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Summary
Providence College is a private institution that was founded in 1917. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,371, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 105 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Providence College's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (North), 4. Its tuition and fees are $40,975 (2011-12).
Providence College—located in Providence, R.I.—is the only college in the nation operated by Dominican Friars. The Slavin Center serves as the school’s student union, housing a concert/lecture hall, student organization offices, a food court, and McPhail’s—a snack bar and hangout spot equipped with dance floor, pool tables, and a projector-screen TV. There are more than 60 clubs and organizations on campus, and students can also create a team to compete in Battle of the Brains, an annual question and answer game-show style tournament. Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus in one of the residence halls, most of which are single sex. The Providence College Friars compete primarily in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I.
Providence College encompasses four schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Professional Studies, and School of Continuing Education. With nearly 50 majors offered, students have a wide range of options when choosing what course of study to pursue. All undergraduates must complete the core curriculum, which is centered on the two-year long Development of Western Civilization program. Graduate offerings include MBA and Master of Theological Studies programs as well as a variety of Master of Arts and Master of Education programs. Providence College shares its motto with Harvard: Veritas, which means "truth" in Latin.
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Be transformed. That's the invitation and promise offered by Providence College to 3,800 undergraduates each year. It's an invitation for students to find themselves and their direction in life, and to thrive in an environment that challenges them on every level: mind and body, heart and soul. It's a promise inspired by the Dominican Friars, a Catholic religious order dedicated to the pursuit of truth and to a spirituality that embraces the whole person. This spirit permeates a rigorous liberal arts curriculum and sustains a vibrant campus community. The result is a values-based education that transforms students and, ultimately, the society in which they live. The only college or university in the nation operated by the Dominican Friars, Providence College welcomes qualified men and women of all religious, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. PC is committed to increasing need-based financial aid and does not require that SAT or ACT test scores be submitted as part of the admission process. The Committee on Admission conducts a holistic review that considers each candidate's academic achievement in a rigorous high school curriculum, extracurricular activities, recommendations, a writing sample, and personal qualities. The PC experience is characterized by collaborative teaching and active learning. Interdisciplinary thinking begins with the two-year Development of Western Civilization Program-a key part of a Core Curriculum that challenges all freshmen and sophomores to seek truth by asking difficult questions, challenging conventional wisdom, and defending their conclusions. Through such intellectual pursuits, students learn how to reason well, to examine sources critically, to reconcile opposing points of view, and to write and speak effectively. Students choose academic majors in disciplines that range from the arts and sciences to the new School of Business, education, and interdisciplinary majors such as global studies and public and community service studies. Pre-professional advisors assist students pursuing careers in medicine and law. For students unsure about a major, faculty in the Undeclared Advising Program provide guidance. Beyond the classroom, students collaborate with faculty in many creative ways: from on-campus laboratory research of cancer receptors to field trips in the tropical rain forests of Belize; from sociological studies on homelessness to independent research into presidential elections. PC offers study abroad opportunities through its Center for International Studies and internship options with the Office of Career Services. In residence halls and classrooms, on the playing fields, through Campus Ministry and more than 100 other extracurricular activities, students are involved with each other and their community. PC boasts a rich tradition of intercollegiate and intramural athletics. Friar teams compete in top NCAA Division I conferences including the BIG EAST and HOCKEY EAST. PC takes pride in the suburban feel of its 105-acre campus, located in Rhode Island's historic capital city. In the last 12 years, the College has invested more than $165 million in capital projects including construction of a fitness center, a suite-style residence hall, a performing arts center, an artificial-turf field, and a campus chapel. Renovations to existing facilities have created a new science complex with spacious biology, chemistry, and physics labs - significantly expanding opportunities for faculty and students to collaborate on research projects traditionally associated with research-based universities. Other improvements include numerous multi-media classrooms and enhanced services and amenities at the campus library, student center, dining halls, and other learning and living areas. Direct flights from T.F. Green Airport reach over 20 destinations nationwide and bus and train transportation make Providence easily accessible to major cities in the Northeast, including Boston and New York. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1917 |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2010 Endowment | N/A |
Applying
When applying to Providence College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 15, and the early action deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 15. The application fee at Providence College is $55. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 67.2 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 67% |
| Application deadline | January 15 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | February 15 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Providence College is 12:1, and the school has 47.3 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Providence College include: Marketing/Marketing Management, General; English Language and Literature, General; Biology/Biological Sciences, General; Special Education and Teaching, General; and Political Science and Government, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 91.5 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 12:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 83% - High | ||||||||||
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Student Life
Providence College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,371, with a gender distribution of 43.5 percent male students and 56.5 percent female students. 80.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 20.0 percent of students live off campus. Providence College is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Providence College.
| Total enrollment | 5,065 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
Providence College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, and health service. Providence College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Providence College, 36 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Providence College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 36% - Low |
| Health insurance offered | No |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $40,975 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $12,140 (2011-12) - High |
| Financial aid statistics | N/A |
* Overview details based on 2010 data
