Private nonprofit · University
Roger Williams University
Bristol, Rhode Island · Large suburb
- 87.7%
- Admit rate
- $37,999
- Avg net price
- 69%
- Graduation rate
- $70,266
- Median earnings
Roger Williams University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Bristol, Rhode Island (large suburb setting), enrolling 3,946 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Roger Williams University's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 87.7%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1140–1310
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.47
Enter a test score to see where you land against Roger Williams University's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Roger Williams University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States, as well as the county seat. Before the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, the Pokanokets occupied much of Southern New England, including Plymouth. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 14 miles to Providence, RI
- To the ocean
- < 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to Newport State (NPT)
How Roger Williams University compares
More selective than 29% · #7 most selective of 10 in Rhode Island
Higher than 65%
Higher than 76% · #7 of 10 in Rhode Island
Higher than 65%
Higher than 83% · #5 of 11 in Rhode Island
Cheaper than 6% · #8 cheapest of 11 in Rhode Island
Lower than 17%
Lower than 76%
Larger than 74%
Percentiles compare Roger Williams University 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
- Undergraduate3,94693%
- Graduate3127%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,31659%
- Men1,63041%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White70%
- Black4.0%
- Hispanic12%
- Asian2.0%
- Other or multiracial13%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,946
- Graduate enrollment
- 312
- Student–faculty ratio
- 10 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 16%
- First-generation students
- 20%
- Students over 25
- 8%
- Median family income
- $103,564
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $119,637
- Endowment
- $77,367,776
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 1,022 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Rhode Island16%
- Other U.S. states83%
- International0.9%
A national draw — only 16% of first-years come from Rhode Island; 82% arrive from other states.
1% 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
- 87.7%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1140–1310
- SAT average
- 1223
- SAT reading
- 580–660
- SAT math
- 560–650
- ACT composite
- 24–29
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.47
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $44,418
- Room & board
- $17,112
- Books & supplies
- $900
- Total cost of attendance
- $61,950
- Average net price
- $37,999
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)
- 69%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 64%
- First-year retention
- 81%
- Transferred to another college
- 24%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $53,845
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $70,266
- Median debt at graduation
- $26,940
- Students with federal loans
- 56%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 77%
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
- 2,962
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 75%
- Housing charge (year)
- $9,320
- Meal plan (year)
- $7,370
- Application fee
- $55
- Athletics
- NCAA Division III without football
- Varsity athletes
- 562 (316 men · 246 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 (15)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.5 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 16
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 16
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (4,350 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.
$33,623/year × about 4.1 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.
Roger Williams University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $21,350. 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 1,057 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)
- $70,266
- Typical debt at graduation
- $26,940
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 38%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 78%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 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 $6,883 (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
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 24°F
- Annual rain
- 49.4″
- Annual snow
- 38.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Tiverton, RI US station (3.1 mi from campus).
What Roger Williams University 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 Roger Williams University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Roger Williams University side by side →
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, New Jersey · Large suburb · 30 mi to New York
- Students
- 3,684
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $31k
- SAT
- 1223
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $68k
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio · Large city · 4 mi to Cincinnati
- Students
- 4,207
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $33k
- SAT
- 1217
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $65k
University of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania · Small city · < 1 mi to Scranton
- Students
- 3,554
- Admission
- 81%
- Net price
- $33k
- SAT
- 1237
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $75k
Iona University
New Rochelle, New York · Large suburb · 19 mi to New York
- Students
- 2,951
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1217
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $74k
Suffolk University
Boston, Massachusetts · Large city · < 1 mi to Boston
- Students
- 4,268
- Admission
- 82%
- Net price
- $30k
- SAT
- 1216
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $68k
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Large city · < 1 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 5,350
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $38k
- SAT
- 1276
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $75k
Colleges near Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University School of Law
Bristol, RI · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Rob Roy Academy-Fall River
Fall River, MA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 97 students
Diman Regional Technical Institute
Fall River, MA · Public · Certificate · 17 students
Bristol Community College
Fall River, MA · Public · Associate · 6,083 students
Motoring Technical Training Institute
Seekonk, MA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 312 students
IYRS School of Technology & Trades
Newport, RI · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 68 students
Community College of Rhode Island
Warwick, RI · Public · Associate · 11,171 students
Salve Regina University
Newport, RI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,121 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.













