Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Providence, Rhode Island·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·jwu.edu/campuses/providence
6-yr Graduation
55%
-23.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
4,303
peer median 3,238
Avg net price
$32,478
-$5.8k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
7,828
7,828 candidates competed
Admitted
6,921
88.4% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,092
15.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
55%-23.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
39%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
50%
Full-time retention
82%

Pell equity

16.0pp gap
Pell recipients
45%
Non-Pell
61%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 16.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 102 Title IV programs, 27 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 75 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
102
Passing
27
26.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

102programs
  • Passing27 · 26.5%
  • No Data75 · 73.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
4
Safe
23
No data
75

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

27
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+11.1%
$66,809 vs $60,112
Human Resources Management and Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+16.4%
$69,995 vs $60,112
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Associate Degree · Personal And Culinary Services
+21.8%
$42,395 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+22.8%
$73,821 vs $60,112
Education Other
Master's Degree · Education
+27.2%
$59,003 vs $46,391
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+35.1%
$47,042 vs $34,808
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+37.5%
$47,871 vs $34,808
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+40.7%
$48,967 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

24
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
77%
$105,749 debt · $136,683 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
70%
$46,425 debt · $66,809 earn
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
56%
$26,100 debt · $47,042 earn
Computer Software and Media Applications
Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
54%
$27,000 debt · $50,374 earn
Foods Nutrition and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
53%
$27,000 debt · $50,571 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
53%
$26,100 debt · $48,967 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
49%
$25,164 debt · $51,247 earn
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Personal And Culinary Services
49%
$27,000 debt · $55,056 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1993Next review Jun 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 7

  1. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  2. Nov 2024Removal of Approval of a Program
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
  3. Oct 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  4. Dec 2021Initial Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree
  5. Mar 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$28,488
$30–48k$29,394
$48–75k$31,538
$75–110k$33,740
$110k+$35,008

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$32,478
-$5,786vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $38,264
Federal loans
73.5%
In-state tuition
$40,408
Out-of-state
$40,408

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 3,579 students received $16.1M in Pell grants, alongside $69.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,579
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$16.1M
$16,086,344 total
Direct Loans
$69.0M
10,800 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
20
3k
21
3k
22
3k
23
4k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$15.9M
4,126 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$18.4M
4,869 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.8M
628 loan awards
Parent PLUS$22.7M
1,059 loan awards
Grad PLUS$3.2M
118 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 4,855 borrowers who entered repayment, 74 (1.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
4,855
Defaulted
74
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.0%
2017
9.4%
2018
6.5%
2019
1.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at JWU

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs80
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,140 total completions
01Personal/Culinary
39334.5%
02Business
28024.6%
03Health Professions
12210.7%
04Family/Consumer Sci
907.9%
05Security/Protective
575.0%
06Computer Sciences
554.8%
07Psychology
423.7%
08Parks/Recreation
363.2%
09Agriculture
332.9%
10Communication
322.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
4,303
12-mo unduplicated
4,724
Undergraduate
4,245
Graduate
479

Gender split

Men
37%1,749
Women
63%2,975

Race / ethnicity composition

White
60.0%
Hispanic
14.7%
Black
10.9%
Unknown
4.7%
Asian
4.0%
Non-resident
3.5%
Two or more
1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
375
166 M · 209 W
Women athletes
55.7%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$5.4M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$22K
$25K
Head-coach salaries
$64K
$52K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Soccer
29 M · 31 W
$362K
Ice Hockey
27 M · 24 W
$543K
Lacrosse
29 M · 20 W
$322K
Baseball
35 M ·
$289K
Wrestling
33 M ·
$271K
Basketball
15 M · 14 W
$320K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.41
11 offenses · 4,566 students

3-year trend

2.822 yrs ago2.931 yr ago2.41Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
42
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
5
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
4
Rape
2
Aggravated assault
2
Motor vehicle theft
2
Burglary
1

By location

11total
  • On campus7
  • Public property4

Includes 5 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
0
Stalking
2 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Religion1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons03
Drugs00
Liquor0120

Residence-hall fires

  • McNulty Hall1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Harborside Village G1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
14.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
243

JWU vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions JWU selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectJohnson & Wales University-Providence
55%4,303$32,478Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Providence College
86%50.9%4,666$45,538Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bryant University
80%65.5%3,636$40,846Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Johnson & Wales University-Online
0%91.0%2,839$21,611Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Salve Regina University
77%68.2%2,791$35,682Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Rhode Island School of Design
89%18.7%2,520$46,253Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median79%65.5%3,238$38,264

Frequently asked questions about Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about JWU.

What is the graduation rate at Johnson & Wales University-Providence?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence reports a 6-year graduation rate of 55% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Johnson & Wales University-Providence?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence reports a total enrollment of 4,303 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Johnson & Wales University-Providence?

The average net price at Johnson & Wales University-Providence is $32,478 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Johnson & Wales University-Providence?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence's yield rate is 15.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Johnson & Wales University-Providence located?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence is located in Providence, Rhode Island 02903-3703.

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