Understanding Johnson & Wales University Rhode Island Tuition Fees

Johnson & Wales University (JWU) offers a variety of programs at its Rhode Island campuses, each with its own tuition structure and associated fees. Understanding these costs is crucial for prospective students and their families to plan their finances effectively. This article provides a comprehensive overview of JWU Rhode Island's tuition fees, covering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs. It also addresses the Cost of Attendance (COA), payment options, and available financial aid.

Undergraduate Tuition and Fees

Undergraduate tuition is assessed at the time of course registration for each semester. Full-time status is defined as 12 to 18 credit hours per semester. Students exceeding 18 credit hours will incur an additional tuition charge per credit, unless they qualify for the Special Honors and Rewards Program (SHARP). Repeating courses may also result in additional fees.

A new student fee is charged during the first semester of enrollment to cover orientation, testing, and semester start activities. This fee is not applicable to international students. The student activity fee supports student clubs, organizations, and departments, funding co-curricular experiences like comedy shows, concerts, lectures, movies, special events, travel, and club appropriations. Activities may vary by campus.

College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) and Dietetics & Applied Nutrition Fees

Students enrolled in the College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) and Dietetics & Applied Nutrition will be assessed a nonrefundable uniform & toolkit fee during the first two semesters of enrollment. This fee ensures students in these programs begin their college careers with the same professional appearance and educational materials needed for a successful academic experience.

Additional Program Fees

Wildcat LEAP (Learning Effectiveness in Action Program) is a fee-based educational program designed to develop specific strategies to enhance learning. The program includes one-on-one support, small group instruction, and a three-credit course available only to LEAP participants. Wildcat ROAR (Relationships, Organization, Attention and Reflection), hosted at JWU's Providence Campus, is a fee-based educational program designed to support students in developing executive functioning skills to strengthen their academic and personal success. Please refer to Student Support Services to learn more about these programs.

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International Student Fees

Providence Campus international students will be assessed an International Student Services Fee of $1,386 per academic year or $693 per semester. The fee will cover necessary services that are used exclusively or more intensely to support international students. These resources include, but are not limited to, tutoring and academic support services, visa and federal government reporting requirements, enhanced arrival services activities, and sponsored programs offered to international students across campus.

Deposits

A deposit of $500 for U.S. citizens or $500 for international applicants is payable upon acceptance to the university and is credited toward the student's tuition. The university observes the May 1 deposit deadline and encourages students to research all schools prior to placing a deposit. Deposits received after May 1 will be accepted on the basis of space availability. The student's account must be cleared by Student Financial Services by the payment deadline to receive a room assignment. To best ensure consideration for on-campus housing, it is important to meet all deadlines throughout the enrollment process. Deposits are nonrefundable with the exception of international applicants who have their visa denied and who request a deposit refund within two months of the visa denial.

The university may revoke any student’s acceptance or subsequent enrollment at any time if any information provided by the student is false, misleading or incomplete, or if the university learns of any past or present misconduct by the student that, in the university's sole judgment, would affect the student's ability to represent and uphold the standards of the university.

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Graduate tuition is assessed at the time of course registration for the semester or within each eight-week session (Fall I, Fall II, Spring I, Spring II, Summer I or Summer II).

The following estimated tuition and fees schedules are effective for the 2025-26 academic year. Tuition and fees are subject to change annually.

Graduate Tuition Rates

MBA/M.P.H./M.S. Programs: $842 per credit or $2,526 per 3 credit course
M.S. Addiction Counseling & Clinical Mental Health Counseling: $774 per credit or $2,322 per 3 credit course
M.A.T./M.Ed.: $572 per credit or $1,716 per 3 credit course
Ed.D. Program: $993 per credit or $5,958 per 6 credit course
Pre-Master's International Students: $5,250 per semester

Program-Specific Fees

Physician Assistant Studies: $18,502 per semester, plus a $1,287 program fee and a $1,100 medical equipment fee
Dissertation Fee (Ed.D.): $1,903 per semester
Doctor of Occupational Therapy: $14,345 per semester, plus a $552 program fee
Doctor of Physical Therapy (June 2025 starts): $18,500 per semester
International Student Services Fee, Providence: $1,386 per academic year ($693 per semester)

Post-Traditional Housing

Post-Traditional Housing is available starting September 2025 for postbaccalaureate-level study (ABSN, graduate and doctoral) or nontraditional students only. Amounts listed are per semester. Refer to the 2024-25 catalog for Summer 2025 rates.

Imperial (per semester) Single/Private Bath/Large Room $4,300
Imperial (per semester) Single/Common Bath/Large Room $4,100
Imperial (per semester) Single/Private Bath/Small Room $3,800
Imperial (per semester) Single/Common Bath/Small Room $3,500

Online Program Tuition and Fees

JWU Online offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs with their own specific tuition rates.

Online Tuition Rates for 2025-26 and 2026-27

Undergraduate: $495 per 1.0 Credit/$1,485 per 3.0 Credit Course
Graduate: $842 per 1.0 Credit/$2,526 per 3.0 Credit Course
Doctoral: $993 per 1.0 Credit, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)/$2,979 per 3.0 Credit Course/$993 Dissertation Advisement fee per credit hour [NOTE: Upon completion of all required core and research courses, candidates who have not successfully completed their dissertation defense will be scheduled for a Doctoral Dissertation Advisement course (RSCH 9011). This course will be charged at the rate of one credit ($993) per each 7-week term until successful dissertation defense. Students must be continuously enrolled through the term in which they defend their dissertation.]

Professional Culinary Skills Certificate

$495 for the 1.0 credit Food Safety Course / $2,250 per 3.0 credit culinary course & lab
Additional Estimated Expenses: Food Safety Exam - $100, Culinary lab food expense per course - $500

Online Programs Credits & Number of Courses Per Program

AS - Business Administration 60 credits/20 courses
AS - Criminal Justice 60 credits/20 courses
AS - Hospitality Management 60 credits/20 courses
BS - Accounting 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management 121 total credits/20 courses*
BS - Business Studies 120-123 credits/21 courses
BS - Computer Science 121 credits/40 courses
BS - Computer Science (91-credit option) 91 credits/31 courses
BS - Criminal Justice 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Criminal Justice (90-credit option) 90 credits/30 courses
BS - Culinary Arts and Food Service Management 121 total credits/20 courses**
BS - Digital Marketing & Social Media 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Fashion Merchandising & Retailing 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Finance 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship 121 total credits/20 courses***
BS - Hospitality Management 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Hospitality Management (90-credit option) 90 credits/30 courses
BS - Liberal Studies 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Marketing & Advertising 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Psychology 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Public Health 120 credits/40 courses
BS - Sports, Entertainment, Event - Management 120 credits/41 courses
BSBA - Business Administration 120 credits/40 courses
BSBA - Entrepreneurship 120 credits/40 courses
BSBA - Human Resource Management 120 credits/40 courses
BSBA - Operations and Supply Chain Management 120 credits/40 courses
MBA - Business Administration 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - 1 Year 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Accounting 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Data Analytics 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Event Leadership 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Finance 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Hospitality 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Human Resource Management 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Marketing 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Operations and Supply Chain Management 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Organizational Leadership 36-42 credits/12 courses
MBA - Organizational Psychology 36-42 credits/12 courses
MPA - Master of Public Administration 36 credits/12 courses
MS - Criminal Justice 30 credits/10 courses
MS - Data Analytics 36 credits/12 courses
MS - Finance 30 credits/10 courses
MS - Food Safety 30-36 credits/10-12 courses
MS - Hospitality Management 30 credits/10 courses
MS - Nutrition 30-36 credits/10 courses
MS - Operations & Project Management 30-36 credits/10 courses
MS - Organizational Psychology 30-36 credits/10 courses
DBA - Hospitality Leadership 54 credits/18 courses
DBA - Organization Leadership 54 credits/18 courses

* Enrollment in the BS - Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management program requires an associate degree in baking & pastry arts

** Enrollment in the BS - Culinary Arts and Food Service Management program requires an associate degree in culinary arts

*** Enrollment in the BS - Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship program requires an associate degree in EITHER baking & pastry arts OR culinary artsPlease note culinary courses and FSM1065 will not be offered online and must be completed prior to transfer into the online program.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is the estimated total amount it will cost a student to attend JWU each year. The COA includes tuition and fees; on-campus housing (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students); and allowances for books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and federal loan fees. Tuition is applicable to all students, including those in approved off-campus programs such as Study Abroad and internships.

For JWU Online, the COA includes tuition & fees, on-campus housing/food (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students), transportation, above eligible estimated expenses, miscellaneous personal expenses, and federal loan fees.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Financial aid can include grants, loans, scholarships and work-study jobs. Financial aid packages vary depending on your financial need. Most colleges determine financial need based on your FAFSA.

The average need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-year students at Johnson & Wales University--Providence was $32,354. Additionally, 80% of first-year students received need-based financial aid in fall 2023.

The average need-based self-help aid awarded to first-year students was $5,078. The average non-need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-year students at Johnson & Wales University--Providence - excluding any athletic scholarships, if applicable - was $25,006.

JWU offers your own personal financial planner who will help guide you through the process. You can now apply to FAFSA as early as October 1.

Types of Aid Available

Types of need-based scholarships/grants available. Scholarships are a type of funding that you don’t need to pay back. Need-based scholarships take a student’s financial status into account. Merit-based scholarships are awarded to students for academic or athletic achievement. You might also qualify for a scholarship based on your community service involvement, unique hobbies or traits, your personal background, or a parent’s employer or military affiliation.

Some students receive enough in scholarship money to cover their tuition and living expenses.

Financial Aid Dates

Application Due Feb 15. The last day to apply for financial aid or turn in related paperwork. Applications received prior to this date will be given the strongest consideration. Still apply for financial aid if you don’t make this due date.

Student Health Insurance

All undergraduate students, both domestic and international, all international graduate students, and any graduate student required to be enrolled under programmatic requirements (e.g., students enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program, Physical Therapy Program, Occupational Therapy Program, Addiction Counseling or Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree programs, etc.), registered and attending Johnson & Wales University and taking credit hours (excluding full-time Johnson & Wales University employees) are eligible and enrolled in the plan on a hard waiver basis.

University policy requires students to have health insurance. If a student has coverage through another means (i.e., parent's health insurance or an employer program), the student may submit a waiver form to opt out of the university student health insurance plan. and the state in which the student attends class (or, for Rhode Island campus students, for Connecticut and Massachusetts, and for North Caroline campus students, for South Carolina).

health insurance marketplace plans, or embassy sponsored plans are considered comparable. health plans provide comparable coverage, and many out-of-state HMO, EPO, and Medicaid plans will not provide comprehensive non-emergency benefits in the geographical area surrounding the school.

Students can opt out of the university plan by submitting the online waiver form to demonstrate evidence of coverage. A new waiver form must be submitted each academic year. Students who are required to have health insurance and do not waive the Johnson & Wales University plan will be charged for it.

JWU’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is an optional plan for eligible students without health insurance coverage, or those eligible students whose coverage does not meet the JWU SHIP requirements. Students who do not waive SHIP will be assessed the applicable SHIP fee(s) and be responsible for payment.

Payment Options

Students are assessed tuition upon course registration each semester. Summer is considered a separate term.

Monthly payment: Students may choose to pay the annual amount due in convenient monthly payments. This option is available through jwuLink. There is an enrollment fee to participate. Most plans are essentially interest free, but some accounts may incur late fees, reinstatement fees or other fees.

Tuition and Fees Policies

Solely for avoidance of doubt, the tuition and fees students pay the university will not be discounted, irrespective of any changes in the manner or mode of learning or changes to any activities, events, or programs (including revision, postponement, or cancellation of same) at any time during the academic year; the manner or mode of learning could include on-ground learning, remote learning, or a combination of the two; it could include fewer classes or restructured classes; and it could include changes mid-semester (as just a few examples of possible changes).

Understanding Loan Debt

At Johnson & Wales University--Providence, the median federal loan debt among borrowers who completed their undergraduate degree is $26,000. The median monthly federal loan payment (if it were repaid over 10 years at 5.05% interest) for student federal loan borrowers who graduated is $276.

Additionally, 26% of graduating students at Johnson & Wales University--Providence took out private loans. Students with private loans had an average of $44,103 in private loan debt at graduation.

Average Total Indebtedness of 2024 Graduating Class $40,013. Graduating students who have borrowed (any loan type, 2024) 80%.

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