List of Private Universities & Colleges in Rhode Island

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Private universities can be found throughout the state of Rhode Island, and can vary greatly in size and enrollment. Most private institutions tend to specialize in specific areas of study, and tend to have higher tuition costs due to a lack of public funding. The level of education offered by private institutions varies from institution to institution, with some schools offering the full range of degree levels, while others may focus specifically on undergraduate or graduate level studies. Private schools tend to have more individualized education options, but may only have a few, if any, research program options in place.

List of Large 4-Year Private Universities in Rhode Island

There are 7 large private universities in our database for Rhode Island. Follow the links below to get more details about each school.

Large Universities with Research Facilities or Faculty

The universities listed below offer many diverse academic programs, have a large student body, and usually have research facilities or faculty involved with research. These schools very often have graduate and professional programs as well.

Brown University in Providence, RI

Visit the website for Brown University at brown.edu

Program Details

  • 5,000 to 9,999 Undergraduate Students Enrolled
  • Estimated tuition & fees: $52,000 per year

Large Primarily Academic Universities

Each university listed below offers a diverse set of degrees and programs, unlike the research universities listed above, these schools contain little to no research activity on campus and are primarily academic.

4-Year Colleges with a Special Focus on an Area of Study

The schools below are grouped by their special area of focus. To learn about admissions, tuition & fees, programs offered, and more click on the school names below.

Schools of Art, Music, and Design

Notes: Tuition & fee amounts are for both Rhode Island in-state residents and out of state students, unless noted otherwise. The tuition information displayed is an estimate, which we calculated based on historical data and should be solely used for informational purposes only. Please contact the respective school for information about the current school year.

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2015: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.