Ranking
Best Colleges in Rhode Island by ROI 2026
The top-value Rhode Island colleges — graduate earnings against net price, from federal data.
- Schools ranked
- 12
- Cheapest net price
- $6,513
- Top earnings 10y
- $93,487
- Public / Private
- 3 / 9
Community College of Rhode Island
A+- ROI score
- 16.37
- Net price
- $6,513
- Earnings 10y
- $42,659
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Rhode Island College
A- ROI score
- 14.85
- Net price
- $9,478
- Earnings 10y
- $56,318
- Acceptance
- 91.8%
Brown University
B- ROI score
- 9.28
- Net price
- $25,184
- Earnings 10y
- $93,487
- Acceptance
- 5.4%
University of Rhode Island
B- ROI score
- 8.13
- Net price
- $21,440
- Earnings 10y
- $69,743
- Acceptance
- 72.2%
Bryant University
C- ROI score
- 5.46
- Net price
- $41,219
- Earnings 10y
- $90,008
- Acceptance
- 65.5%
Johnson & Wales University-Online
D- ROI score
- 5.36
- Net price
- $20,252
- Earnings 10y
- $43,418
- Acceptance
- 91%
Salve Regina University
D- ROI score
- 4.94
- Net price
- $36,967
- Earnings 10y
- $72,975
- Acceptance
- 68.2%
Roger Williams University
D- ROI score
- 4.62
- Net price
- $37,999
- Earnings 10y
- $70,266
- Acceptance
- 87.7%
Providence College
D- ROI score
- 4.49
- Net price
- $48,523
- Earnings 10y
- $87,054
- Acceptance
- 50.9%
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
D- ROI score
- 3.50
- Net price
- $31,027
- Earnings 10y
- $43,418
- Acceptance
- 88.4%
Rhode Island School of Design
D- ROI score
- 3.37
- Net price
- $50,507
- Earnings 10y
- $68,140
- Acceptance
- 18.7%
New England Institute of Technology
D- ROI score
- 3.34
- Net price
- $36,483
- Earnings 10y
- $48,684
- Acceptance
- 66.7%
How we picked this list
This list starts with Rhode Island colleges, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 6.98 (3 public, 9 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, RI tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many Rhode Island colleges are in this list?
12 Rhode Island colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.