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State profile · 23 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Rhode Island

Colleges in Rhode Island from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

23
Colleges
$56,328
Avg 10-yr earnings (19 of 23)
66.3%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Rhode Island · the picture in one line

Rhode Island's 19 of 23 colleges that report earnings average $56,328 in 10-year former-student earnings - 2nd highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#2
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$93,487
top earnings - Brown University
66.3%
avg acceptance (12 reporting)
3 / 13 / 7
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Rhode Island colleges with reported figures: Brown University.

Rhode Island · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Rhode Island, University of Rhode Island leads by undergraduate enrollment (13,381 students, #1 of 17) but ranks #6 of 17 on 10-year median earnings ($69,743), while Brown University tops earnings at $93,487 (#1 of 17) with 7,226 students (#3 of 17). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

13,381
University of enrollment #1
$93,487
Brown University earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#6
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Rhode Island's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows University of Rhode Island is largest by enrollment; Brown University leads on 10-year earnings at $93,487.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Rhode Island returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Rhode Island as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Rhode Island by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Rhode Island

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Rhode Island colleges: earnings vs. cost

Rhode Island colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Rhode Island colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $27K $98K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $6K $53K Avg Net Price ($) University of Rhode Island: $70K earn · $21K net · 72% grad University of Rhod… Community College of Rhode Island: $43K earn · $7K net · 26% grad Community College … Brown University: $93K earn · $25K net · 96% grad Brown University Rhode Island College: $56K earn · $9K net · 47% grad Rhode Island College Providence College: $87K earn · $49K net · 87% grad Providence College Roger Williams University: $70K earn · $38K net · 68% grad Roger Williams Uni… Johnson & Wales University-Providence: $43K earn · $31K net · 55% grad Bryant University: $90K earn · $41K net · 80% grad Johnson & Wales University-Online: $43K earn · $20K net Salve Regina University: $73K earn · $37K net · 76% grad Rhode Island School of Design: $68K earn · $51K net · 89% grad New England Institute of Technology: $49K earn · $36K net · 59% grad Lincoln Technical Institute-Lincoln: $32K earn · $28K net · 64% grad New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island: $53K earn · $16K net · 77% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Rhode Island ranks among the states

Rhode Island's average 10-year earnings of $56,328 place it in the 96th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Rhode Island: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$56,328 Top 4% higher than 96% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Below this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Below this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Below this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). This entry sits in this band. RI $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Rhode Island vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Rhode Island

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Rhode Island

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
23
Total Schools
$35,266
Avg In-State Tuition (14 of 23)
66.3%
Avg Acceptance Rate (12 of 23)
$56,328
Avg Median Earnings (19 of 23)
3 Public 13 Private NP 7 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Rhode Island

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 23 postsecondary institutions in Rhode Island. The ownership mix is 3 public institutions, 13 private nonprofits, and 7 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 14 of 23 Rhode Island institutions that report one is $35,266, and the average admission rate among the 12 that report one sits at 66.3%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 19 of 23 Rhode Island colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $56,328, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Rhode Island

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Rhode Island Kingston Public 13,381 72.2% $69,743
Community College of Rhode Island Warwick Public 11,171 - $42,659
Brown University Providence Private NP 7,226 5.4% $93,487
Rhode Island College Providence Public 5,049 91.8% $56,318
Providence College Providence Private NP 4,229 50.9% $87,054
Roger Williams University Bristol Private NP 3,946 87.7% $70,266
Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence Private NP 3,868 88.4% $43,418
Bryant University Smithfield Private NP 3,194 65.5% $90,008
Johnson & Wales University-Online Providence Private NP 2,202 91.0% $43,418
Salve Regina University Newport Private NP 2,121 68.2% $72,975
Rhode Island School of Design Providence Private NP 2,084 18.7% $68,140
New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich Private NP 1,718 66.7% $48,684
Lincoln Technical Institute-Lincoln Lincoln For-Profit 659 - $31,914
New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island Pawtucket For-Profit 646 - $53,085
College Unbound Providence Private NP 491 - -
Paul Mitchell the School-Rhode Island Cranston For-Profit 181 - $26,897
MotoRing Technical Training Institute East Providence For-Profit 124 - $48,281
Empire Beauty School-Warwick Providence For-Profit 107 - $23,589
COLLECTIV Academy-Cranston Cranston For-Profit 102 - -
IYRS School of Technology & Trades Newport Private NP 68 88.9% -
Roger Williams University School of Law Bristol Private NP - - $70,266
Rob Roy Academy - Woonsocket Woonsocket For-Profit - - $30,033
College Unbound - Newport/Aquidneck Island Newport Private NP - - -

Featured Colleges in Rhode Island

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI
13,381 students
Community College of Rhode Island
Warwick, RI
11,171 students
Brown University
Providence, RI
7,226 students
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI
5,049 students
Providence College
Providence, RI
4,229 students
Compare University of Rhode Island vs Community College of Rhode Island →

Explore more Rhode Island data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Rhode Island applicants

  • Rhode Island has 23 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Rhode Island colleges is 66.3% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.