Providence College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Charleston, Rhode Island · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
Providence College is a public institution located in Charleston, Rhode Island with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Providence College admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 72%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1238 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,518 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Providence College 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 Providence College?
Providence College admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. 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.
What does Providence College weight in admissions?
Providence College reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Class rank
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Interview
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Providence College typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 550–640, with an EBRW midpoint near 610. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–29. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1150 |
| 50th percentile | 1220 |
| 75th percentile | 1300 |
| % submitting SAT | 18% |
| 25th percentile | 25 |
| 50th percentile | 27 |
| 75th percentile | 30 |
| % submitting ACT | 11% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 18% |
| Top 25% of class | 44% |
| Top 50% of class | 80% |
| % submitting class rank | 54.3% |
How much does Providence College actually cost?
Published tuition is $12,978 for in-state students and $36,858 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $14,032 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $19,518 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 19% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $19,518 |
| Application fee | $60 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Providence College
| Regular deadline | 1/15 |
| Notification date | mid-March |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | 11/1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 53% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
Will my child graduate from Providence College?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in Rhode Island parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Providence College
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Providence College 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 Providence College
What GPA do I need for Providence College?
Providence College admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Providence College typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 550–640, with an EBRW midpoint near 610. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–29.
How much does Providence College actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Providence College after grants and scholarships is $19,518 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 Providence College 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, Providence College is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Providence College, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.