
Source: National Center for Educational Statistics. This is the most recent data available as of January 2020
Questions & Answers
-
What do all these numbers mean?
All costs are the average net cost paid by families in each income bracket. Net cost is the total cost of attendance minus government grants and institutional scholarships. Loans of any kind are not included. Figures are based on data from the 2017-18 school year, which is the latest available as of January 2020.
-
What is “Total Cost” on the chart?
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for that particular college. It includes:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
There are detailed chart below for each school that shows these expenses. Click here to go to the individual cost breakdown for schools.
-
How can I use this information?
This information is useful for building a realistic college budget. It's a good place to start until you better understand your specific circumstances. For example, let's say your income is $100,000 per year. This chart shows that the average state school would run $19,131 and the average private school would be $34,154. You can also get information on specific Rhode Island schools in the chart above or the tables below.
-
Will my family pay the amount on this chart?
Probably not. The numbers are averages. You may be below average or above average. However, there are two key points we can learn from this data:
- Families with higher incomes ($75,000-$110,000 and $110,000+) will most likely pay close to full price at the public schools.
- Private colleges have a higher list price but offer more discounts. This brings their net price much closer to the cost of state-funded schools.
-
Where did this information come from?
As part of federal financial aid, colleges are required to provide detailed cost information to the U.S. government. This data is made available to the public through the National Center for Education Statistics. For more details, click here.
-
What about athletes, merit aid or minority students?
Athletes, high achieving students, and those with minority status are averaged in with everyone else. Within each income bracket, there are families that pay more than average and families that pay less than average.
-
The costs on this chart seemed large, how can families afford to pay it?
For many families paying for college is not easy, but in the end they figure out. Most families will pay their net cost of college with some combination of:
- college savings and investments
- payments from current income
- loans
- outside scholarships (check out our Scholarship Guide For Busy Parents, which describes how you and your student can win scholarships for college and save money!)
- tax planning
- student work

Net Price:
Net price is the total cost of attendance minus the average amount of government grants and institutional scholarships awarded. This is an average, so you may pay above the average or below the average. Your exact net price is likely to be different and sometimes drastically different.
Most families will pay the net price with some combination of savings and investments, current income and various loans. Some students will also receive scholarships from sources other than the federal or state government or the college. Any scholarships and grants from these outside sources are not included in the data. However, government grants and institutional scholarships are included in the averages.
Total Cost at University of Rhode Island (2017-18) | |
---|---|
Tuition and Fees | $13,792 |
Room and Board | $12,452 |
Books | $1,200 |
Other Expenses | $2,041 |
Total | $29,485 |
Total Cost:
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for that particular institution for the 2017-18 school year. This is the latest data available as of January 2020. Total costs include:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
College Total Cost | ||
---|---|---|
Family Income | RI Public $26,219 | RI Private $58,397 |
$0 - $30k | $10,718 | $24,501 |
$30,001 – $48k | $12,186 | $26,181 |
$48,001 – $75k | $15,228 | $29,411 |
$75,001 – $110k | $19,131 | $34,154 |
$110,001+ | $20,991 | $42,111 |
Public vs. Private Averages
This table shows the average total cost of attendance for the Rhode Island public and private colleges we have included in our analysis. The costs include a breakdown of the average net price paid by family income. Notice that the average private college is $14,000-$22,000 more than the average public school, depending on your income bracket. It is important to stress that these are averages. Most families will not be average, and their individual circumstances could be drastically different. I encourage all families to work with their preferred colleges to get information specific to their family.
Below are similar charts for each individual private and public college in Rhode Island. Click a school to view its complete chart.
Public RI Schools Cost Breakdown
-
Rhode Island College
Providence Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $8,776 $8,929 Room and Board $11,536 $11,829 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $1,440 $1,440 Total $22,952 $23,398 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $7,909 $8,063 $30,001 - $48k $8,681 $8,850 $48,001 - $75k $11,056 $11,271 $75,001 - $110k $14,603 $14,887 $110,001+ $15,883 $16,192
-
University of Rhode Island
Kingston Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $13,792 $14,138 Room and Board $12,452 $12,528 Books $1,200 $1,250 Other Expenses $2,041 $2,435 Total $29,485 $30,351 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $13,527 $13,924 $30,001 - $48k $15,690 $16,151 $48,001 - $75k $19,400 $19,970 $75,001 - $110k $23,658 $24,353 $110,001+ $26,099 $26,866
Private RI Schools Cost Breakdown
-
Brown University
Providence Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $53,419 $55,466 Room and Board $14,020 $14,670 Books $1,571 $1,595 Other Expenses $2,040 $2,071 Total $71,050 $73,802 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,250 $6,492 $30,001 - $48k $5,589 $5,805 $48,001 - $75k $14,452 $15,012 $75,001 - $110k $21,447 $22,278 $110,001+ $47,403 $49,239 -
Bryant University
Smithfield Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $42,109 $43,973 Room and Board $15,095 $15,397 Books $1,300 $1,400 Other Expenses $1,400 $1,550 Total $59,904 $62,320 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $31,572 $32,845 $30,001 - $48k $32,529 $33,841 $48,001 - $75k $35,716 $37,156 $75,001 - $110k $37,742 $39,264 $110,001+ $40,324 $41,950 -
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
Providence Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $31,508 $32,441 Room and Board $13,809 $14,154 Books $1,500 $1,800 Other Expenses $2,409 $2,059 Total $49,226 $50,454 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $23,299 $23,880 $30,001 - $48k $23,746 $24,338 $48,001 - $75k $26,304 $26,960 $75,001 - $110k $28,949 $29,671 $110,001+ $32,031 $32,830 -
New England Institute of Technology
East Greenwich Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $28,740 $29,856 Room and Board $11,640 $13,590 Books $1,740 $1,521 Other Expenses $2,825 $2,825 Total $44,945 $47,792 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $27,815 $29,577 $30,001 - $48k $28,430 $30,231 $48,001 - $75k $30,902 $32,859 $75,001 - $110k $35,548 $37,800 $110,001+ $38,677 $41,127
-
Providence College
Providence Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $48,764 $50,528 Room and Board $14,240 $14,700 Books $980 $1,050 Other Expenses $1,000 $1,022 Total $64,984 $67,300 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $19,020 $19,698 $30,001 - $48k $26,396 $27,337 $48,001 - $75k $28,885 $29,914 $75,001 - $110k $35,843 $37,120 $110,001+ $46,473 $48,129 -
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $48,370 $50,960 Room and Board $13,050 $13,400 Books $2,700 $2,700 Other Expenses $3,500 $3,500 Total $67,620 $70,560 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $33,238 $34,683 $30,001 - $48k $36,964 $38,571 $48,001 - $75k $36,695 $38,290 $75,001 - $110k $47,551 $49,618 $110,001+ $56,260 $58,706 -
Roger Williams University
Bristol Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $33,336 $34,522 Room and Board $15,564 $16,232 Books $900 $900 Other Expenses $2,900 $2,988 Total $52,700 $54,642 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $31,039 $32,183 $30,001 - $48k $31,475 $32,635 $48,001 - $75k $34,744 $36,024 $75,001 - $110k $36,633 $37,983 $110,001+ $38,028 $39,429 -
Salve Regina University
Newport Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $38,986 $40,150 Room and Board $14,060 $14,500 Books $1,400 $1,450 Other Expenses $2,300 $2,400 Total $56,746 $58,500 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $23,771 $24,506 $30,001 - $48k $24,322 $25,074 $48,001 - $75k $27,592 $28,445 $75,001 - $110k $29,515 $30,427 $110,001+ $37,689 $38,854
View Other States
Select a state from the map below to view colleges in nearby states.
If you found the information of this page useful, subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Get great information on all aspects of planning for college. We have interviews with experts, students and their stories, and the latest news in college admissions. Listen to each half-hour episode while you’re driving or working out. Use your favorite podcast app, iTunes, or listen directly at the website.