More selective than 0% 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 $17,454. College Scorecard.
Higher than 0% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 38% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 22% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 60% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
RIC acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,988 applicants, Rhode Island College admitted 4,045 and 813 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 870–1120 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
RIC tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Rhode Island residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What RIC costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Rhode Island College took 4.6 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 | $6,378 | $29,594 | 1.8 years |
| $30–48k | $6,989 | $32,429 | 2.0 years |
| $48–75k | $8,701 | $40,373 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $12,809 | $59,434 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $15,681 | $72,760 | 4.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (23% 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 ($56,318) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,438 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.
RIC majors, earnings & careers
Rhode Island College offers 69 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Science & Math · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Arts & Design · 7
- Education · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
Highest-earning majors at RIC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $84,238 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $83,259 | $25,000 |
| Nursing | $83,068 | $27,000 |
| Management Information Systems | $76,873 | $20,725 |
| Mathematics | $72,410 | — |
| Finance | $70,470 | $23,750 |
| Accounting | $68,616 | $18,881 |
| Chemistry | $66,959 | $13,867 |
Quick list of all 69 majors
- Accounting$68,616
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$84,238
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services—
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$58,779
- Biotechnology—
- Business Administration$58,221
- Chemistry$66,959
- Communications$51,105
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science$83,259
- Criminal Justice$58,156
- Dance—
- Data Science—
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,069
- Education (Subject Teaching)$53,057
- Education, Other—
- English$48,948
- Environmental Science / Conservation$54,516
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$44,144
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$70,470
- Geography—
- Gerontology—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration$57,195
- Health Sciences$50,854
- History$46,105
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$76,873
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$57,119
- Mathematics$72,410
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$51,379
- Music$51,090
- Neuroscience$48,514
- Nursing$83,068
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$54,540
- Psychology$52,758
- Psychology, Other—
- Public Administration—
- Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$53,312
- Sociology$59,643
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$56,477
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art$41,883
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre$50,335
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing$45,378
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% 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. 52 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 RIC with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island College | 92% | $9,478 | 48% | $56,318 | This school |
| University of Rhode Island | 72% | $21,440 | 73% | $69,743 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Rhode Island College would cost you $11,962 less per year than University of Rhode Island, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Rhode Island College, mostly from more Rhode Island College students living at home, which lowers its average (−$8,998).
- University of Rhode Island gives aided families $4,905 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Rhode Island resident | RIC | URI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,300 | $16,942 | −$5,642 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,250 | −$50 |
| Housing & meals | $13,719 | $14,900 | −$1,181 |
| Personal & travel | $1,440 | $2,436 | −$996 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$10,205 | −$1,207 | −$8,998 |
| Sticker price | $17,454 | $34,321 | −$16,867 |
| Average grants | −$7,976 | −$12,881 | +$4,905 |
| You pay | $9,478 | $21,440 | −$11,962 |
“+” means RIC 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 RIC
What is the RIC acceptance rate?
Rhode Island College accepts 92% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,045 of 4,988 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 870–1120 on the SAT.
How much does Rhode Island College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $17,454 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $9,478 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $6,378 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,681.
How much do RIC graduates earn?
Former Rhode Island College students earn a median $56,318 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the RIC graduation rate?
48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.
How long does a RIC degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Rhode Island College costs about $40,373 after grants ($8,701 a year for 4.6 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $56,318 ten years after starting, $16,438 more than high school graduates in Rhode Island ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 2.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is RIC the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing RIC with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “Rhode Island College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/rhode-island-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).