Mission
The mission of the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner is to ensure, promote, and expand postsecondary attainment among all Rhode Islanders by providing an effective system of postsecondary education and workforce training that is high quality, equitable, accessible, affordable, and aligned to pre-kindergarten-12 education and the economy.
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We are Higher Ed
Rhode Island is proud to have a strong higher education system in place that boasts the largest community college in New England, a college that provides over 60% of the state’s teaching force, and a land-grant public research university that is best in class. The Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner provides support to all three public institutions and works on initiatives at a system-wide level.
All postsecondary institutions are integral to the state’s attainment efforts, and together with the public institutions of higher education, they elevate Rhode Island to be a state that despite its geographical size punches above its weight in postsecondary excellence and choice. World-class culinary, art and business schools, an Ivy League university, liberal arts colleges, a law school and a medical school, three workforce development centers, and 16 career schools within the 1,200 square-mile footprint truly demonstrates Rhode Island’s outstanding contributions to academic and career fulfillment.
Whether the students are adults enrolling in an online degree program part-time, high school graduates matriculating in a bachelor’s degree program, or persons pursuing new job opportunities via a workforce credential or apprenticeship, they have plenty of choices as they work toward their career goals.
Institutions
Brown University //
Bryant University //
College Unbound //
Community College of Rhode Island //
Johnson & Wales University //
New England Institute of Technology //
Providence College //
Rhode Island College //
Rhode Island School for Progressive Education //
Rhode Island School of Design //
Roger Williams University //
Salve Regina University //
University of Rhode Island //
RI Nursing Education Center //
Westerly Education Center //
Woonsocket Education Center //
911 Programs and Career Training Institute //
Ace Home Health Aide Training School //
American Safety Programs & Training, Inc. //
ANLI Academy //
Collectiv Academy //
Empire Beauty School //
HITEP //
International CDL //
IYRS School of Technology and Trades //
Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) //
Lincoln Technical Institute //
Motoring Technical Training Institute //
New England Tractor Trailer Training School //
Rob Roy Academy //
Scott Anthony Barber Academy //
St. Joseph Hospital School of Anesthesia for Nurses //
Phlebotomy Training Specialists //
Tailor-Made Training //
Paul Mitchell The School RI //
Rhode Island is proud to have three strong public institutions of higher learning.
Thinking about transferring?
Check out information on that process here.
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is the state’s only public comprehensive associate degree-granting institution. CCRI provides affordable open access to higher education at locations throughout the state. CCRI’s primary mission is to offer recent high school graduates and returning adults the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for intellectual, professional and personal growth through an array of academic, career and lifelong learning programs. CCRI meets the wide-ranging educational needs of a diverse student population, building on a rich tradition of excellence in teaching and a dedication to all students with the ability and motivation to succeed. CCRI sets high academic standards necessary for transfer and career success, champions diversity, responds to community needs, and contributes to the state’s economic development and the region’s workforce.
As a leading regional public college, Rhode Island College (RIC) personalizes higher education of the finest quality for undergraduate and graduate students. RIC offers vibrant programs in arts and sciences, business and professional disciplines within a supportive, respectful and diverse community. Dedicated faculty engage students in learning, research, and career attainment, and RIC’s innovative curricula and co-curricula foster intellectual curiosity and prepare an educated citizenry for responsible leadership.
University of Rhode Island
45 Upper College Rd
Kingston, RI 02881
The University of Rhode Island (URI) is the State’s public learner-centered research university. URI is a community joined in a common quest for knowledge. URI is committed to enriching the lives of its students through its land, sea, and urban grant traditions. URI is the only public institution in Rhode Island offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students the distinctive educational opportunities of a major research university. URI’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional education, research, and outreach serve Rhode Island and beyond. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are united in one common purpose: to learn and lead together. Embracing Rhode Island ’s heritage of independent thought, URI values creativity and scholarship; diversity, fairness, and respect; engaged learning and civic involvement; intellectual and ethical leadership.
Woonsocket Education Center
Westerly Education Center
RI Nursing Education Center
Degree Granting
To learn more about the depth and breadth of Rhode Island’s higher education institutions, visit their individual websites:
Workforce Training Schools
Career Schools
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We design and implement our work through an equity lens that demands that our efforts remove barriers to success for underserved students.
