State Rankings

Best Colleges in Rhode Island

Top colleges in Rhode Island ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 14

Avg grad earnings: $65,880

Public / Private: 3 / 11

Top Colleges in Rhode Island

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Brown University Providence#76 national	Private	$93,487	5.2%	1,546	96.0%	$68,230
2	Providence College Providence#117 national	Private	$87,054	48.7%	1,342	87.8%	$60,848
3	Rhode Island School of Design Providence#131 national	Private	$68,140	13.8%	1,480	88.5%	$59,760
4	Bryant University Smithfield#139 national	Private	$90,008	65.6%	1,263	80.6%	$51,169
5	Salve Regina University Newport#234 national	Private	$72,975	69.9%	1,236	74.9%	$47,930
6	University of Rhode Island Kingston#375 national	Public	$69,743	77.1%	1,176	71.0%	$35,804
7	Roger Williams University Bristol#448 national	Private	$70,266	87.8%	1,228	66.6%	$42,666
8	Rhode Island College Providence#763 national	Public	$56,318	81.1%	1,010	46.2%	$26,519
9	Community College of Rhode Island Warwick#1052 national	Public	$42,659	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,210
10	New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich#1643 national	Private	$48,684	72.7%	N/A	57.5%	$35,625
11	Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence#1655 national	Private	$43,418	83.7%	1,107	54.9%	$40,408
12	Johnson & Wales University-Online Providence#2423 national	Private	$43,418	54.3%	N/A	0.0%	$13,365
13	Roger Williams University School of Law Bristol	Private	$70,266	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
14	IYRS School of Technology & Trades Newport	Private	N/A	80.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

Use CollegeBound's interactive compare tool to see admissions, costs, and outcome data side by side for any schools in Rhode Island or beyond.