Public · College

Rhode Island College

Providence, Rhode Island · Large suburb

#1 best value in Rhode Island
91.8%
Admit rate
$9,478
Avg net price
48%
Graduation rate
$56,318
Median earnings

Rhode Island College is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Providence, Rhode Island (large suburb setting), enrolling 5,049 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

PublicMidsize · 5,049 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 92% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Rhode Island College's admitted students.

Admit rate
91.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
870–1120
Avg GPA (est.)
2.86

Enter a test score to see where you land against Rhode Island College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Rhode Island 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
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
4 miles
Nearest airport
8 miles to Rhode Island T. F. Green (PVD) · major hub

How Rhode Island College compares

Selectivity91.8%

More selective than 20% · #10 most selective of 10 in Rhode Island

SAT average990

Higher than 7%

Graduation rate48%

Higher than 36% · #9 of 10 in Rhode Island

First-year retention73%

Higher than 40%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$56,318

Higher than 58% · #9 of 11 in Rhode Island

Average net price$9,478

Cheaper than 92% · #1 cheapest of 11 in Rhode Island

Median debt at graduation$20,500

Lower than 72%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment5,049

Larger than 78%

Percentiles compare Rhode Island 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

6,050students
  • Undergraduate5,04983%
  • Graduate1,00117%

Undergraduates by gender

5,049undergrads
  • Women3,46169%
  • Men1,58831%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White48%
  • Black12%
  • Hispanic28%
  • Asian3.4%
  • Other or multiracial8.6%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,049
Graduate enrollment
1,001
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
42%
First-generation students
45%
Students over 25
22%
Median family income
$35,669
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$103,707
Endowment
$47,463,260

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 813 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Rhode Island82%
  • Other U.S. states18%

Most first-years stay in state — Rhode Island College draws overwhelmingly from Rhode Island.

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
91.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
870–1120
SAT average
990
SAT reading
450–580
SAT math
420–540
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
2.86

Cost

In-state tuition
$11,300
Out-of-state tuition
$27,299
Room & board
$13,414
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$17,454
Average net price
$9,478

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)
48%
Graduated on time (4 years)
27%
First-year retention
73%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,882
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$56,318
Median debt at graduation
$20,500
Students with federal loans
47%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
55%

About 21% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
27%
Low-income (Pell)
41%
First-generation
42%

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
840
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
17%
Housing charge (year)
$7,409
Meal plan (year)
$6,310
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
400 (209 men · 191 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 (14)

Soccer53
Track and Field (Indoor)46
Track and Field (Outdoor)42
Baseball40
Basketball31
Wrestling30
Gymnastics29
Tennis26
Cross Country25
Softball21
Lacrosse17
Volleyball17
Swimming14
Golf9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
14
Property offenses (2022–2024)
8

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (6,155 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.

7.3reported offenses a year
4.7 violent a year2.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
2.7
Motor vehicle theft
2.0
Rape
1.7
Burglary
0.7
Fondling
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
$6,378
$30–48k
$6,989
$48–75k
$8,701
$75–110k
$12,809
$110k+
$15,681

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
$40,496

$8,701/year × about 4.7 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.

91%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,768
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 91% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,768. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

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 655 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)
$56,318
Typical debt at graduation
$20,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
36%
Out-earn a HS grad
63%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 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
$53,177
Men
$61,177

Men out-earn women by $8,000 (15%) 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 (8.5 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 Rhode Island College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Rhode Island College side by side →

Colleges near Rhode Island 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.