Best General Studies Schools Near Cranston, RI (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Cranston, Rhode Island has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $5,550 to $60,314 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 general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $110,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Cranston

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Cranston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cranston 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:

  • 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.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

College Unbound

Providence, RI 4.7 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Avg net price $21,108/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Providence, RI 5.3 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
33.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,418
Avg net price $31,027/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,419
Out‑of‑state$42,419
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Johnson & Wales University-Online

Providence, RI 5.3 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
28.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,418
Avg net price $20,252/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Rhode Island College

Providence, RI 5.4 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,318
Avg net price $9,478/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,300
Out‑of‑state$27,299
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Providence College

Providence, RI 5.9 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,054
Avg net price $48,523/yr
Tuition
In‑state$63,550
Out‑of‑state$63,550
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Brown University

Providence, RI 5.9 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
84.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 5%
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $93,487
Avg net price $25,184/yr
Tuition
In‑state$71,412
Out‑of‑state$71,412
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 101

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

New England Institute of Technology

East Greenwich, RI 7.2 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 67%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,684
Avg net price $36,483/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,275
Out‑of‑state$37,275
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI 14.1 miles from Cranston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,266
Avg net price $37,999/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,418
Out‑of‑state$44,418
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $110,360 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $108,409
Management Analysts $100,360 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $98,585
Human Resources Specialists $76,930 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $75,570
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $83,960 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $82,475
Writers and Authors $70,620 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $69,371
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $92,110 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $90,481
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $74,470 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $73,153
Social and Community Service Managers $77,490 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $76,120

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

Metric Value Source
Population 82,632 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $87,716 Census 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

Other Cranston-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Cranston, RI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Cranston. The closest is Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, RI (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rhode Island College (5.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Cranston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Cranston are: General and Operations Managers ($110,360), Management Analysts ($100,360), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($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 general studies 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 general studies?

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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Cranston

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

Back to Best General Studies Schools in Rhode Island (2026)