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NurseSavvy ranking · Rhode Island · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in Rhode Island (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 6

We ranked all 6 RN programs in Rhode Island that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in Rhode Island, and what graduates earn a year out.

Johnson & Wales comes out on top. Here are the top 6, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.

No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.

Rank it your way

Rank Rhode Island’s 6 RN programs on what matters to you

NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.

The top 6 nursing programs in Rhode Island

Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.

  1. 1

    Johnson & Wales

    Registered Nurse

    67score

    A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    100%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    Not publishedfill-in
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  2. 2

    Rhode Island College

    Registered Nurse· Public

    56score

    A $9,478 average net price is low next to $100,640 median RN pay in Rhode Island.

    NCLEX strength
    86.1%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $9,478/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  3. 3

    University of Rhode Island

    Registered Nurse· Public

    51score

    A 86.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    86.8%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $21,440/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  4. 4

    Ccri

    Registered Nurse

    50score

    A 84.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    84.8%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    Not publishedfill-in
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  5. 5

    Salve Regina

    Registered Nurse

    43score

    A 78.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    78.6%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    Not publishedfill-in
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  6. 6

    New England Institute of Technology

    Registered Nurse· Private nonprofit

    38score

    A 82.1% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    82.1%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $36,483/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in

Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.

All 9 approved programs in Rhode Island Full rankings table

The Rhode Island leaders on each measure

Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.

No Rhode Island RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.

How we ranked Rhode Island’s nursing schools

  • NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Rhode Island board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
  • Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
  • Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to Rhode Island’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
  • Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.

A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best nursing school in Rhode Island?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Johnson & Wales (Registered Nurse) ranks #1 of 6 RN programs in Rhode Island with a score of 67 out of 100 and a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.

How did NurseSavvy rank Rhode Island nursing schools?

Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the Rhode Island board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

What does “fill-in” mean on this list?

When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.

Can a school pay to rank higher?

No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.

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