It might be the smallest state in land mass, but don't make the mistake of thinking Rhode Island's contribution to higher education is small.
With elite private colleges and prestigious public schools, this state has a lot to offer for students interested in all manner of subjects: from the liberal arts to business to pre-professional programs.
With college costs increasing year-by-year, many people are wondering whether going to college is even worth it anymore. We can't answer that question for each individual, of course, but we can offer some helpful information. One of the most striking statistics about post-secondary education and the economy comes from a study conducted by Georgetown University. This study found that more than 99 percent of new jobs created since the Great Recession went to individuals with at least some college education – and oftentimes, much more than just "some."
Related: Best Online Universities in Rhode Island.
So if that's the extra push you needed to move forward with your college research, dig into this ranking. It's a listing of the best schools that Rhode Island has to offer, and what makes them distinct.
Accredited Online College Programs
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What are the best colleges in Rhode Island?
But how did we get our list? This ranking of the best colleges in Rhode Island is designed to save you the agony of combing through long tables of data – we did that work for you. In doing so, we looked for three central things: institutional excellence, student satisfaction, and return on investment. These three criteria each combined a bevy of data points, so that you can get a sense of the quality of education on offer, the likelihood of thriving on campus, and the preparation you'll receive for the job market. Data comes from IPEDS, Payscale, US News & World Report, individual college websites, and various student ranking sites.
Rankings
See our rankings methodology page.
