Best colleges in Rhode Island, ranked by ROI
All 14 Rhode Island institutions we profile, ranked by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. Federal net price and earnings; payback is our math. (Scorecard, 2026.)
$29,303
Median net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$62,229
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
6 yrs
Median payback
Our math, 2026
14
Colleges ranked
degreedividend.com
| # | College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brown University | $25,184 | $93,487 | 2.2 yrs |
| 2 | University of Rhode Island | $21,440 | $69,743 | 4 yrs |
| 3 | Bryant University | $41,219 | $90,008 | 4 yrs |
| 4 | Rhode Island College | $9,478 | $56,318 | 4.8 yrs |
| 5 | Providence College | $48,523 | $87,054 | 5 yrs |
| 6 | Salve Regina University | $36,967 | $72,975 | 6 yrs |
| 7 | Roger Williams University | $37,999 | $70,266 | 6.9 yrs |
| 8 | Rhode Island School of Design | $50,507 | $68,140 | 10.2 yrs |
| 9 | New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island | $15,866 | $53,085 | 13.4 yrs |
| 10 | New England Institute of Technology | $36,483 | $48,684 | 225.2 yrs |
| 11 | Community College of Rhode Island | $6,513 | $42,659 | no payback |
| 12 | Johnson & Wales University-Online | $20,252 | $43,418 | no payback |
| 13 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | $31,027 | $43,418 | no payback |
| 14 | Lincoln Technical Institute-Lincoln | $27,578 | $31,914 | no payback |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.