6 Best Universities in Providence, RI [2026 Rankings]

Top 6 universities in Providence ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 6.87M citations received by 170K academic publications made by 6 universities from Providence, the popularity of 1,542 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. Brown University

#1 in Rhode Island

#50 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $26,256

2. Providence College

#3 in Rhode Island

#240 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Average SAT: 1320
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $48,618

3. Rhode Island College

#4 in Rhode Island

#512 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Average SAT: 995
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $6,706

4. Rhode Island School of Design

#6 in Rhode Island

#600 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Average SAT: 1463
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $43,492

5. Johnson & Wales University - Providence

#8 in Rhode Island

#765 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $32,057

6. Johnson & Wales University - Online

#12 in Rhode Island

#2176 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Net Price: $19,798
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $7,025

Universities near Providence

Distance, km 📏 km	University	Country rank 🏆	City
15	Bryant University	597	Smithfield, Rhode Island
20	New England Institute of Technology	1499	East Greenwich, Rhode Island
23	Roger Williams University	634	Bristol, Rhode Island
23	Roger Williams University School of Law	2142	Bristol, Rhode Island
25	Wheaton College - Massachusetts	730	Norton, Massachusetts
29	Dean College	932	Franklin, Massachusetts
38	Stonehill College	848	Easton, Massachusetts
39	University of Rhode Island	143	Kingston, Rhode Island
40	University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth	311	Dartmouth, Massachusetts
40	Salve Regina University	933	Newport, Rhode Island