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Key takeaway: Our directory lists 11 schools in Rhode Island that offer at least one fully online program, and among the 9 of those with published in-state tuition figures, the median is $44,418 a year (IPEDS/College Scorecard data in our directory). Every school below is ranked by our independent BOC Score, never by advertising.
Online colleges give Rhode Island residents access to accredited degree programs without relocating or commuting to campus. The catch is that the online format does not automatically remove the state line from your tuition bill, so it’s worth understanding how residency, accreditation, and cost interact before you apply.
Most public universities still set separate in-state and out-of-state tuition rates, even for fully online programs, and a smaller number of programs charge a flat rate regardless of where a student lives. Public, Rhode Island-based institutions generally publish the lowest in-state rates for residents, while online programs run by out-of-state public universities typically bill at their non-resident rate unless the school participates in a regional tuition-reciprocity agreement. Among the schools in our Rhode Island directory that offer online programs and publish an in-state tuition figure (9 schools), the median is $44,418 a year (IPEDS/College Scorecard data in our directory). Check each school’s own tuition table for the current rate before you apply, since published figures can change year to year.
Online formats vary by school: some programs run fully asynchronous, some hold scheduled live classes, and some are hybrid with occasional in-person requirements such as clinical hours, labs, or proctored exams. Check the delivery format and any residency or in-person requirements on each school’s own program page before enrolling, since “online” does not always mean zero in-person contact.
Before comparing costs or program length, confirm that any school you’re considering holds accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You can verify a school’s status directly through the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), which is searchable by institution name. Regional or national accreditation affects whether credits transfer and whether employers and licensing boards will recognize your degree, so this check should come before you compare tuition or program length.
The schools listed below are ordered by our BOC Score, a composite measure built from federal graduation rate, median earnings, net price, retention rate, and fully-online availability data published by the U.S. Department of Education. Advertising placement never changes the ranking order; sponsored options are shown separately above the ranked list.
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
For a broader comparison across states, see Best Online Colleges Ranking and Affordable Online Degrees. If you’re weighing a specific field of study, browse our program guides for degree-level cost and career detail, or read our BOC Score methodology to see exactly how schools on this page were ranked.
Our directory lists 11 schools in Rhode Island that report offering at least one fully online program, based on IPEDS/College Scorecard data.
Among schools in Rhode Island with online programs that publish an in-state tuition figure in our directory (9 schools), the median is $44,418 a year (IPEDS/College Scorecard data). Always confirm the current rate directly with the school, since published figures can change year to year.
Search the school’s name in the U.S. Department of Education’s DAPIP database to confirm current, recognized accreditation before you apply or enroll.
Schools are ordered by our BOC Score, which weighs graduation rate, median earnings, net price, retention rate, and fully-online availability using federal data. Advertising does not affect the ranking.
