Private nonprofit · College

Providence College

Providence, Rhode Island · Midsize city

#3 most selective in Rhode Island#3 for grad earnings in Rhode Island#3 graduation rate in Rhode Island
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.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 4,229 undergradsMidsize citySelective · 51% admitNCAA Division I without footballCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

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
To the ocean
3 miles
Nearest airport
8 miles to Rhode Island T. F. Green (PVD) · major hub

How Providence College compares

Selectivity50.9%

More selective than 84% · #3 most selective of 10 in Rhode Island

SAT average1346

Higher than 84%

Graduation rate86%

Higher than 93% · #3 of 10 in Rhode Island

First-year retention94%

Higher than 92%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$87,054

Higher than 94% · #3 of 11 in Rhode Island

Average net price$48,523

Cheaper than 1% · #10 cheapest of 11 in Rhode Island

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment4,229

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

4,659students
  • Undergraduate4,22991%
  • Graduate4309%

Undergraduates by gender

4,229undergrads
  • 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)

All students
83%
Low-income (Pell)
75%
First-generation
75%

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)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)179
Soccer71
Swimming61
Lacrosse54
Ice Hockey53
Basketball31
Field Hockey25
Softball23
Volleyball17
Tennis11

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.

8.7reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year2.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
3.7
Fondling
2.7
Burglary
1.3
Arson
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

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.

< $30k
$28,152
$30–48k
$21,835
$48–75k
$25,296
$75–110k
$33,169
$110k+
$56,699

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.

Est. total to a degree
$102,289

$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.

82%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$29,024
average award, among those who get one

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.

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
$86,555
Men
$88,701

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

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 (8.4 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near Providence College

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.