Roger Williams University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and students who prefer a mid-size campus. no major red flags in the data. solid earnings of $56,000 within 10 years.
About This School
Roger Williams University is a private nonprofit institution located in Bristol, Rhode Island with approximately 3,946 undergraduate students enrolled. Roger Williams University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 88%. The average net price after financial aid is $37,999 per year. The graduation rate is 69%, and the typical graduate earns $56,000 within 10 years of enrollment.
Roger Williams University (RWU) is a private university in Bristol, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams. The school enrolled approximately 4,400 undergraduate and graduate students and employs over 480 academic staff as of 2022.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: a 79% freshman retention rate and 67% graduation rate suggest a meaningful chunk of students don't finish, which is worth asking about during a campus visit. On the upside, median debt at graduation is a relatively manageable $19,500, and the $56,000 median earnings at 10 years are decent — though the $38,123 annual net price means you'll want to make sure the financial aid offer is genuinely strong before committing. Worth considering if you're drawn to the small coastal campus and specific programs like architecture or law, but push the admissions office on what support systems exist to keep students on track to graduation.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 13% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Roger Williams University graduates earn most above the national rate in Criminal Justice and Corrections ($70,747 vs $55,378 nationally).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 98 | $70,747 | $55,378 | +$15,369 |
| Marketing | 78 | $71,989 | $69,303 | +$2,686 |
| Psychology, General | 60 | $57,212 | $50,706 | +$6,506 |
| Construction Management | 58 | $93,340 | $95,124 | −$1,784 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 46 | $76,219 | $68,257 | +$7,962 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 44 | $94,919 | $83,343 | +$11,576 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 36 | $52,114 | $47,382 | +$4,732 |
| Biology, General | 31 | $71,652 | $57,214 | +$14,438 |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | 27 | $66,230 | $57,149 | +$9,081 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 27 | $94,385 | $92,135 | +$2,250 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 26 | $51,857 | $48,842 | +$3,015 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 18 | $70,575 | $56,359 | +$14,216 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (3,946 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Roger Williams University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Roger Williams University?
Roger Williams University has an acceptance rate of 88%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Roger Williams University hard to get into?
Not especially. Roger Williams University has an acceptance rate of 88%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Roger Williams University cost?
The average net price at Roger Williams University is about $37,999 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Roger Williams University?
Roger Williams University has a graduation rate of 69%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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