Providence, Rhode Island has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $11,300 to $87,648 per year for indexed programs. Providence has a population of about 190,214. Median household income is $66,772 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $106,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Biology Schools to Providence
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Providence, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Providence city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
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:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Providence.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,418
Avg net price
$31,027/yr
TuitionIn‑state$42,419
Out‑of‑state$42,419
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
5%
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$93,487
Avg net price
$25,184/yr
TuitionIn‑state$71,412
Out‑of‑state$71,412
Key stats- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
51%
Graduation rate
87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$87,054
Avg net price
$48,523/yr
TuitionIn‑state$63,550
Out‑of‑state$63,550
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 31
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
92%
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,318
Avg net price
$9,478/yr
TuitionIn‑state$11,300
Out‑of‑state$27,299
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 61
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Rhode Island schools on the Rhode Island biology page.
Biology Wages Near Providence
Providence is part of the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (BLS area code 39300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Rhode Island statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Medical Scientist | $106,670 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $104,784 |
| Biological Technician | $56,850 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $55,845 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $97,040 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $95,324 |
| Soil and Plant Scientist | N/A | RI statewide | – |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Providence at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 190,214 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $66,772 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 34.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 101.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Providence-Area Cities With Biology Programs
- East Providence, RI – 3.4 mi away (47,337 pop)
- Pawtucket, RI – 4.2 mi away (71,427 pop)
- Cranston, RI – 5.2 mi away (81,034 pop)
- Warwick, RI – 8.1 mi away (81,579 pop)
- Attleboro, MA – 9.8 mi away (44,434 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited biology schools are near Providence, RI?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Providence. The closest is Johnson & Wales University-Providence in Providence, RI (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bryant University (9.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying biology roles near Providence?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Providence are: Medical Scientist ($106,670), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($97,040), Biological Technician ($56,850). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Rhode Island statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in East Providence instead of Providence?
East Providence, RI is 3.4 miles from Providence and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Providence an affordable place to study biology?
Providence’s median household income of $66,772 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Providence while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Rhode Island public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Biology Programs
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Data verified: July 30, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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