Catholic Dominican university in Providence offering 49 majors and distinctive Development of Western Civilization core curriculum.
Providence College comprises four schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, Education and Social Work, and Nursing and Health Sciences. The college offers 49 majors and 34 minors, with the majority of students pursuing liberal arts or business degrees. All undergraduate students must complete a core curriculum including 16 credits in Development of Western Civilization, a signature two-year program taught by interdisciplinary faculty teams. The college also maintains a Liberal Arts Honors Program established in 1957 that accepts approximately 125 top freshmen annually. Phillips Memorial Library, constructed in 1969, houses 242,000 volumes and provides access to 3.5 million volumes through the HELIN consortium.
The college occupies a gated 105-acre campus atop Smith Hill in Providence's Elmhurst neighborhood, approximately two miles west of downtown. The campus features 19 academic buildings, 9 dormitories, 5 apartment complexes, and extensive athletic facilities including a 25-meter pool, tennis courts, and artificial turf field. Recent renovations include the 2018 Science Complex and the $30 million Ruane Friar Development Center. The Slavin Center serves as the student union, and the campus was split into Upper and Lower sections following the 1974 acquisition of the former Charles V. Chapin Hospital property.
As of 2019, Providence College reports an undergraduate acceptance rate of 47.5 percent. The average class size is 21 students, with nearly half of all classes having fewer than 20 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12-to-1. The college removed its SAT requirement for admissions and shifted scholarship funds toward need-based aid to increase diversity and affordability.
Providence competes in NCAA Division I and is a founding member of the original Big East Conference and Hockey East. The men's basketball team reached the Final Four in 1973 and 1987, while the men's hockey team won the inaugural Hockey East Championship in 1985. The college's athletic program was accepted into the NCAA in 1948. Several alumni and current students won gold medals in women's ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics.