Private nonprofit · College
Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island · Midsize city
- 50.9%
- Admit rate
- $48,523
- Avg net price
- 86%
- Graduation rate
- $87,054
- Median earnings
Providence College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Providence, Rhode Island (midsize city setting), enrolling 4,229 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Providence College's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 50.9%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1250–1390
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.76
Enter a test score to see where you land against Providence College's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Providence College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
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
- 2 miles to Providence, RI
- To the ocean
- 3 miles
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to Rhode Island T. F. Green (PVD) · major hub
How Providence College compares
More selective than 84% · #3 most selective of 10 in Rhode Island
Higher than 84%
Higher than 93% · #3 of 10 in Rhode Island
Higher than 92%
Higher than 94% · #3 of 11 in Rhode Island
Cheaper than 1% · #10 cheapest of 11 in Rhode Island
Lower than 11%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 75%
Percentiles compare Providence College 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
- Undergraduate4,22991%
- Graduate4309%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,44158%
- Men1,78842%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White79%
- Black2.4%
- Hispanic8.8%
- Asian1.3%
- Other or multiracial8.2%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 4,229
- Graduate enrollment
- 430
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 13%
- First-generation students
- 15%
- Students over 25
- 2%
- Median family income
- $121,852
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $109,710
- Endowment
- $352,820,557
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 1,197 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Rhode Island7.9%
- Other U.S. states90%
- International1.7%
A national draw — only 8% of first-years come from Rhode Island; 90% arrive from other states.
2% came from outside the U.S. 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
- 50.9%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1250–1390
- SAT average
- 1346
- SAT reading
- 630–700
- SAT math
- 620–690
- ACT composite
- 29–32
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.76
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $63,550
- Room & board
- $17,840
- Books & supplies
- $1,150
- Total cost of attendance
- $80,466
- Average net price
- $48,523
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)
- 86%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 83%
- First-year retention
- 94%
- Transferred to another college
- 12%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $69,326
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $87,054
- Median debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Students with federal loans
- 57%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 78%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
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
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 3,356
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 79%
- Housing charge (year)
- $9,870
- Meal plan (year)
- $7,280
- Application fee
- $65
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I without football
- Varsity athletes
- 525 (252 men · 273 women)
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%.
Varsity sports (10)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.9 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 19
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 7
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (4,666 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
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.
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.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$25,296/year × about 4.0 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Providence College discounts heavily: 82% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $29,024. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,154 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $87,054
- Typical debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 31%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 84%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $2,146 (2%) 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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Providence T F Green AP, RI US station (8.4 mi from campus).
What Providence College graduates study — and earn
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.
Colleges similar to Providence College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Providence College side by side →
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California · Large city · 11 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 7,094
- Admission
- 45%
- Net price
- $48k
- SAT
- 1359
- GPA
- 4.0
- Earnings
- $78k
Marist University
Poughkeepsie, New York · Large suburb · 59 mi to New Haven
- Students
- 5,182
- Admission
- 57%
- Net price
- $42k
- SAT
- 1295
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $78k
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California · Large suburb · 27 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 3,553
- Admission
- 63%
- Net price
- $58k
- SAT
- 1384
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $83k
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California · Large city · 2 mi to San Francisco
- Students
- 5,287
- Admission
- 62%
- Net price
- $41k
- SAT
- 1295
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $90k
American University
Washington, District of Columbia · Large city · 3 mi to Washington
- Students
- 7,266
- Admission
- 62%
- Net price
- $42k
- SAT
- 1381
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $77k
Fairfield University
Fairfield, Connecticut · Large suburb · 20 mi to New Haven
- Students
- 5,373
- Admission
- 33%
- Net price
- $48k
- SAT
- 1335
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $89k
Colleges near Providence College
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI · Public · Bachelor's · 5,049 students
Empire Beauty School-Warwick
Providence, RI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 107 students
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, RI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,084 students
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
Providence, RI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 3,868 students
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 7,226 students
College Unbound
Providence, RI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 491 students
New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island
Pawtucket, RI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 646 students
MotoRing Technical Training Institute
East Providence, RI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 124 students
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.













