2026 Best Value Nursing Schools in Rhode Island
[Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for nursing students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Nursing Schools in Rhode Island
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Nursing Schools
Our analysis ranked Community College Of Rhode Island the best value for a degree in nursing in Rhode Island. Set in the city of Warwick, Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,550, compared with $14,834 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for nursing graduates is $21,000. Nursing graduates of Community College Of Rhode Island earn a median of $66,988 early in their careers. Set against $21,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Rhode Island College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing schools. Rhode Island College is a large public school located in the suburb of Providence. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,300, compared with $27,299 for out-of-state students. Nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Nursing graduates of Rhode Island College earn a median of $107,588 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Rhode Island one of the best values for nursing. Set in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $16,942 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $37,146. Nursing graduates carry a median of $26,390 in student loans. Early-career nursing graduates make about $95,762. Set against $26,390 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Rhode Island admits about 72% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Salve Regina University one of the best values for nursing. Set in the suburb of Newport, Salve Regina University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $50,100 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for nursing graduates is $27,000. Nursing graduates of Salve Regina University earn a median of $78,876 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Salve Regina University admits about 68% of applicants.
New England Institute Of Technology is a great value for students pursuing a degree in nursing, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of East Greenwich, New England Institute Of Technology is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,275. Students borrow a median of $29,799 to complete the nursing program here. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients from New England Institute Of Technology generally make around $80,051. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
View All Nursing Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
