by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Top Rhode Island Colleges ranking is part of that endeavor.
After analyzing 9 schools in Rhode Island, we came up with our list of those that offered the highest quality education. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as student-to-faculty ratio, average graduate earnings, and graduation rate.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2025 rankings named Brown University the best school in Rhode Island in terms of overall quality for students working on their bachelor’s degree.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Brown make an average of $93,487 per year during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bryant University. It ranked #2 on our 2025 Best Colleges in Rhode Island list.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 79%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $90,008 during the early years of their career..
Out of the 9 schools in Rhode Island that were part of this year’s ranking, Providence College landed the #3 spot on the list.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 82%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Providence make an average of $87,054 per year during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Johnson & Wales University - Providence helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Rhode Island.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $43,418 during the early years of their career..
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Rhode Island. The school came in at #5 in Rhode Island on this year’s overall quality ranking.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from URI is $69,743 during the early years of their career.
Rhode Island College landed the #6 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in Rhode Island ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from RIC make an average of $56,318 a year.
Roger Williams University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Rhode Island ranking.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $70,266 during the early years of their career..
New England Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Rhode Island ranking, coming in at #8.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from New England Tech go into careers with an average salary of $48,684 during the early years of their career.
Community College of Rhode Island came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Rhode Island ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from CCRI make an average of $42,659 a year.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.