Best ROI Colleges in Rhode Island
16 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community College of Rhode Island Warwick · community | 6.5× | $6,513 | 24.3% | $42,659 | — |
| 2 | Rhode Island College Providence · public | 5.9× | $9,478 | 54.6% | $56,318 | 91.8% |
| 3 | Brown University Providence · private | 3.7× | $25,184 | 96.4% | $93,487 | 5.4% |
| 4 | New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island Pawtucket · private | 3.3× | $15,866 | 77.1% | $53,085 | — |
| 5 | University of Rhode Island Kingston · public | 3.3× | $21,440 | 72.0% | $69,743 | 72.2% |
| 6 | Bryant University Smithfield · private | 2.2× | $41,219 | 83.7% | $90,008 | 65.5% |
| 7 | Salve Regina University Newport · private | 2.0× | $36,967 | 75.1% | $72,975 | 68.2% |
| 8 | Roger Williams University Bristol · private | 1.8× | $37,999 | 60.7% | $70,266 | 87.7% |
| 9 | Providence College Providence · private | 1.8× | $48,523 | 85.5% | $87,054 | 50.9% |
| 10 | MotoRing Technical Training Institute East Providence · private | 1.6× | $30,141 | 94.2% | $48,281 | — |
| 11 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence · private | 1.4× | $31,027 | 60.9% | $43,418 | 88.4% |
| 12 | Rhode Island School of Design Providence · private | 1.3× | $50,507 | 91.2% | $68,140 | 18.7% |
| 13 | New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich · private | 1.3× | $36,483 | 67.4% | $48,684 | 66.7% |
| 14 | Lincoln Technical Institute-Lincoln Lincoln · private | 1.2× | $27,578 | 63.7% | $31,914 | — |
| 15 | Paul Mitchell the School-Rhode Island Cranston · private | 1.0× | $25,666 | 59.6% | $26,897 | — |
| 16 | Empire Beauty School-Warwick Providence · private | 1.0× | $22,794 | 79.4% | $23,589 | — |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.