Best Degree Completion Programs in Rhode Island 2027

Why it ranks #1: 72% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list) and its graduates earn a median $64,520 a year (higher than 5 other colleges on this list).

URI's Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies is the completion route for students who already have at least 45 prior college credits. The degree takes 120 credits, and at least 30 of them must be in courses numbered 300 or above. Courses run in seven-week sessions with spring, summer and fall starts, which gives you three chances a year to begin.

Why it ranks #2: 100% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 8 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $495 per credit for Rhode Island residents (lower than 2 other colleges on this list).

Johnson & Wales, based in Providence, offers its hospitality bachelor's online on a traditional 120-credit route. Courses run seven or fifteen weeks, and you can add a specialization in Food and Beverage Management, Hotel and Resort Management, or Sustainable Tourism. The university's transfer evaluation shows which of your previous college credits apply, so you know your starting point before you enroll.

Why it ranks #3: 61% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 2 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $370 per credit for Rhode Island residents (lower than 4 other colleges on this list).

RIC's Bachelor of Professional Studies is built around adults with work experience: you need age 24 or older, 24 college credits and five years of documented work or military training. It costs $370 per credit, runs fully online and asynchronous, and meets in 7-week sessions. Up to 75 transfer credits count toward the 120, and you can earn credit for work and life experience.

Why it ranks #4: 65% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 5 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $329 per credit for out-of-state students (lower than 6 other colleges on this list).

Charter Oak State College charges $329 per credit for all undergraduate students in 2026-27, and its general studies bachelor's is 100% online with six start dates. You need to be 16 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent. The degree takes at least 120 credits, and you build an individualized concentration with your academic counselor in your first semester.

Why it ranks #5: 62% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 4 other colleges on this list) and its graduates in this field earn a median $89,715 a year (the highest on this list).

Up to 90 credits can transfer into UMass Lowell's online information technology bachelor's, subject to evaluation, out of 120 total credits with a minimum 2.000 GPA. You can study part time or full time. The curriculum includes 6 credits of project-based information systems coursework, and four of the seven IT electives must be upper level.

Why it ranks #6: 89% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (the highest on this list) and it accepts up to 96 transfer credits (higher than 6 other colleges on this list).

Coursework in Simmons University's online human services BA addresses social welfare policy, communication, and practice with individuals and communities. The major is 36 credits, and the program does not require a practicum, which can matter if you're working while you finish. Up to 96 transfer credits count toward the degree.

Why it ranks #7: 69% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 6 other colleges on this list) and its graduates earn a median $63,838 a year (higher than 3 other colleges on this list).

Boston University's Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Interdisciplinary Studies is fully online and part time. You complete at least 12 online courses totaling 48 units at BU, and applicants with previous transferable college study get an individual review of their incoming academic units. It suits you if you want a steady part-time pace while you work.

Why it ranks #8: 69% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 6 other colleges on this list) and its graduates earn a median $70,916 a year (higher than 7 other colleges on this list).

UMass Amherst reviews previous college study and eligible learning from experience within an approved interdisciplinary degree plan. Up to 75 credits may transfer toward the 120-credit BA, with at least 45 earned through UMass Amherst, and the individualized concentration takes 45 credits. That 75-credit ceiling is lower than at some other schools, so count your credits first.

Why it ranks #9: Its online rate is $370 per credit for out-of-state students (lower than 4 other colleges on this list) and 54% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 1 other college on this list).

UMass Dartmouth lists $370 per credit plus fees for its online economics BS in 2026-27. Up to 90 of the 120 credits can transfer from regionally accredited institutions, and you send official transcripts from every school you attended. The curriculum includes economic statistics, econometrics and statistical lab courses, and most online courses are asynchronous with defined assignment deadlines.

Why it ranks #10: 61% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 3 other colleges on this list) and its rate is $292 per credit for out-of-state students (the lowest on this list).

Sport management majors at Southern Connecticut State take 42 credits in the major within a 120-credit degree. You can take the BS online or on the ground. Credit from regionally accredited institutions transfers, with at least 30 credits earned at Southern, and your earlier college courses need a 2.5 cumulative GPA.