Rhode Island College is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Providence, Rhode Island. It enrolls 5,049 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
71/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes34
Value94
Affordability83
Selectivity12
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Rhode Island College admits 91.8% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
91.8%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
870 – 1120
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Rhode Island College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
2.7 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $9,478 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$11,300
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$27,299
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,414
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,688
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,440
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,200
Total Cost of Attendance
$17,454
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$6,378
$30,001 – $48,000
$6,989
$48,001 – $75,000
$8,701
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,809
Over $110,000
$15,681
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$20,500Medianpercentile
$25,00075%percentile
$34,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $13,760
↓ $6,740
No Pell $14,000
↓ $6,500
Dependent students $13,000
↓ $7,500
Independent students $17,833
↓ $2,667
Female students $14,750
↓ $5,750
Male students $12,000
↓ $8,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,879, less than completers ($20,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
56% of students who start here finish within six years, and 73% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
56%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $56,318 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$56,318
Earning > $25K
80%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$41,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$48,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$41,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$43,100
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$46,400
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $7,200, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
12.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 84% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,049 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 45% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
5,049
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
45%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 47.9%2,420
Hispanic 28.4%1,433
Black 11.7%591
Other 3.6%181
Asian 3.4%172
International 0.1%5
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Rhode Island College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Rhode Island College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
79 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$14,457
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$42M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$103,747
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
277 instructional faculty across 3 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
109
39%
$123,194
Associate Professors
100
36%
$99,532
Assistant Professors
68
25%
$78,771
Pros & Cons of Rhode Island College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Rhode Island College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Rhode Island College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rhode Island College
The questions families ask most about Rhode Island College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Rhode Island College hard to get into?
Not especially. Rhode Island College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 91.8%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Rhode Island College?
91.8% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Rhode Island College?
Aim for 1120 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 870 and 1120 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Rhode Island College cost?
Budget around $9,478 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Rhode Island College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $56,318 a year against a net price of $9,478, about 5.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Rhode Island College known for?
Mostly Nursing, Social Work, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Rhode Island College graduates earn?
About $56,318 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Rhode Island College accredited?
Yes. Rhode Island College is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Rhode Island College?
5,049 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Rhode Island College?
56% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Rhode Island College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Rhode Island College located?
Rhode Island College is located in Providence, Rhode Island.
What programs does Rhode Island College offer?
79 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Social Work, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Rhode Island College?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Rhode Island
Other colleges in Rhode Island share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Criminal Justice
Architectural Sciences and Technology
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