Johnson & Wales University-Providence: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Bristol, Rhode Island · Private nonprofit · Open access · CDS 2024-2025

Acceptance rate
88%
Avg SAT
1228
In-state tuition
$42,666
per year, before aid
Net price (avg)
$38,123
after aid, what families pay
Quick answer

Johnson & Wales University-Providence is a private nonprofit university in Bristol, Rhode Island that admits about 88% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $38,123 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Criminal Justice and Corrections, Marketing and Architecture, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.

Johnson & Wales University-Providence is a private institution located in Bristol, Rhode Island. For the most recent reporting cycle, Johnson & Wales University-Providence admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 88%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT around 1228. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $38,123 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Johnson & Wales University-Providence is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.

What GPA does my child need for Johnson & Wales University-Providence?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.

SAT and ACT scores Johnson & Wales University-Providence typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 550–640, with an EBRW midpoint near —. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–30. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.

SAT Composite
25th percentile
50th percentile1228
75th percentile
ACT Composite
25th percentile24
50th percentile
75th percentile30

How much does Johnson & Wales University-Providence actually cost?

Published tuition is $42,666 for in-state students and $42,666 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,690 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $38,123 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 16% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.

Average net price (after aid)$38,123

Application deadlines and early decision data for Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Regular admission

Most popular majors at Johnson & Wales University-Providence

The most popular undergraduate programs at Johnson & Wales University-Providence, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Criminal Justice and Corrections, Marketing and Architecture. Across all programs, Johnson & Wales University-Providence confers roughly 436 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Criminal Justice and Corrections program report a median income of about $69,796 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.

MajorGraduates / yearMedian earnings (5 yrs out)
Criminal Justice and Corrections88$69,796
Marketing64$77,106
Architecture63$68,296
Psychology, General62$53,224
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology41$50,911
Finance and Financial Management Services41$85,122
Business Administration, Management and Operations40$70,611
Biology, General37
Bachelor's-degree completions from federal IPEDS data; earnings from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Is Johnson & Wales University-Providence safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Johnson & Wales University-Providence disclosed 18 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 2 violent offenses and 4 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.

Total offenses
18
4.6 per 1,000 students
Violent crime
2
0.51 per 1,000
Sexual assault / VAWA
4
1.01 per 1,000
Burglary
11
reported incidents
Clery Act disclosures (2024) cover on-campus, noncampus, and adjacent public-property incidents; rates use an enrollment of 3,946 students.

Other colleges in Rhode Island parents ask about

How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Johnson & Wales University-Providence recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.

Common questions parents ask about Johnson & Wales University-Providence

What GPA do I need for Johnson & Wales University-Providence?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.

What SAT or ACT score does Johnson & Wales University-Providence typically admit?

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 550–640, with an EBRW midpoint near —. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–30.

How much does Johnson & Wales University-Providence actually cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Johnson & Wales University-Providence after grants and scholarships is $38,123 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.

Is Johnson & Wales University-Providence realistic for my child?

Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Johnson & Wales University-Providence is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.

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

Johnson & Wales University-Providence accepts about 88% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.

Is Johnson & Wales University-Providence a public or private school, and where is it located?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence is a private nonprofit institution located in Bristol, Rhode Island.

What are the most popular majors at Johnson & Wales University-Providence?

The largest undergraduate majors at Johnson & Wales University-Providence by annual graduates are Criminal Justice and Corrections, Marketing and Architecture. The school awards about 436 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.

Is Johnson & Wales University-Providence safe? What is its campus crime rate?

Johnson & Wales University-Providence reported 18 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.6 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.

Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Johnson & Wales University-Providence, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.