Cost of Attending College in Rhode Island: Tuition and Living Costs
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jul 15, 2026 • US States & Cities
A year at the University of Rhode Island costs about $32,500 in-state or $53,500 out-of-state including room and board. Rhode Island College costs less, and the Community College of Rhode Island costs the least of the three public options.
💵 URI (2025-26): $17,476 in-state tuition and fees, $38,398 out-of-state, before room and board.
💵 RIC (2026-27): about $12,123 in-state tuition and fees a year, $29,261 out-of-state.
💵 CCRI (2026-27): about $6,082 in-state tuition and fees a year, full time.
🏠 A one-bedroom apartment in Providence averages around $2,262 a month.
Private colleges cost far more. Brown's 2025-26 total cost runs near $92,400.
Public tuition and fees compared
Rhode Island's three public campuses price differently, and the figures below reflect each school's most recently published rate. URI's numbers cover 2025-26. RIC and CCRI numbers cover 2026-27, their most current published rates.
| Campus | In-state, tuition and fees (annual) | Out-of-state, tuition and fees (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| University of Rhode Island | $17,476 | $38,398 |
| Rhode Island College | $12,123 | $29,261 ($17,353 for Northeast Neighbors states) |
| Community College of Rhode Island | $6,082 (full time) | $16,298 ($8,870 for the NEBHE regional rate) |
Source: URI tuition and fees , RIC tuition and fees , and CCRI tuition and fees .
University of Rhode Island: the highest sticker price
URI's total cost of attendance, including room, meals, and mandatory fees, runs about $32,546 a year for in-state students and about $53,468 for out-of-state students, per URI's 2025-26 tuition schedule . Tuition rose 3.5% and fees rose 0.7% from the year before, according to Rhode Island Current . URI also carries the state's widest range of merit and need-based aid, so few students pay the full published price.
Rhode Island College: a mid-priced four-year option
RIC charges $6,061.50 per semester in tuition and fees for in-state students in 2026-27, $8,676.50 for Northeast Neighbors states, and $14,630.50 for other out-of-state students. Add on-campus room and board, and RIC's full cost of attendance climbs well above the tuition-only figures for students who live on campus.
Community College of Rhode Island: the cheapest degree path
CCRI charges $2,792 per semester in tuition for full-time in-state students in fall 2026, plus roughly $249 in mandatory fees, for about $3,041 a semester or around $6,082 a year. Out-of-state students pay $7,900 a semester in tuition. Most CCRI students live off campus and commute, so housing sits outside CCRI's own cost of attendance figures.
On campus versus off campus
URI's published cost of attendance already bundles room and board into the totals above, about $15,070 a year on top of tuition and fees for in-state students living on campus. RIC offers on-campus housing too, though many students commute from the Providence area. CCRI has no on-campus housing at any of its four campuses, so every CCRI student budgets for housing separately from the tuition figures above.
Two sample budgets
| URI, in-state, on campus | CCRI, in-state, living at home | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $17,476 | $6,082 |
| Room and board | About $15,070, included in URI's published total | Not applicable |
| Books, supplies, personal costs | $2,000 to $3,000 | $1,500 to $2,500 |
| Rough annual total | About $34,500 to $35,500 | About $8,000 to $9,000 |
These totals sit before financial aid, RI Promise coverage, or scholarships, which for many CCRI students bring the net tuition cost close to zero.
Private colleges in Rhode Island
Rhode Island's private nonprofit colleges, including Brown University, Providence College, Bryant University, and Roger Williams University, list sticker prices well above the public campuses. Brown's 2025-26 tuition alone runs $71,700, and its total cost of attendance, including fees, room, and board, reaches about $92,400, according to the Boston Globe . Most private colleges discount that sticker price heavily through need-based aid, so check each school's net price calculator before ruling it out on cost alone.
Living costs beyond tuition
Off-campus housing adds a real cost on top of tuition. A one-bedroom apartment in Providence averages around $2,262 a month, according to RentCafe , though prices swing by neighborhood, from around $1,400 in Silver Lake to above $2,500 near the East Side. Kingston, home to URI's main campus, and Warwick, home to CCRI's Knight campus, tend to run cheaper than downtown Providence.
Building a full budget
Add these pieces to estimate your real annual cost:
Tuition and mandatory fees from the table above
Housing: on-campus room and board, already included in each school's published cost of attendance, or roughly $11,000 to $22,000 a year for an off-campus one-bedroom in Providence
Books and supplies: typically $1,000 to $1,500 a year
Transportation and personal expenses: budget $2,000 to $3,000 a year depending on whether you commute
Run your own numbers through each school's net price calculator before comparing sticker prices. Financial aid, RI Promise, and the Hope Scholarship change your real cost far more than the published rate does.
Cutting the total with residency and aid
The gap between in-state and out-of-state pricing is the single biggest lever on your total cost. Establishing Rhode Island residency before enrolling, or qualifying under a military, veteran, or Student Success Act exception, moves you from the out-of-state column to the in-state column at any of the three public campuses. RI Promise and the Hope Scholarship then cover tuition and fees on top of that, so a Rhode Island resident who qualifies for both finishes an associate degree at CCRI and two more years at RIC largely tuition free.
Transportation and the commuter option
Many Rhode Island students skip car costs entirely. RIPTA, the state's public bus system, connects Providence, Kingston, and Warwick and runs discounted student passes, a cheaper option than parking permits and car insurance on top of tuition. Commuting from home instead of renting removes the largest single cost in most student budgets.