More selective than 11% of Rhode Island colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $60,314. College Scorecard.
Higher than 11% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 53% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 0% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 21% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Johnson & Wales University-Providence acceptance rate & admissions
Of 8,841 applicants, Johnson & Wales University-Providence admitted 7,400 and 1,056 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1160 on the SAT or 22–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Johnson & Wales University-Providence tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Johnson & Wales University-Providence costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Johnson & Wales University-Providence took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Rhode Island. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $25,530 | $106,460 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $25,443 | $106,097 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $28,088 | $117,127 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $31,803 | $132,619 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $35,464 | $147,885 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (42% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($43,418) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,538 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence majors, earnings & careers
Johnson & Wales University-Providence offers 47 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Technology & Computing · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Johnson & Wales University-Providence
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $95,371 | $27,000 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | $85,387 | — |
| Human Resources | $79,056 | $31,513 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $77,025 | $24,500 |
| Accounting | $73,476 | $27,000 |
| Finance | $73,152 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $64,321 | $26,675 |
| International Business | $61,380 | $26,732 |
Quick list of all 47 majors
- Accounting$73,476
- Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services$47,871
- Agricultural Production Operations—
- Animal Sciences—
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services—
- Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Business Administration$59,186
- Communications$51,247
- Computer Engineering$95,371
- Computer Programming—
- Computer Science—
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications$85,387
- Criminal Justice$56,632
- Culinary Arts and Related Services$55,056
- Data Analytics—
- Dietetics—
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering, Other—
- Entrepreneurship$47,042
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Finance$73,152
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$50,571
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences—
- Homeland Security—
- Hospitality Management$55,790
- Human Resources$79,056
- Information Science / Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business$61,380
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing$64,321
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering—
- Nursing—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$56,241
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$48,967
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$77,025
- Sociology—
- Software and Media Applications$50,374
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations$53,539
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Hospitality Management → Lodging manager
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Providence
Overall prices in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,879. Housing costs 4% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 37 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Providence County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Providence County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Johnson & Wales University-Providence with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Rhode Island by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University-Providence | 88% | $31,027 | 55% | $43,418 | This school |
| Roger Williams University | 88% | $37,999 | 69% | $70,266 | |
| New England Institute of Technology | 67% | $36,483 | 60% | $48,684 | |
| Bryant University | 65% | $41,219 | 80% | $90,008 | |
| Salve Regina University | 68% | $36,967 | 77% | $72,975 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Johnson & Wales University-Providence would cost you $6,972 less per year than Roger Williams University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Johnson & Wales University-Providence, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$1,999).
- Johnson & Wales University-Providence gives aided families $5,336 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Rhode Island resident | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | RWU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $42,419 | $44,418 | −$1,999 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $900 | +$300 |
| Housing & meals | $18,776 | $16,690 | +$2,086 |
| Personal & travel | $1,758 | $3,350 | −$1,592 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,839 | −$3,408 | −$431 |
| Sticker price | $60,314 | $61,950 | −$1,636 |
| Average grants | −$29,287 | −$23,951 | −$5,336 |
| You pay | $31,027 | $37,999 | −$6,972 |
“+” means Johnson & Wales University-Providence costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Johnson & Wales University-Providence
What is the Johnson & Wales University-Providence acceptance rate?
Johnson & Wales University-Providence accepts 88% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,400 of 8,841 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1160 on the SAT or 22–27 on the ACT.
How much does Johnson & Wales University-Providence cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $60,314 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $31,027 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $25,530 and families earning $110k+ pay $35,464.
How much do Johnson & Wales University-Providence graduates earn?
Former Johnson & Wales University-Providence students earn a median $43,418 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Johnson & Wales University-Providence graduation rate?
55% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.
How long does a Johnson & Wales University-Providence degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Johnson & Wales University-Providence costs about $117,127 after grants ($28,088 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,418 ten years after starting, $3,538 more than high school graduates in Rhode Island ($39,880), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Johnson & Wales University-Providence: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/johnson-and-wales-university-providence (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).