State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in Rhode Island

Name: Rhode Island College Net Price Rankings
Creator: PlainCampus

Rhode Island's median net price sits 50% above the national Scorecard median; even so, Community College of Rhode Island is the lowest reporter here at $6,513 among 19 schools.

Compiled by PlainCampus , Independent campus-safety data publisher

$6,513
Cheapest net price: $25,666
Rhode Island median: 19
Schools ranked

Community College of Rhode Island has the lowest average net price in Rhode Island among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Community College of Rhode Island posts the lowest average net price in Rhode Island at $6,513 among 19 ranked schools, with the state median 50% above the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price: $6,513
Rhode Island median: $25,666
Schools ranked: 19
National median: $17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

Community College of Rhode Island has the lowest average net price in Rhode Island at $6,513/year, and the state's median net price is 50% above the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

$6,513
cheapest ranked net price: $25,666
Rhode Island median net price: 3 public / 16 private
schools in this ranking: $21,537
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $21,537 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Brown University, where in-state published tuition of $71,412 falls to an average net price of $25,184 after aid, a $46,228 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked Rhode Island schools.

Private campuses outnumber public ones here (16 vs 3). A low figure at a small religious or specialty school can reflect a narrow enrollment mix, check sector and enrollment beside the price.

Every ranked Rhode Island school is listed below. Here is how their average net prices spread:

Rhode Island net-price distribution

Average net price after aid · 19 Scorecard-reporting schools

$50,507 more affordable than 0% of 19 Rhode Island colleges

Show national distribution

Each bar is a $6K-wide band; taller bars hold more Rhode Island colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

Rhode Island's 19 cheapest colleges by real net price

Community College of Rhode IslandWarwick, RI · Public

Avg net price: $6,513
Net price (<$30K income): $6,213
Median debt: $10,920
Median earnings, 6yr: $33,476
Enrollment: 12,275

Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI · Public

Avg net price: $9,478
Net price (<$30K income): $6,378
Median debt: $20,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $46,882
Enrollment: 6,155

New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode IslandPawtucket, RI · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $15,866
Net price (<$30K income): $15,495
Median debt: $6,333
Median earnings, 6yr: $51,037
Enrollment: 646

COLLECTIV Academy-CranstonCranston, RI · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $20,151
Net price (<$30K income): $19,918
Median debt: $11,000
Median earnings, 6yr: -
Enrollment: 102

IYRS School of Technology & TradesNewport, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $20,525
Net price (<$30K income): $20,525
Median debt: $9,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $47,009
Enrollment: 68

College UnboundProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $21,108
Net price (<$30K income): $20,682
Median debt: $12,500
Median earnings, 6yr: -
Enrollment: 494

University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · Public

Avg net price: $21,440
Net price (<$30K income): $14,368
Median debt: $22,250
Median earnings, 6yr: $57,446
Enrollment: 17,210

Empire Beauty School-WarwickProvidence, RI · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $22,794
Net price (<$30K income): $21,673
Median debt: $10,231
Median earnings, 6yr: $21,743
Enrollment: 107

Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $25,184
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: $11,428
Median earnings, 6yr: $79,131
Enrollment: 11,956

Paul Mitchell the School-Rhode IslandCranston, RI · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $25,666
Net price (<$30K income): $25,799
Median debt: $13,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $23,724
Enrollment: 181

Lincoln Technical Institute-LincolnLincoln, RI · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $27,578
Net price (<$30K income): $26,742
Median debt: $10,521
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,694
Enrollment: 659

MotoRing Technical Training InstituteEast Providence, RI · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $30,141
Net price (<$30K income): $27,392
Median debt: $9,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $42,100
Enrollment: 124

Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $31,027
Net price (<$30K income): $25,530
Median debt: $26,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $35,802
Enrollment: 4,303

New England Institute of TechnologyEast Greenwich, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $36,483
Net price (<$30K income): $32,208
Median debt: $16,668
Median earnings, 6yr: $44,363
Enrollment: 1,922

Salve Regina UniversityNewport, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $36,967
Net price (<$30K income): $26,939
Median debt: $27,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $55,027
Enrollment: 2,791

Roger Williams UniversityBristol, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $37,999
Net price (<$30K income): $29,778
Median debt: $26,940
Median earnings, 6yr: $53,845
Enrollment: 4,350

Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $41,219
Net price (<$30K income): $32,698
Median debt: $26,849
Median earnings, 6yr: $66,488
Enrollment: 3,636

Providence CollegeProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $48,523
Net price (<$30K income): $28,152
Median debt: $27,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $69,326
Enrollment: 4,666

Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $50,507
Net price (<$30K income): $29,135
Median debt: $27,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $45,932
Enrollment: 2,520

#	College	Avg net price	Net price (<$30K income)	Median debt	Median earnings, 6yr	Enrollment
1	Community College of Rhode IslandWarwick, RI · Public	$6,513	$6,213	$10,920	$33,476	12,275
2	Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI · Public	$9,478	$6,378	$20,500	$46,882	6,155
3	New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode IslandPawtucket, RI · Private for-profit	$15,866	$15,495	$6,333	$51,037	646
4	COLLECTIV Academy-CranstonCranston, RI · Private for-profit	$20,151	$19,918	$11,000	-	102
5	IYRS School of Technology & TradesNewport, RI · Private nonprofit	$20,525	$20,525	$9,500	$47,009	68
6	College UnboundProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit	$21,108	$20,682	$12,500	-	494
7	University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · Public	$21,440	$14,368	$22,250	$57,446	17,210
8	Empire Beauty School-WarwickProvidence, RI · Private for-profit	$22,794	$21,673	$10,231	$21,743	107
9	Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit	$25,184	Aid covers full cost	$11,428	$79,131	11,956
10	Paul Mitchell the School-Rhode IslandCranston, RI · Private for-profit	$25,666	$25,799	$13,000	$23,724	181
11	Lincoln Technical Institute-LincolnLincoln, RI · Private for-profit	$27,578	$26,742	$10,521	$32,694	659
12	MotoRing Technical Training InstituteEast Providence, RI · Private for-profit	$30,141	$27,392	$9,500	$42,100	124
13	Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit	$31,027	$25,530	$26,000	$35,802	4,303
14	New England Institute of TechnologyEast Greenwich, RI · Private nonprofit	$36,483	$32,208	$16,668	$44,363	1,922
15	Salve Regina UniversityNewport, RI · Private nonprofit	$36,967	$26,939	$27,000	$55,027	2,791
16	Roger Williams UniversityBristol, RI · Private nonprofit	$37,999	$29,778	$26,940	$53,845	4,350
17	Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RI · Private nonprofit	$41,219	$32,698	$26,849	$66,488	3,636
18	Providence CollegeProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit	$48,523	$28,152	$27,000	$69,326	4,666
19	Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RI · Private nonprofit	$50,507	$29,135	$27,000	$45,932	2,520

All 51 states → | Rhode Island campus safety → | Find your school's rank → | Methodology →

What this means for you

Use Rhode Island's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

Community College of Rhode Island reports the lowest average net price in Rhode Island, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Community College of
See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Rhode Island safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 19 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for Rhode Island. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.

Rhode Island's 19 cheapest colleges by real net price

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