Providence College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Providence College is a private, Catholic college with an acceptance rate of 48%. Located in Providence, Rhode Island northwest of downtown, Providence College is administered by the Dominican Order of Friars. Providence College's curriculum is distinguished by a four-semester-long course on western civilization that covers history, religion, literature, and philosophy. Providence College has an impressive graduation rate of over 87%. In athletics, the Providence College Friars compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference.

Considering applying to Providence College? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Providence College had an acceptance rate of 48%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 48 students were admitted, making Providence College's admissions process competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Providence College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Providence may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 51% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Providence College's admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Providence scored between 610 and 670, while 25% scored below 610 and 25% scored above 670. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 600 and 680, while 25% scored below 600 and 25% scored above 680. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1350 or higher is competitive for Providence College.

Requirements

Providence College does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Providence participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Providence does not require the essay section of the SAT. Note that Providence does not review or consider SAT Subject test scores for admission.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Providence College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 17% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Providence College's admitted students fall within the top 15% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Providence received a composite ACT score between 27 and 31, while 25% scored above 31 and 25% scored below 27.

Requirements

Note that Providence does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, Providence College does not superscore ACT results to create a new composite score; though they will consider your highest subscores from each section. Providence does not require the ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA for Providence College's incoming freshmen class was 3.48, and nearly half of admitted students had average GPAs of 3.5 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Providence College have primarily high B grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Providence College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Providence College, which accepts fewer than half of applicants, has a selective admissions process. However, Providence has a holistic admissions process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Providence is particularly interested in applicants with a challenging high school curriculum which includes Honors and AP classes. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside of Providence College's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that most students who got into Providence College had GPAs of 3.3 or higher, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1150, and ACT composite scores of 24 or better. Many successful applicants had solid "A" averages. If your SAT or ACT scores are below the optimal range for Providence you can take advantage of the college's test-optional admissions policy.

If You Like Providence College, You May Also Like These Schools

• University of Connecticut
• Boston University
• Fordham University
• Brown University
• University of New Hampshire
• Syracuse University
• University of Vermont
• Villanova University

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Providence College Undergraduate Admissions Office.