Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Rhode Island College graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout the post-graduation decade. Median earnings advance from $46,882 six years after enrollment to $47,149 at eight years, then accelerate to $56,318 at ten years, representing 20.1% total growth from the six-year baseline.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings exceed the peer average, indicating above-typical outcomes for this institution type.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $20,500 in debt with typical earnings.
Rhode Island College graduates carry a median debt load of $20,500, which falls $605 below the peer median of $21,105 and ranks at the 66th percentile nationally. Debt levels range from $5,500 at the 25th percentile to $25,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating controlled borrowing across the student population.
Rhode Island College achieves above average return on educational investment, ranking at the 62.2nd percentile nationally for institutional return performance. Graduates earn $7,471 beyond expectations compared to students with similar demographics at other institutions, placing the college at the 80.9th percentile for earnings uplift and well above average tier performance.
Approximately 24.8% of Rhode Island College graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with high confidence. ...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Health professions drive the strongest program-level earnings at Rhode Island College, with Adult Health Nursing leading at $72,650 for 152 graduates and Allied Health programs reaching $62,550. Business programs cluster around $57,000-$58,000 in median earnings, while Computer Science achieves $60,361 for 37 graduates.
Education and social service programs range from $43,000-$52,000, supporting public service career pathways with solid economic outcomes. Psychology, the second-largest program with 129 graduates, produces $40,576 median earnings, reflecting the field's diverse career applications.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution ranges from $35,091 at the 25th percentile to $75,388 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.1:1 ratio that reflects career diversity rather than inconsistent outcomes. Low-income graduates earn $41,900, demonstrating the institution's effectiveness in generating economic mobility for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
