Graduates of Johnson & Wales University–Providence earn median 4-year earnings of $54,530, placing the institution in the 14.1st percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,494 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Johnson & Wales University–Providence in the 24.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Johnson & Wales University–Providence #1183 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Rhode Island's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $36,082 — the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.
The earnings pattern reflects Johnson & Wales University–Providence's focus on Business fields, which account for 31% of graduates. Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef is the largest program with 159 graduates earning median earnings of $55,056 — 1.2× the national benchmark for the field. The Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Other program graduates 142 students with median earnings of $50,571, while Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management serves 93 graduates earning $55,790.
Graduates of Johnson & Wales University–Providence earn median 4-year earnings of $54,530, placing the institution in the 14.1st percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,494 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Johnson & Wales University–Providence in the 24.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Johnson & Wales University–Providence #1183 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Rhode Island's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $36,082 — the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.
The earnings pattern reflects Johnson & Wales University–Providence's focus on Business fields, which account for 31% of graduates. Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef is the largest program with 159 graduates earning median earnings of $55,056 — 1.2× the national benchmark for the field. The Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Other program graduates 142 students with median earnings of $50,571, while Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management serves 93 graduates earning $55,790.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Johnson & Wales University–Providence earn median 4-year earnings of $54,530, placing the institution in the 14.1st percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,494 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Johnson & Wales University–Providence in the 24.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Johnson & Wales University–Providence #1183 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Rhode Island's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $36,082 — the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.
The earnings pattern reflects Johnson & Wales University–Providence's focus on Business fields, which account for 31% of graduates. Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef is the largest program with 159 graduates earning median earnings of $55,056 — 1.2× the national benchmark for the field. The Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Other program graduates 142 students with median earnings of $50,571, while Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management serves 93 graduates earning $55,790.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Johnson & Wales University's program mix is anchored in business, hospitality, and culinary fields—a portfolio shaped by the institution's distinctive identity as a career-focused private university. Culinary Arts and Related Services is the largest program with 159 graduates, followed by Food and Nutrition, Hospitality Administration/Management, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, and Criminal Justice. Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 940 students annually, several deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes aligned with applied professional pathways. The earnings pattern reflects Johnson & Wales' positioning as a hospitality and business-focused institution. Business Administration leads with median earnings of $59,186 four years after enrollment, followed by Criminal Justice with $56,632, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management with $56,241, Hospitality Administration/Management with $55,790, and Culinary Arts and Related Services with $55,056. These outcomes correspond to the institution's concentration in Business (representing 31% of graduates), Engineering (representing 2%), and Social Sciences (representing 94%), which collectively form the economic foundation of the institution's degree portfolio. Most of Johnson & Wales' dominant programs are direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect immediate labor-market outcomes in hospitality management, culinary arts, business administration, and related applied fields. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how these applied-professional fields align with regional and national labor-market demand, particularly in the hospitality and food-service sectors where Johnson & Wales maintains significant employer relationships.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Johnson & Wales University–Providence earn median 4-year earnings of $54,530, placing the institution in the 14.1st percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,494 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Johnson & Wales University–Providence in the 24.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Johnson & Wales University–Providence #1183 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Rhode Island's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $36,082 — the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.
The earnings pattern reflects Johnson & Wales University–Providence's focus on Business fields, which account for 31% of graduates. Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef is the largest program with 159 graduates earning median earnings of $55,056 — 1.2× the national benchmark for the field. The Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Other program graduates 142 students with median earnings of $50,571, while Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management serves 93 graduates earning $55,790.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
