Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Bachelor's Degrees in Rhode Island
3
Meet the Ranking Threshold
2
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$39,992
With a Fully Online Option
1
General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Rhode Island
General studies bachelor's degrees in Rhode Island are three small programs at private colleges in Providence, and between them they awarded fewer than ten degrees in the latest year, so the two with a graduation rate are ranked here within Rhode Island on the national formula. Providence College ranks first at 44.5, having awarded 1 degree at $60,848 with an 86% graduation rate, the highest of any general studies program in the state and the 98th percentile of the national pool, which outweighs a cost in the 1st percentile. Johnson & Wales University-Providence ranks second at 30.7, with 2 degrees at $39,992 and a 55% graduation rate. Johnson & Wales University-Online awarded 4 at $13,365 in tuition and fees and is the one you can finish online, but isn't scored because it lacks a graduation rate.
None of the three reached the 10 degrees a year the national ranking requires, so none is on the national list, a fact about size rather than quality. The level is small because the state's general studies traffic runs through the Community College of Rhode Island's associate degree, 950 graduates a year, and from there through the Joint Admissions Agreement into bachelor's programs at Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island.
So a general studies bachelor's here is a private-college decision, and the three colleges differ more than their shared city suggests: $13,365 online against $60,848 on campus, and a program of 4 against a program of 1.
The 2 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Rhode Island
The general studies bachelor's degrees in Rhode Island are ranked below within the state. Each awarded fewer than the 10 degrees a year the national bachelor's degree ranking requires, so none is on the national list, but each is scored on the same formula and against the same national programs, so a score here means what it means there. The number on each card is the program's place in Rhode Island.
1
Providence College
Rhode Island
44.5- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 86%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $60,848 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 1
About the Program
Providence, Rhode Island is home to Providence College, a private nonprofit college of 4,666 students. The program's last federal report shows 1 bachelor's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 1 in every 100 programs measured here. Across the whole college, 86% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 98% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $60,848 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 51% of applicants accepted. On the graduation rate of its college it does best, reaching the 98th percentile.
2
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
Rhode Island
30.7- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 55%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $39,992 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 2
About the Program
Some 4,303 students attend Johnson & Wales University-Providence, a private nonprofit university in Providence, Rhode Island. It conferred 2 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 1% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Across the whole college, 55% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 66% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees hold at $39,992 a year whichever state you come from. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 88% of applicants accepted. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 66th percentile.
Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Rhode Island
The other general studies bachelor's degrees in Rhode Island did not report a graduation rate or a published cost, which the score needs, so they are listed here without one.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University-Online, Providence | 4 | $13,365 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in Rhode Island?
A general studies bachelor's degree in Rhode Island costs $13,365 a year in tuition and required fees at Johnson & Wales University-Online, $39,992 at Johnson & Wales University-Providence and $60,848 at Providence College for 2023-24, and the median of $39,992 is the Providence campus price. All three are private, so residents and nonresidents pay the same, and the online Johnson & Wales degree costs far less than the campus degree at the same university.
State help for an adult finishing a bachelor's in Rhode Island comes as guidance. Rhode Island Reconnect, a free program from the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner, pairs adults returning to school with experienced educational navigators, who identify non-tuition financial barriers that could keep you from finishing a degree and recommend solutions. The office notes that about 55.2% of Rhode Island adults aged 25 to 64 hold a degree or credential, and the program exists to raise that. For the tuition itself, each of the three colleges sets its own aid, so ask Johnson & Wales or Providence College for a net price for a transfer student arriving with an associate degree.
How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Rhode Island?
Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree in Rhode Island on each college's own terms, because all three programs are private and the state's transfer guarantee, the Joint Admissions Agreement, runs from the Community College of Rhode Island to Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island only. That agreement, Council on Postsecondary Education Policy S-12, adopted in 2003 and last amended January 14, 2026, guarantees a CCRI graduate in an agreed transfer track at least 30 credits toward general education at RIC or URI and at least 60 transfer credits in total toward a specified bachelor's program.
Its conditions tell you what a strong transfer file looks like anywhere: enrollment under the JAA before 30 credits, a finished associate degree within five years, and a cumulative GPA of 2.40 or higher. The agreement also credits students who completed the general education requirements for an associate degree without attaining it, a useful precedent to point to when you ask a private college to take your general education as a block.
At Johnson & Wales, online or in Providence, and at Providence College, ask three things in writing: how many CCRI credits the college applies toward the general studies degree, whether it accepts general education as a block or course by course, and how many credits must be taken with the college itself.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in Rhode Island?
Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's degree in Rhode Island pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Program in Rhode Island
Choosing a general studies bachelor's degree program in Rhode Island means choosing among three private programs that have almost nothing in common except a Providence address, so start with format and price. Providence College ranks first in the state at 44.5 because it graduates 86% of its students, but it's the most expensive at $60,848 and awarded 1 general studies degree in the latest year, so the degree there is a rarity rather than a track. Johnson & Wales University-Providence, second at 30.7, charges $39,992 and graduates 55% on campus. Johnson & Wales University-Online at $13,365 is the one you can finish online and the cheapest by a wide margin, unscored because it lacks a graduation rate.
Ask each college whether general studies is a degree it actively enrolls or a completion option for students changing majors, since programs of 1, 2 and 4 graduates run differently from a department with a cohort. Ask what it takes from a CCRI transcript, and whether its net price after institutional aid changes the comparison. And weigh the public alternative: a CCRI associate under the Joint Admissions Agreement carries 60 guaranteed credits into a bachelor's at Rhode Island College or URI.
If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in Rhode Island have their own page.