Best Online Colleges in Rhode Island

Benefits of Studying Online in Rhode Island

With a population of just over 1 million people, Rhode Island ranks as the nation's 43rd smallest state. Despite its size, its capitol city, Providence, is the state's largest city, and is home to many of the state's prominent educational institutions. As the nickname "Little Rhody" suggests, Rhode Island is the smallest US state by land area, with 1545 square miles, but it packs quite the punch in terms of economic output relative to its size.

Employment Stats

Rhode Island's performance in the labor market is quite impressive, given its relatively small size. The state employed 496,200 individuals as of October 2022, landing it as the 45th largest employer in the US. This accounts for 0.32% of the entire nation's workforce, which puts it in significant contrast when compared to its tiny population percentage at a mere 0.3%. While this number is certainly quite small compared to states of a larger size, it's quite telling that the state added another 13,000 jobs up from the 2021 total of 483,500, at a growth rate of 2.63%. The Ocean State is the 34th fastest growing state in terms of job growth year over year.

That being said, Rhode Island still ranks far below the median state in terms of the number of employed residents at -1481,000 or -75%. That being said, Rhode Island just beat out Delaware (by just over 7%, or 33,000 to be precise), which recorded more than 464 thousand jobs in 2022. That being said, Rhode Island still sits a whopping 97% below the nation leader (California), which shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Rhode Island accounts for just 0.3% of the nation’s population. Lastly, Rhode Island just edged out Montana for the #44 spot, recording a total employed workforce of 507,000 in 2022, that’s 11,000 more than Montana (an advantage of 2.1%).

Job Opportunities

Although Rhode Island has fewer employed persons than 12% of states, the state still offers a diverse selection of occupations. With 541 different job types, Rhode Island’s selection of occupations is about 25% below the national median of 722. Louisiana is a good example of the median state, having 722 unique occupations. This just goes to show that although Rhode Island may have fewer employed persons, the state still offers a large number of unique pathways for graduates to consider.

Rhode Island is home to a number of universities, including Brown University which is ranked very highly in a number of categories. The university is located in the capital city of Providence and serves about 10,000 students. The state also has a number of large companies, such as CVS Health, Textron, and Citizens Financial to name a few. Rhode Island also often accounts for some of the nation’s best beaches and harbours, so if you’re looking for a city with a unique blend of culture and coastal living, Rhode Island could very well be the place for you.

*All data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023)