Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island · Private Nonprofit · 50.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 76/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Providence College is a private Catholic Dominican liberal arts college in Providence, RI, enrolling 4,229 undergraduates. Its ROI score of 76 (Strong Value) reflects strong completion - 86% graduate - paired with moderate earnings. Average six-year earnings sit at $51,800, climbing to $87k at ten years. The payback period of 6.4 years is solid for a private school charging $63,550 sticker. Finance and Financial Management is the biggest program by graduate count (177 graduates), followed by Biology (117) and Marketing (134). The school's high completion rate reflects a tight residential community with strong academic support. The caveat: net price is steep at $48,523 average. Students who extract the most value are those entering finance, accounting, or economics, where 10-year earnings push well past $100k.
The median graduate earns $87,054 ten years after entry - well above the roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
Providence College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $63,550/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $63,550/yr |
| Average net price | $48,523/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $194,092 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $87,054 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $51,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 6.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 85.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,229 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $63,550/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $48,523/year, or roughly $194,092 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $28,152/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $56,699/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($51,800) and comes to 0.52, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $28,152 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,835 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $25,296 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $33,169 |
| $110,001+ | $56,699 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $28,152 per year at Providence College - over $112k over four years. At $51,800 average six-year earnings, the debt burden relative to income is a real concern.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30-48k bracket pays $21,835 - notably lower than the 0-30k bracket, which is unusual. The 48-75k bracket pays $25,296, then jumps to $33,169 for 75-110k households. There is a strange dip at the 30-48k range worth verifying with the financial aid office. For middle-income families in the $75-110k range, net cost of $33k per year totaling $132k is a significant commitment against average earnings of $51,800 at six years.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110k pay $56,699 per year, close to full sticker price. At $226k total cost and average six-year earnings of $51,800, the payback timeline stretches unless a student lands in finance or accounting.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Providence College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management | $103,021 | B |
| Marketing | $89,629 | C+ |
| Biology | $93,757 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $85,119 | C+ |
| Psychology | $63,746 | D |
| International Relations | $75,637 | C |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $73,165 | C+ |
| Accounting | $103,245 | B |
| Economics | $95,590 | B |
| Special Education and Teaching | $54,927 | C+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance is Providence's largest program by graduates - 177 in the data year. Early earnings of $64,427 climb to $103k by year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 (B grade). Providence's location in the Providence-Boston corridor gives finance students access to financial services firms in both cities. The school's strong alumni network in finance is a real asset; employer relationships built over decades mean recruiting pipelines are active. For students who can keep debt at or below the $27k median, finance here pays off. The slope from $64k to $103k suggests strong career progression as graduates move into financial analysis, corporate finance, or eventually fund management.
Accounting
Accounting graduates start at $69k and reach $103k at year four - the CPA track is visible in those numbers. With 60 graduates annually and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 (B grade), accounting is one of Providence's better-value programs. The four-year earnings figure of $103k reflects the accounting career trajectory well: most grads pass the CPA exam and land at public accounting firms, with salary progression tracking toward senior associate or manager roles by year four.
Economics
Economics is the third most populated program at 53 graduates. Economics graduates typically enter finance, consulting, or graduate programs. Providence's economics department emphasizes quantitative methods, which serves students entering roles in financial analysis or data-driven policy work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 83.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 85.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 85.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 90.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Providence College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 50.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 620-690 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 630-700 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 29-32 |
| Enrollment | 4,229 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 13.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $12,190 |
Providence College admits 51% of applicants. The SAT middle 50% is 630-700 reading and 620-690 math; ACT is 29-32. That places it solidly in the moderately selective tier.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Providence's advantage is its completion rate - 86% is genuinely strong. The school delivers value mainly through strong financial outcomes in its business programs.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence College (this school) | 76 | $48,523 | $87,054 |
| Brown University | 96 | $25,184 | $93,487 |
| Bryant University | 84 | $41,219 | $90,008 |
| Brandeis University | 77 | $35,736 | $77,231 |
| Marist University | 74 | $41,544 | $77,819 |
| St Olaf College | 73 | $23,874 | $65,543 |
Who Thrives Here
Providence College fits students who want a traditional residential Catholic liberal arts experience and are academically prepared - ACT 29-32, SAT reading 630-700 and math 620-690. With only 13% of students on Pell grants, this is predominantly a middle-to-upper-income student body. Students in business - particularly finance, accounting, and economics - see the strongest returns. Pre-med students (the many Biology grads) need a long ROI horizon, as six-year earnings reflect pre-medical career paths, not physician salaries.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Providence College pays off. You'd pay about $48,523 a year after aid ($194,092 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $87,054 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 6.4 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: its 85.8% graduation rate, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $51,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Providence College: Common Questions
Is Providence College worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Providence College pays off. It scores 76/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $48,523 a year after aid ($194,092 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $87,054 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 6.4 years to earn back.
How much does Providence College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $48,523 a year, or roughly $194,092 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Providence College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $87,054 ten years after enrolling, roughly $45,254 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Providence College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 6.4 years for Providence College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Providence College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $51,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Providence College?
The six-year graduation rate is 85.8%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.