2023 Top Private Universities in Rhode Island

• Providence, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.82 out of 5  1,050 reviews

Senior: I love Brown. I transferred here, and quickly met some of the most amazing, passionate, and genuine people I could imagine. The student body is so friendly and hard-working. Still, the best part of Brown is the open curriculum—the academic freedom and autonomy I am given here has changed my relationship to learning and life in general. I have discovered so many interests I never know I had! The open curriculum, in general, is perfect for students who have lots of wide-ranging interests and want to pursue multiple fields, or know exactly what they want to specialize in. But it's also great for students who have no idea, and want time to explore and try new areas of study while they figure things out. I agree with other reviewers that the food and dorms aren't outstanding by any means. However, the academic environement, professors, and fellow students at Brown are more than worth it. I'm so sad to be graduating :(... Read 1,050 reviews

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 8%

• Net price $27,659

• SAT range 1440-1560

• Providence, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  338 reviews

Sophomore: RISD’s best attribute is its students and faculty; everyone there thinks about the world in a different way and shows that in their art and design projects. The students have a collaborative and creative spirit, to the point where you can say the most crazy or random idea for a project and they’ll probably take you seriously! They’re night owls too, regularly staying up late to perfect whatever they’re working on. Professors come from all over and are devoted to making you the best artist and student you can be. The campus is small but easy to get around, and all the resources are at your fingertips. Combining a Victorian and Edwardian architecture with a modern, streamlined one, even the campus itself reflects RISD’s initiative of utilizing both old and new to create new artistic dynamics (in any major). Another little side note: the food’s incredible, like Michelin star-worthy. If you come here and don’t like it, you can at least give credit to our great chefs!... Read 338 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 27%

• Net price $40,048

• SAT range 1250-1470

• Newport, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  811 reviews

Senior: If I could rate Salve higher than 5 stars, I would! This university is one that cares deeply about its student body and offers amazing connections between the faculty and its students. The classes are excellent, and smaller class sizes allow for professors and students to form close bonds, making it apparent how strongly the professors want you to succeed. Located in Newport, its location on the water truly ties together the beautiful and historic campus. Though the campus is strikingly beautiful, the community is what truly made Salve Regina the place for me. Being a smaller school, it is hard to walk around the campus without seeing a friendly face, and it truly feels like I am at home here.... Read 811 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 75%

• Net price $35,620

• SAT range 1020-1190

• Providence, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  832 reviews

Sophomore: Providence college is a great place to be! After transferring in this past fall I have enjoyed many aspects of the College. The atmosphere is welcoming and everyone really cares. On thing to note is our sayings "Friars hold doors" or "Friars give back" which really just shows the care people have for each other at the school. As for professors, they have been great thus far. They are willing to help when you need it, and overall truly care with how everyone does in their classes. They have made themselves easily available for the extra help that I have needed. Providence College's campus is beautiful. What is great about it is not only that it is clean and kept nice, but you can also walk to everywhere you need to get to easily. As for social life, I found it easy to make friends as many people are super friendly and have similar interests as me. Which you can find easily due to the many clubs here on campus.... Read 832 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 54%

• Net price $37,284

• SAT range 1210-1360

• Smithfield, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  1,060 reviews

Senior: As a rising senior at Bryant University, I have never had a bad experience academically. The course structure is set up to be intellectually challenging yet very informative and the professors want their students to excel, so they are willing to meet during office hours in order to help the students. The campus is smaller than most other Rhode Island schools, but the sense of community Bryant students have is one that I wouldn’t want to trade for anything else. Brian offers many different clubs and organizations for eight students to join and meet friends as well as pursue their hobbies and interests. Being relatively close to Providence and Boston, there is plenty of opportunities to go off campus and take advantage of fun activities and restaurants!... Read 1,060 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 76%

• Net price $39,919

• SAT range 1120-1280

• East Greenwich, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.87 out of 5  411 reviews

Junior: As someone who experienced both pre and during COVID, the staff has handled everything fantastically. I have faith in every one of my professors, department heads, and other staff! Everyone always keeps in contact, and as a software engineering student, I know I can get a response from anyone in the department within a few hours! I’ve gotten help from financial aid to accommodate my situation, and even hear from Jeff from admissions every so often! Everyone is great at what they do, and they all love to pass on their knowledge and see their students succeed!... Read 411 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 69%

• Net price $33,681

• SAT range 960-1160

• Bristol, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.53 out of 5  986 reviews

Freshman: Overall, my experience so far with Roger Williams has been really good! There are some things that makes this university really stand out! Roger Williams University's community is extremely friendly! Everyone, the students, staff, professors and more are all friendly and make this university feel safe and helps make you feel like you really do belong there. The professors and staff mostly seem to care about you and your studies and want to make sure that you are successful. That's huge and a great way to feel supported through your college years! Roger Williams University also has tons of Majors, Minors and courses to choose from that best suites you. One of the only not so good things about this university is that it certainly is expensive.... Read 986 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 86%

• Net price $34,890

• SAT range —

• Providence, RI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  2,827 reviews

Senior: I love how inclusive the university is, whether it’s in the classroom or on campus in general. The professors are experienced and passionate about what they teach with helps me stay engaged and interested. You have the opportunity to take classes outside of your major too. I’m baking and pastry but I’ve taken a couple of film classes and a music class which were both very fun. The campus is in the heart of the city so it’s always fun to walk around and one can even walk to the mall. I’ve gone to an outdoor skating rink too which was right down the road. The reason why it’s 4 stars and not 5 is because for a culinary school, the dining isn’t very good. However they make up for it with all the activities they have like a build a bear event, outdoor movie, and they had a ratatouille event where you get to watch the movie while eating the food from the film, prepared by JWU culinary students. I am a proud JWU wildcat!... Read 2,827 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 87%

• Net price $29,560

• SAT range —

• 4 Year (Online)

• •
  Rating 4.79 out of 5  14 reviews

Alum: Johnson & Wales is an amazing school, and has a great psychology program truly dedicated to it’s students. Jessica Rounds, my academic advisor was extremely helpful throughout my entire time at school, she checked on me whenever my grades were slipping, when I was doing well she congratulated me, and if I needed any help with anything she would always provide me resources if she couldn’t help me herself. I attended the Charlotte campus for my first degree, and going online was the best decision I could’ve made as it put my education into my own hands.... Read 14 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate 36%

• Net price $18,929

• SAT range —