%

More selective than 21% · #9 most selective of 10 in Rhode Island

Graduation rate0%

Higher than 1% · #10 of 10 in Rhode Island

First-year retention52%

Higher than 7%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$43,418

Higher than 21% · #10 of 11 in Rhode Island

Average net price$20,252

Cheaper than 49% · #2 cheapest of 11 in Rhode Island

Median debt at graduation$26,000

Lower than 24%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment2,202

Larger than 60%

Percentiles compare Johnson & Wales University-Online with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Rhode Island.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,832students
  • Undergraduate2,20278%
  • Graduate63022%

Undergraduates by gender

2,202undergrads
  • Women1,39964%
  • Men80336%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White45%
  • Black24%
  • Hispanic20%
  • Asian3.1%
  • Other or multiracial7.7%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,202
Graduate enrollment
630
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
36%
First-generation students
35%
Students over 25
70%
Median family income
$41,456
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$94,329
Endowment
$48,695,092

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 155 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Rhode Island8.4%
  • Other U.S. states92%

A national draw — only 8% of first-years come from Rhode Island; 92% arrive from other states.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
91.0%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
—
SAT average
—
SAT reading
—
SAT math
—
ACT composite
—

Cost

In-state tuition
$13,365
Room & board
—
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$26,864
Average net price
$20,252

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
0%
Graduated on time (4 years)
0%
First-year retention
52%
Transferred to another college
50%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$35,802
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$43,418
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Students with federal loans
51%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
61%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
0%
Low-income (Pell)
46%
First-generation
49%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
No
Application fee
Free

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$19,916
$30–48k
$20,580
$48–75k
$19,319
$75–110k
—
$110k+
$25,364

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Johnson & Wales University-Online funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.

Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$43,418
Typical debt at graduation
$26,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
60%
Out-earn a HS grad
59%

Typical debt would take roughly 6.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$41,577
Men
$45,907

Men out-earn women by $4,330 (10%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
47.5″
Annual snow
36.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Providence T F Green AP, RI US station (6.9 mi from campus).

What Johnson & Wales University-Online graduates study — and earn

Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
79 grads$33k 1 yr$42k 5 yr$27k debt
Business Administration, Management and Operations
50 grads$40k 1 yr$53k 5 yr$27k debt
Hospitality Administration/Management
44 grads$33k 1 yr$46k 5 yr$26k debt
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCert.
42 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
21 grads$31k 1 yr$45k 5 yr$26k debt
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management
20 grads$31k 1 yr$50k 5 yr$27k debt
Psychology, General
19 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt
Public Health
12 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt
Accounting and Related Services
12 grads$45k 1 yr$76k 5 yr$27k debt
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
10 grads$27k 1 yr$48k 5 yr$27k debt
Human Resources Management and Services
7 grads$47k 1 yr— 5 yr$32k debt
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.
6 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

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Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Johnson & Wales University-Online side by side →

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Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.