Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Brown University ranked first and Providence College ranked second for the best colleges in Rhode Island. Rhode Island may be tiny, but Providence is a bustling hub for students from surrounding universities, thanks in part to its nightlife. Rhode Island is famous for its local food specialties, including clam chowder, clam cakes, and its own style of pizza known as "grilled pizza." Once you're finished stuffing yourself, check out the beautiful coastline and the mansions of Newport.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$27,157
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$93,487
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate96%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$41,767
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$87,054
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate85%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$40,331
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$90,008
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate82%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,694
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$69,743
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate72%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$36,456
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$72,975
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate75%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,599
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$56,318
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate56%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$39,683
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$70,266
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$45,638
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$68,140
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate91%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$35,088
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,684
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate65%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$31,608
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$43,418
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate66%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in Rhode Island for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$41,160
CertificateN/A
Associate$54,867
Bachelor$56,486
Master$64,412
Cost of attending college in Rhode Island
In-state-tuition$36,621
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$39,456
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in Rhode Island
In Florida the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and Finance. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 1,265graduates
2Registered Nursing 637graduates
3Finance 629graduates
4General Psychology 600graduates
5Biology 492graduates
6Marketing 477graduates
7Accounting 414graduates
8Computer Science 389graduates
9Criminal Justice 366graduates
10Economics 309graduates
Fastest growing careers
Rhode Island job growth
11.4%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
53.8%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
41.7%
Information Security Analysts
35%
Advertising and Promotions Managers
33.3%
Physical Therapist Assistants
30.3%
Medical and Health Services Managers
26.6%
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
25.5%
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
25%
Chemical Engineers
25%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
25%
Best bachelor’s degrees in Rhode Island
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Program NamesEconomic Score
1Germanic language & Linguistics 1.58
2Electrical Engineering 1.67
3Ocean Engineering 2
4Biomedical/Medical Engineering 2.03
5Chemical Engineering 2.11
6Applied Mathematics 2.29
7Computer Programming 2.31
8Computer and Information Sciences 2.36
9Industrial Engineering 2.44
10Registered Nursing 2.52
11Mechanical Engr. Tech 2.79
12Chemistry 2.86
13Diagnostic, Intervention & Treatment 2.86
14Medical Allied Professions 2.94
15Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. 2.96
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in Rhode Island are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
36.9%
Filters
Rhode Island
11.4%
