Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Johnson & Wales University-Providence's communications program punches significantly above its weight nationally—graduates earn 23% more than the typical program graduate ($49,033 versus $39,794), placing them in the 95th percentile nationwide. That's an impressive achievement for a program at an institution with an 84% admission rate.

The caveat is Rhode Island itself: within the state, this program sits at just the 60th percentile, meaning other local options produce similar outcomes. Still, the debt picture looks manageable at $24,500, translating to a 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio that shouldn't overwhelm a typical graduate's budget. The real concern is the complete absence of earnings growth—median pay actually declines slightly from $49,033 in year one to $48,868 by year four. This suggests graduates may be hitting their ceiling quickly rather than building toward mid-career advancement.

For Rhode Island families, this program delivers solid entry-level outcomes at reasonable debt levels, but the stagnant trajectory means what you see is likely what you'll get. If your child thrives in hospitality-adjacent environments (Johnson & Wales' specialty), this could work well. But if they're considering other Rhode Island programs like Roger Williams or URI, compare career services and alumni networks carefully—the outcomes are similar enough that those factors may matter more than the initial numbers suggest.