Home / Worth-It Scores / Rhode Island / Providence
Is Providence College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Providence, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Providence lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $27,000 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $87,054, but the margin is not huge. For context, Providence's net price sits about 104% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school and near the top of its sector range. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$46,645
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $23,808 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $95,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
Graduation and earnings data create a stronger long-run payoff picture.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$48,523
Median earnings 10 years out
$87,054
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
87%
At Providence, a typical graduate carries about $27,000 in student debt and earns roughly $87,054 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $307 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Providence is a private nonprofit four year school in Providence, RI. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, RI
Worth-It Score: 48/100
Median net price: $50,507
Private nonprofit 4-year
Bryant
Smithfield, RI
Worth-It Score: 72/100
Median net price: $41,219
Private nonprofit 4-year
Roger Williams
Bristol, RI
Worth-It Score: 54/100
Median net price: $37,999
Private nonprofit 4-year
Salve Regina
Newport, RI
Worth-It Score: 61/100
Median net price: $36,967
Private nonprofit 4-year
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, CA
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $48,661
Common questions about Providence
The median net price at Providence is $48,523 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Rhode Island? See the most affordable private colleges in Rhode Island →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →