Find the Best Colleges in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is a tiny state, yet 12 accredited colleges and universities fit within its borders — and the Rhode Island college list has something for everyone. The state is home to an Ivy League university, a large public university, a community college with multiple campuses, the federal government’s Naval War College, a top-ranked art school, a leading college of culinary arts, two Catholic colleges and more.
Additional options are available through the Regional Student Program. This tuition discount program supports out-of-state study at many public universities and colleges in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Rhode Island College Statistics
- Online learning is available from Rhode Island colleges, but the vast majority of students attend class in person. In 2012 approximately 2% of Rhode Island college students took 100% of their courses online. Online degree programs in Rhode Island are offered by the University of Rhode Island, the New England Institute of Technology and private colleges.
- Public college tuition in Rhode Island cost an average of about $8700 for the 2014-2015 academic year. The most expensive public school in Rhode Island is the University of Rhode Island. The least expensive is the Community College of Rhode Island, which charged about $3600 for tuition in 2014-2015.
- Financial aid significantly reduces college expenses in Rhode Island. For instance, in 2014-2015 about 90% of students at the University of Rhode Island received need-based financial aid. They saved an average of $16,000 each. The 10% of students not qualifying for need-based aid got financial assistance too; the averaged merit-based award was about $6000.
