The Best MBA Programs in Providence for 2027
Key Points: Best MBA Programs in Providence
- Brown University ranks #1 in the Providence area on a 96.7 Program Score, with a 96% graduation rate.
- Every school on this list is private.
- Bryant University follows at #2 with an 86.9 Program Score.
- Programs analyzed
- 9
- Schools ranked
- 5
- Average graduation rate
- 75%
We analyzed 9 accredited MBA programs in Providence and the surrounding metro and ranked 5 schools on graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes.
Brown University leads with a 96.7 Program Score on a 96% graduation rate. Across all 5 ranked MBA programs in Providence the average graduation rate is 75%, ranging from 55% to 96%. National median pay for the field is $105,770 a year per the BLS, the benchmark every school on this list feeds into regardless of what it charges.
How the Top MBA Programs in Providence Compare
Brown leads at 96.7, and Johnson & Wales-Providence closes the chart at 63.7. Longer bars rank higher.
How We Rank MBA Programs in Providence
Each Program Score runs from 0 to 100: outcomes count for 44%, selectivity and academics for 38%, and scale and value for 18%, all from federal data. See how the weights work.
The 5 Best MBA Programs in Providence, Ranked for 2027
The 5 best MBA Programs in Providence, ranked by outcomes.
Brown University
Providence, RI · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 96%
- Admit rate
- 5%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Brown University's online Master of Management runs 16 months and eight courses (32 credits) with only one optional three-day in-person session.
- 96% graduation rate
- Program Score 96.7
- 16 months, 32 credits
- Online with optional 3-day session
Brown University's page describes an online Master of Management (MiM), a 16-month program built from eight courses worth 32 credits. It is offered online with one optional three-day in-person session, and students can enter in the spring or fall. The curriculum covers strategic leadership, business and data analytics, financial management, marketing, entrepreneurship, ethics and social responsibility. Brown frames the degree around technology-aided, data-informed, human-directed and ethical management, and it is designed for early-career professionals who want to build a business framework on top of an undergraduate foundation. The page lists early action, priority and final application deadlines for each term and invites prospects to attend an information session or speak with an advisor.
The Program Score of 96.7 out of 100 is the basis of this program's ranking. Brown graduates 96% of its students and admits only 5% of applicants, making it one of the most selective schools in the country. The program fits recent graduates and early-career professionals who want management fundamentals in an online format that keeps them in their current job and location.
Bryant University
Smithfield, RI · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 80%
- Admit rate
- 65%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A 12-month, 39-credit full-time MBA that includes a January Global Immersion Experience abroad and a business practicum with a corporate or nonprofit partner.
- 80% graduation rate
- Program Score 86.9
- 12-month full-time format
- Global Immersion Experience abroad
Bryant University's One-Year MBA is a full-time, in-person cohort program in Smithfield that runs from August to August. It totals 13 courses and 39 credits: 11 required courses, including a one-credit MBA Boot Camp, the Global Immersion Experience and a business practicum, plus three electives. The Global Immersion Experience takes place in January, and the page lists past destinations such as Chile, Panama, China, Germany, Iceland and Dubai. In the practicum, the cohort works with a corporation or nonprofit partner to solve a problem or build a new business opportunity. Students can choose a concentration in business analytics, fintech, global supply chain management or international business, or follow a general management track. The business analytics concentration is STEM-designated. Applicants submit a statement of objectives, resume, one faculty recommendation and transcripts, and no GMAT or GRE is required.
Federal data shows 80% of Bryant students graduate, and the university admits 65% of applicants. The program earns a Program Score of 86.9 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits recent graduates and career changers who can commit to a single intense year on campus and want an international component built into the degree.
Salve Regina University
Newport, RI · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 77%
- Admit rate
- 68%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A 36-credit M.B.A. offered entirely online, with four concentrations and an average completion time of 18 to 24 months.
- Program Score 81.7
- 77% graduation rate
- 36 credits, 12 online courses
- Four concentrations including cybersecurity
Salve Regina University's Master of Business Administration is a 36-credit program of 12 courses that the school says is offered fully online, with an average time to complete of 18 to 24 months. The curriculum covers entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, finance, economics, accounting, strategic management and marketing, and it blends business ethics and social responsibility with analytical and quantitative work. Students choose one of four concentrations: cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, finance, or organizational behavior and human resources. The school reports accreditation from the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, mixes asynchronous and synchronous learning, and starts students in fall, spring or summer. Business majors at Salve can also apply to a combined bachelor's and master's route that finishes both degrees in five years.
Salve Regina reports a 77% graduation rate and admits 68% of applicants. The program earns a Program Score of 81.7 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits working professionals who want a flexible schedule and a choice of specialty, and current Salve business majors who want to stack the M.B.A. onto their bachelor's degree in a single extra year.
Roger Williams University
Bristol, RI · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 69%
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A joint J.D./M.B.A. that pairs 78 law credits with 24 graduate business credits and finishes in four years or less instead of five.
- Program Score 73.1
- 69% graduation rate
- J.D./M.B.A. in four years or less
- Required internship and international study
Roger Williams University offers its M.B.A. as part of a joint J.D./M.B.A. with its School of Law, built for students headed toward corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, or intellectual property. Students complete 78 credits at the School of Law and 24 graduate credits in the Gabelli School of Business. Each school accepts 12 transfer credits from the other, which cuts the usual five years to four or less with continuous full-time study. The business side combines core courses in managerial economics, data analytics, corporate finance, strategic management, accounting, marketing and global business with a required internship and international study at the Providence Metro Campus. Joint students also take a summer primer called Roger's Review before the M.B.A. begins, covering accounting, finance, economics and analytics.
Roger Williams reports a 69% graduation rate and admits 88% of applicants. The program holds a Program Score of 73.1 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The format suits students who already know they want a law degree and want business training alongside it, and who can commit to full-time study across both schools. Those who only want a stand-alone M.B.A. should check how the joint structure fits their plans, since the credit sharing is what shortens the path.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
Providence, RI · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 55%
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
An MBA with a human resource management concentration, 36 to 42 credits, with a career capstone and an accelerated BSBA/MBA option.
- 55% graduation rate
- Program Score 63.7
- HR management concentration
- Hybrid, full-time or part-time
Johnson & Wales University-Providence offers an MBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management through its College of Hospitality & Business. The degree is 36 credits for students with an undergraduate business background and 42 for non-business students, with fall and spring starts. Core courses cover accounting for strategic decision-making, business analytics, financial management, operations, leadership, strategic marketing and evidence-based research. The concentration adds courses in human resource management, labor and employee relations, and strategic recruiting, retention and succession, plus a choice between strategic compensation and benefits or organizational training and development. A business policy and strategy course serves as the career capstone. Full-time study takes 1.5 to 2 years and part-time takes 2 to 3, in a hybrid mix of online and in-person learning. The school also offers a combined BSBA/MBA accelerated route.
Federal data shows 55% of JWU students graduate, and the university admits 88% of applicants. The program earns a Program Score of 63.7 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits working professionals aiming at roles such as HR manager, compensation and benefits manager, or training and development manager, the career options the program page lists.
Graduation Rates at the Ranked MBA Programs in Providence
The median school on this list graduates 77% of its students. The highest rates belong to Brown University (96%) and Bryant University (80%). The school with the highest rate is also ranked #1.
- #1 Brown University96% graduation rate
- #2 Bryant University80% graduation rate
- #3 Salve Regina University77% graduation rate
Institution-wide graduation rates reported to IPEDS. They describe the whole school, not this program alone.
How Selective Are the MBA Programs in Providence?
On this list, 1 school admits fewer than half of applicants, the most selective being Brown University at 5%.
- #1 Brown University5% admitted
- #2 Bryant University65% admitted
- #3 Salve Regina University68% admitted
Institution-wide admit rates for first-time applicants, reported to IPEDS. Open-admission schools do not report one.
Campus Size Across the MBA Programs in Providence
Enrollment on this list runs from 2,791 at Salve Regina University to 11,956 at Brown University. Of the 5, 4 enroll fewer than 5,000.
Total institution enrollment reported to IPEDS, all levels and programs.
What Graduates of the MBA Programs in Providence Earn
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years outEarnings, 4 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| #2 | Bryant UniversityBryant | $129,664 |
| #3 | Salve Regina UniversitySalve Regina | $89,789 |
| #4 | Roger Williams UniversityRoger Williams | $82,320 |
| #5 | Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceJohnson & Wales-Providence | $73,821 |
Graduates of Bryant earn the most four years after finishing, a median of $129,664; the lowest figure here is $73,821 at Johnson & Wales-Providence.
Bryant leads on both counts: the top rank among these schools and the highest graduate pay.
College Scorecard, October 2026 release. Earnings cover each school's programs in this field at this degree level.
What MBA Programs in Providence Cost
The federal data behind this ranking reports each school's undergraduate tuition, not its MBA price, so this page does not quote a per-program MBA cost. Graduate business tuition is usually billed per credit and varies by format: full-time, part-time, evening, and executive sections at the same school often carry different rates. Get the current per-credit rate and total program cost from each school's graduate business office before comparing.
Run the full two-year math on that quoted rate, and add fees and any required residencies. Against the national median of $105,770 a year for the management roles MBA graduates move into, a lower total cost pays itself back faster. Employer tuition assistance and graduate assistantships change the real price more than the sticker does, so ask about both.
Accreditation Across Providence Business Schools
The MBA programs in Providence lean private: 5 of the 5 ranked schools are private against 0 public. Accreditation is what makes their degrees comparable at all. For an MBA the signal employers read is business-school accreditation from AACSB sitting on top of the university's institutional accreditation, and a private school's higher price does not mean it carries it. Confirm it on each school's own page before applying.
Why Study for an MBA in Providence
The 5 ranked schools are spread across 4 towns, which makes "Providence" a looser description than the heading suggests. Brown University tops the list, with Bryant University in Smithfield and Salve Regina University in Newport behind it, and the table names the town of each. For a part-time cohort meeting on weeknights that spread is the deciding constraint: a campus an hour out is a different degree from one on the way home, whatever the ranking says.
1 of the 5 also run a confirmed online option, which keeps the credential but gives up most of the local access that justifies studying in Providence in the first place.
Careers and Pay After a Providence MBA
Every one of the MBA programs in Providence points toward the same national labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts national median pay for the field at $105,770 a year, a figure that describes the profession rather than any single school here. That is the tradeoff this ranking exists to expose: in the federal wage data, a higher price does not buy a higher salary.
Keep Exploring
MBA Programs in Providence: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best MBA program in Providence?
By Program Score, Brown University ranks first among the 5 ranked MBA programs in Providence, with a 96.7 score and a 96% graduation rate. The score weighs graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes together, so the top school balances all four rather than winning on any one of them.
Do MBA programs in Providence require the GMAT?
Fewer of them every year, and the 5 ranked here are not uniform about it. Many programs now waive the GMAT or GRE for applicants with several years of relevant work, and the terms differ program by program, so check them on each school's admissions page before registering for a test. A waiver saves the fee and the study time, and it does not loosen the rest of the file.
How much does an MBA cost in Providence?
It depends on the school and the format. The federal data this ranking uses reports undergraduate tuition, not MBA pricing, so ask each school's graduate business office for its current per-credit rate and total program cost, and compare full-time, part-time, and online sections separately. Neither figure includes Providence living costs, which are a real part of the total.
How many MBA programs in Providence does this ranking cover?
We analyzed 9 accredited MBA programs across Providence and the surrounding metro and ranked the top 5 schools, listing one entry per school. This list covers the Providence metro area, so some schools sit outside the city line; the city of each is shown in the table.
Is it worth doing an MBA in Providence instead of online?
1 of the 5 ranked schools run a confirmed online option, so in Providence this is a live choice rather than a hypothetical one. An accredited online program carries identical standing on a transcript, since accreditation attaches to the school and the program rather than to the delivery format. What a campus adds is proximity to the employers that school recruits into. The honest comparison is local access against the cost of being here.