The 10 Best Colleges In Rhode Island, According To New 2027 Ranking

Brown University is the best college in Rhode Island, according to Niche’s newly released 2027 college rankings.

The Pittsburgh-based college search and review site evaluated more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, using federal data along with student and alumni reviews.

Brown University, located in Providence, ranked No. 12 nationally on Niche’s 2027 Best Colleges in America list and No. 1 in Rhode Island. Providence College ranked second, followed by the Rhode Island School of Design, University of Rhode Island and Bryant University.

The next five top schools in Rhode Island are Salve Regina University, Rhode Island College, the New England Institute of Technology, Johnson & Wales University and Roger Williams University.

Rhode Island colleges also showed up near the top of several specialty rankings. Brown was third best for both International Relations in America and Best Colleges for Global Studies. Providence is the 16th best Catholic School in America.

Niche publishes rankings for categories including value, academics, professors, student life, campuses, majors, public universities and liberal arts colleges, as well as rankings by state.

The Top 10 Nationally

Nationally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the No. 1 spot on the 2027 Best Colleges list. The full top 10 includes:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Stanford University, Stanford, California
3. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
6. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
7. Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
8. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
9. Columbia University, New York
10. Rice University, Texas

What Goes Into The Rankings

Niche’s rankings combine federal data with reviews from students and alumni, weighing factors including academics, value, professors, campus life, diversity and safety.

For 2027, Niche also added a measure that compares colleges with similar institutions based on their missions and outcomes. The site also introduced pilot grades for student wellness and “future readiness,” including career services, internships and exposure to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

See also:

• Rhode Island Colleges Make Princeton Review’s 2027 Best List

• JWU Professor Helps Design Rhode Island's New Disability Access License Plate
• University Of Rhode Island Alum Named Rhode Island Teacher Of The Year
• Eagle Scouts, Gold Award Recipients Now Get Automatic Admission To RI Public Colleges
• 2 Rhode Island Universities Ranked Among World’s Best By US News