Providence College
Providence College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Providence College Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Rhode Island
- #1 Best Small Colleges in Rhode Island
- #1 Best Christian Colleges in Rhode Island 2026
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Rhode Island 2026
- #2 Best Private Colleges in Rhode Island
- #2 Online Associate in General Studies
- #2 Rhode Island's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #3 Rhode Island's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #3 Best Colleges in Rhode Island
- #3 Online Associate in Business Management
- #4 Online Bachelor’s in Healthcare Administration
- #4 Online Associate in Liberal Arts
- #4 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #6 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities
- #7 Christian Colleges Bachelor's Degrees
- #9 Online Bachelor’s in History
- #10 Fastest Online Associate Degrees
- #11 Best Christian Liberal Arts 2026
- #13 Most Influential Colleges in Hockey Today
- #18 Fastest Online Bachelor's Degrees
- #19 Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities
- #22 Most Influential Colleges in Basketball Today
- #35 Best Online Colleges
About Providence College
According to Wikipedia, Providence College is a private Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the local diocese, it offers 47 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate programs. The college requires all of its undergraduate students to complete 16 credits in the Development of Western Civilization, a major part of the college's core curriculum. In the spring of 2021, it enrolled 4,128 undergraduate students and 688 graduate students for a total enrollment of 4,816 students.
Providence College's Online Degrees
AS in Administrative Management
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Fire Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
AA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in History
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Leadership Development
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Professional Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Social Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Theology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Healthcare Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Providence College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,469 | 51% | 94% | 86% | 1320 | 30 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Providence College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $65,960 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $27,565 |
| 30K - 48K | $20,442 |
| 48K - 75K | $24,571 |
| 75K - 110K | $37,259 |
| 110K+ | $57,392 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Providence College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Providence College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $90,260 a year, and 96% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Providence College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 5,035 | 4,464 | 571 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Providence College?
Providence College is located at 1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI 02918-0001.
How Safe is Providence College?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Providence College publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Providence College has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Providence has a violent crime rate of 0.28% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.67%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Providence College Known For?
Providence College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Social Work
- Religious Studies
- History
- Biology
- Business
- Communications
- Literature
- Political Science
- Economics
- Sociology
- Medical
- Chemistry
- Education
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
Providence College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Providence College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Providence College ranks #194 in the U.S. and #786 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesProvidence College ranks #227 in the U.S. and #752 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesProvidence College ranks #241 in the U.S. and #561 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesProvidence College ranks #251 in the U.S. and #1069 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesProvidence College ranks #266 in the U.S. and #754 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesProvidence College ranks #286 in the U.S. and #1120 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesProvidence College ranks #307 in the U.S. and #1071 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesProvidence College ranks #309 in the U.S. and #1138 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesProvidence College ranks #310 in the U.S. and #935 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesProvidence College ranks #381 in the U.S. and #1530 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesProvidence College ranks #390 in the U.S. and #2347 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesProvidence College ranks #404 in the U.S. and #1423 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesProvidence College ranks #422 in the U.S. and #1547 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesProvidence College ranks #505 in the U.S. and #2439 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesProvidence College ranks #506 in the U.S. and #2241 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesProvidence College ranks #506 in the U.S. and #1297 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesProvidence College ranks #602 in the U.S. and #2737 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesProvidence College ranks #632 in the U.S. and #3637 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesProvidence College ranks #890 in the U.S. and #1684 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesProvidence College ranks #1018 in the U.S. and #2622 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Providence College's Most Influential Alumni?
Providence College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, History, and Philosophy. Here are some of Providence College's most famous alumni:
- Robert Gallo
- An American biomedical researcher.
- Caryn James
- An American journalist, writer and university professor.
- Austin Sarat
- An American academic.
- Lenny Wilkens
- An American basketball player and coach.
- Chris Dodd
- An American lawyer and politician .
- Anthony J. Lisska
- A .
- Billy Donovan
- An American college basketball player, professional basketball player, point guard, college basketball coach, NCAA Tournament championship coach.
- Lou Lamoriello
- An American ice hockey coach and executive.
- John Thompson
- An American basketball player and coach .
- Janeane Garofalo
- An American comedian and actress.
- Clark McCauley
- An American psychologist.
- Hank Foley
- A Chemistry researcher, academic.
Who Are Providence College's Most Influential Faculty?
Providence College's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Social Work, History, and Philosophy. Here are some of Providence College's most famous faculty:
