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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Providence College

Providence, Rhode Island

39
D
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Weak value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Break-even
+$63,329 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.

7.6 yrs
Break-even
+31%
10-year ROI
$71,726
Median earnings as of 2024
90% of Providence College students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$48,523
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$71,726
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$49,772
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$27,000
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
86%
Graduation rate as of 2024
90%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
85%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
94%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$63,329
After 10 years
$330,589
After 20 years
$597,849
After 30 years
$865,109
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$86,555
Men
$88,701

2% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$76,559
From higher-income families
$89,435

14% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$87,313
Independent students
$75,969

13% gap between the two groups

15%
First-generation students
57%
Take federal student loans
89%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 79%Hispanic 9%Asian 1%Black 2%Other 8%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$28,152
$30k–$48k$21,835
$48k–$75k$25,296
$75k–$110k$33,169
$110k+$56,699

How Providence College compares

This college against the Rhode Island and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Providence College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Providence College

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
EconomicsAssociate's$105,070$26,000+464%Strong return
Finance and Financial Management ServicesAssociate's$100,232$27,000+417%Strong return
Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's$97,691$27,000+393%Strong return
MarketingAssociate's$91,768$27,000+338%Strong return
Biology, GeneralAssociate's$88,809$27,000+310%Strong return
Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's$83,457$27,000+260%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$81,311$27,000+240%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$111,415$20,500+230%Strong return
Political Science and GovernmentAssociate's$78,163$27,000+210%Strong return
Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsAssociate's$71,726+175%Strong return
International/Globalization StudiesAssociate's$71,548$27,000+148%Strong return
HistoryAssociate's$71,039$27,000+144%Strong return
Psychology, GeneralAssociate's$69,424$27,000+129%Strong return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's$65,375+110%Strong return
SociologyAssociate's$66,380$27,000+100%Strong return
Special Education and TeachingAssociate's$60,307$27,000+43%Break-even
Social WorkAssociate's$57,571+30%Break-even
English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's$57,791$22,750+21%Break-even
Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesCertificate$62,004$27,985-17%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Providence College

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

51%
Admission rate
1,346
Average SAT
29
Median ACT
4,229
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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