Top Rhode Island Colleges

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Even though it\'s the country\'s smallest state, Rhode Island has some wonderful choices for college. My top picks for the state range in size from a couple thousand students to over 16,000. The schools represent a wide range of missions and personalities, and my top picks include an Ivy League school, an art school, a professional school, and a public university. The admissions standards vary greatly, so be sure to click on the profiles to learn more. My selection criteria include retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, value, student engagement, and notable curricular strengths. I have listed the schools alphabetically rather than forcing them into any kind of artificial ranking; because the schools are so different, any kind of ranking would be dubious at best.

Brown University:

•Location: Providence, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 8,705 (6,318 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: private university

•Distinctions: member of the Ivy League; one of the country\'s most selective colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio

Bryant University:

•Location: Smithfield, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 3,632 (3,386 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: private university

•Distinctions: highly rated master\'s university in the North; strong business school; students from 31 states and 45 countries; 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio; member of the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference

Johnson & Wales University:

•Location: Providence, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 10,974 (9,703 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: private university with a professional focus

•Distinctions: students from 50 states and 71 countries; hands-on, career-focused approach to learning; strengths in culinary arts, business, and hospitality; NCAA Division III athletic programs

Providence College:

•Location: Providence, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 4,900 (4,238 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: private Catholic college

•Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; one of the country\'s top Catholic colleges; distinct four-semester course on western civilization; member of the NCAA Division I Big East Conferene

Rhode Island School of Design:

•Location: Providence, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 2,406 (1,975 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: private art and design school

•Distinctions: one of the country\'s top art schools; high job placement rate; selective portfolio-based admissions; joint degree program with Brown University; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio

Roger Williams University:

•Location: Bristol, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 4,680 (4,310 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: private university

•Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19; active student life with over 100 clubs and organizations; waterfront location and strong sailing team; NCAA Division III athletic programs

Salve Regina University:

•Location: Newport, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 2,584 (1,989 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: private Catholic university

•Distinctions: waterfront campus in a historic neighborhood; 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; popular professional fields such as nursing, business and criminal justice; NCAA Division II athletics

University of Rhode Island:

•Location: Kingston, Rhode Island

•Enrollment: 16,294 (13,093 undergraduates)

•Type of Institution: public university

•Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; Honors Program for high achieving students; good educational value; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic 10 Conference

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