Roger Williams University

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location: Northeast
Setting: Large Town Setting
Type: Private
Size: Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad)
Mascot: Hawks
Nickname: RWU
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School Description
Provided by Roger Williams University

Roger Williams University is a community devoted to teaching and learning, wherein students pursue both personal and intellectual growth. The University's mission is to teach students to think, reason, and communicate; to develop expertise in their chosen fields of study; to appreciate established disciplines and to investigate interdisciplinary connections; to experience study and life abroad; to value cultural diversity; to develop ethical awareness; and to preserve intellectual curiosity throughout a lifetime.

Roger Williams University From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Roger Williams University, commonly abbreviated as RWU, is a private, coeducational American liberal arts university located on 120 acres in Bristol, Rhode Island, above Mt. Hope Bay. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams. The University itself, however, has no religious affiliation (indeed, it does not even have a Religion Department).

History, academics, and campus life

The university’s operations date to 1919, when Northeastern University opened a branch campus in the YMCA building in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1940, the YMCA Board of Directors took over the school and the YMCA Institute granted its first associate’s degrees in 1948. In 1956, the Institute received a state charter to become a two-year, degree-granting institution under the name of Roger Williams Junior College. During the 1960s, Roger Williams College began granting bachelor’s degrees. The College, needing a larger campus, purchased 80 acres of waterfront land and moved its main campus to Bristol in 1969 (RWU continues to operate a branch campus in Providence). In 1992, Roger Williams College became Roger Williams University and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.

The university enrolls approximately 3,800 undergraduate and 850 graduate students in 36 liberal arts majors and five professional schools. It is one of the few colleges in the United States to offer an undergraduate degree directly in Marine Biology, has a well-regarded school of architecture, and is the only law school in Rhode Island. Approximately 98% of students live on campus. The current President of the university is Roy Nirschel.

The university has a weekly campus newspaper, The Hawk's Herald, which publishes approximately 20 issues per academic year, and an FM radio station, WQRI 88.3. The radio station plays everything from college alternative to hip hop. The college's 16 varsity athletic teams play at the Division III level as members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Students & Campus Life
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,110
On Campus Housing: Available
Full Time Students: 100%
Athletic Programs: Available
> More Students & Campus Life
Expenses
Average Tuition: $ 21,840
Students Receiving Aid: 75%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid
Admissions
Application Fee: $ 50
Selectivity: Selective
> More Admissions

Students

General
Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Women 53%
Men 47%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 82%
Other 14%
Hispanic 2%
Asian 1%
African-American 1%
Geography
In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 92%
In-State 8%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Massachusetts 33%
Connecticut 23%
New York 11%
Rhode Island 8%
New Jersey 7%
Percent of Students International: 1%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 71%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Basketball (Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conf)
Baseball (Commonwealth Coast Conference)
Track (Commonwealth Coast Conference)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 21,840    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 1,080    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 2,900 13%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 973 12%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 7,695 69%  
Student Loans:
$ 7,066 67%  
Any Aid:
  75%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 78% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 93%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 490, Math: 500
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 580, Math: 600

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 50.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Recommended
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Not Required
Test Scores: Required

Degree Programs at Roger Williams University

Associate's Level Majors
Bachelor's Level Majors

Certificate Programs at Roger Williams University

Career Education Majors

Photos