Best Online Education Programs in Cranston, RI (2026)

Cranston, Rhode Island has 5 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $15,208 to $31,750 per year for indexed programs. Cranston has a population of about 82,632. Median household income is $87,716 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $121,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Cranston

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Cranston. Distances are calculated from Cranston city center.

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:

  • 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 Cranston. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Providence, RI 5.2 miles from Cranston BOC Score33.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Rhode Island College

Providence, RI 5.4 miles from Cranston BOC Score60.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, MA 28.0 miles from Cranston BOC Score56.0
Published tuition$15,208 - $31,750
Online programsYes

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#4

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, MA 58.9 miles from Cranston BOC Score57.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 65.1 miles from Cranston BOC Score65.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Rhode Island schools on the Rhode Island education page.


Education Wages Near Cranston

Cranston 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$92,110Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$90,481
Elementary School Teacher$86,720Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$85,187
Middle School Teacher$89,450Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$87,868
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$80,030Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$78,615
Education Administrator, K-12$121,410Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$119,263
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$106,520Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$104,637
Tutor$67,910Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$66,709
Educational and Career Counselor$75,910Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$74,568

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.


Cranston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population82,632Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$87,716Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Providence County17,252 workers, 495 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cranston-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Cranston, RI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Cranston. The closest is Johnson & Wales University-Providence in Providence, RI (5.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Merrimack College (65.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Cranston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Cranston are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($121,410), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($106,520), Secondary School Teacher ($92,110). 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 Warwick instead of Cranston?

Warwick, RI is 4.9 miles from Cranston and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Cranston an affordable place to study education?

Cranston’s median household income of $87,716 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cranston 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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Cranston

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Cranston:

Data verified: June 11, 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.