Affordable Colleges in Rhode Island

All 12 colleges in Rhode Island, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.

The most affordable is Community College of Rhode Island at about $6,513 a year; the costliest here is Rhode Island School of Design at $50,507. A typical Rhode Island school on this list lands near $36,483.

Cheapest first, that means Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and Johnson & Wales University-Online. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.

Narrow it down

Every college in Rhode Island, cheapest first · 12

Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.

Questions families ask

What is the most affordable college in Rhode Island?
By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Community College of Rhode Island at about $6,513 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
How much does college in Rhode Island cost on average?
Across the 12 colleges in Rhode Island that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $36,483 a year after aid, running from $6,513 to $50,507.
What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 13% to 47%, with a middle of about 22%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.

Which of these actually fits you?

A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.

Find your match — free