Flexible, First-Rate Catholic Liberal Arts Degrees at Salve
Salve Regina University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Affordable Online Master’s in Law Enforcement Administration Programs.
Ranked Kiplinger’s 133rd best private value, Salve Regina University is a nonprofit, civic-engaged ACCU member on Narragansett Bay in Newport that provides 46 undergrad, 14 master’s, three doctoral, and 24 certificate programs, including 16 fully online, with a 13:1 student-faculty ratio. For example, the BS in Social Work builds a 120-credit, CSWE-accredited path to Rhode Island licensing with 660 practicum hours at Turning Around Ministries, Foster Forward, Ocean Tides, and more. Chaired by Dr. Symeon Giannakos, the MA in International Relations follows a 36-credit, 18-month online plan with 500-level courses like Conflict Resolution and optional trips from Venice to Vietnam.
Online on Canvas, the MBA in Business Administration currently enrolls 141 part-time grads with 98 percent admission into its 36-credit, IACBE-accredited curriculum for five concentrations, such as Social Ventures or Nonprofit Management, that cost $625 per credit. Directed by Dr. David DeJesus Jr., the MS in Health Care Administration admits online cohorts six times annually for 12 courses like Organizational Development plus 15-week internships at Kent Hospital, South County Health, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and more. Other Salve options include the BS in Biochemistry, BAS in World Languages Education, BA in Cultural & Historic Preservation, BA in Philosophy, MS in Innovation & Strategic Management, MS in Nursing, MA in Rehabilitation Counseling, and Ph.D. in Humanities.
About Salve Regina University
Salve Regina University originated on March 6, 1934, when the Rhode Island General Assembly issued a charter for the Sisters of Mercy to create Salve Regina College. In 1947, Ogden Goelet’s son Robert donated Newport’s second-largest mansion, Ochre Court, to Salve Regina. That Fall, Sister Mary Matthew Doyle welcomed Salve’s inaugural class of 58 women. In 1955, Florence Burden gave Salve the adjacent Vinland Estate to expand. In 1973, the Office of Admissions began accepting men for coed learning. Two years later, Salve Regina added the first master’s program for baccalaureate grads. In 1991, President Lucille McKillop renamed the school Salve Regina University. By 2015, Salve Regina earned the Tree Campus USA designation. On June 7, 2018, Salve started America’s first online Ph.D. in International Relations.
Endowed for $63.79 million, Salve Regina University now employs 406 full-time staff serving 2,167 undergrad and 604 post-grad Seahawks from 21 nations at its 78-acre, oceanfront campus on the Newport Cliff Walk or entirely online with 80+ clubs like Mercy in Action. In 2014, Salve received the ICAA Arthur Ross Award for Stewardship. In 2017, Salve Regina won the CASE Gold Circle of Excellence Award for Digital Communications. Salve Regina University accepted the 2019 NEACAC Harry R. Carroll Distinguished Service Award too. The U.S. News & World Report named Salve the North’s 23rd best college and 114th top social mobility performer. On Niche, Salve boasts the 70th best Catholic education and 184th top criminal justice degrees. College Factual picked Salve Regina 101st for business and 127th for teaching. Washington Monthly crowned Salve the 200th top master’s institution.
Salve Regina University Accreditation Details
On April 18, 2021, the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE) has scheduled a comprehensive evaluation visit to Salve Regina University to continue the Level VI accreditation status through 2030-31 under President Kelli J. Armstrong, Ph.D. Located 88 miles north via Interstate 95 in Burlington, Massachusetts, this superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation also lists the following specialized accreditations at Salve:
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
- International Accreditation Council for Business Education
- Council on Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Salve Regina University Application Requirements
Getting into Salve Regina University is classified as “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s since 3,607 of the 4,889 Fall 2019 applicants were chosen for competitive 73.77 percent acceptance. First-year Seahawks must have completed a high school diploma, homeschooling program, or GED certificate. The Class of 2023 reported an average cumulative GPA of 3.40. The middle 50th percentile had SAT scores of 1080-1230. Mid-range admitted ACT scores were 23-27. Tests are optional except for BS in Nursing students. International learners still need a minimum 80 TOEFL iBT, 6.5 IELTS, 53 PTE, or 550 SAT Reading score. Successful transfers typically have 15+ non-remedial credits and GPAs above 2.70. Graduate programs require a four-year bachelor’s education from regionally accredited colleges. Overall GPAs of 3.0 or higher are preferred. Doctoral candidates need a master’s preparation with a 3.30 or better GPA. Online post-grads can forgo GRE and GMAT tests though.
Salve Regina University has freshman deadlines of November 1st for Early Action I, January 5th for Early Action II, and February 1st for Regular Decision. Transfers have May 1st and December 1st priority dates. The Graduate Studies & Continuing Education Department generally has rolling admission. However, the MFA in Creative Writing closes on May 1st. MA in Applied Behavior Analysis cohorts must file by July 1st or November 1st. The Ph.D. in Humanities seeks entrants by June 1st. Incoming DNP nurses must apply before December 1st. Prospective Seahawks submit the Salve or Common Application online for $50. Send official transcripts to 100 Ochre Point Avenue in Newport, RI 02840. Contact (401) 341-2908 or [email protected] about further steps.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2020-21, Salve Regina University is charging full-time undergrads $21,110 per semester or $42,220 annually. New students pay a one-time $700 enrollment fee. Bachelor’s students cover a $150 technology fee and $200 activities fee each term. Attending part-time incurs $1,407 per credit. Residing at the Newport dorms like Reefe Hall adds $4,510 to $6,250 for semester housing. Unlimited meal plans for Miley Cafe are $6,380 each year. Salve budgets $1,450 for books and $3,400 for miscellaneous. Annual undergrad attendance equals $61,260 on-site or $46,500 if commuting. Online RN-BSN cohorts spend $300 per credit. Master’s programs bill $625 per credit anywhere. Only the MFA costs $20,520 yearly. Online doctoral courses are priced at $930 per credit.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in Ochre Court Room 310 connects 99 percent of new full-time Salve Seahawks to tuition assistance averaging $23,123 apiece for $13.57 million combined. University funds include the Sisters of Mercy Endowed Scholarship, Dr. Kelli Armstrong Scholarship, #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship, Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, Dean Scholarship, Trustees Scholarship, Visual & Performing Arts Scholarship, Aquidneck Island Multicultural Scholarship, Vision of Mercy Scholarship, Ventures Scholarship, and Sister Jane Gerety Scholarship. The Presidential Scholarship gives $20,000 each year to incoming freshmen who exceed the 1300 SAT or 29 ACT score minimum. The $23,000 Phi Theta Kappa Award goes to residential transfers with cumulative GPAs over 3.50. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Teach Grant, require FAFSA applications coded 003411 by May 15th. The Rhode Island Foundation also offers 40+ in-state programs like the Sergeant Cornel Young Jr. Scholarship and Miss Swinburne Scholarship.
Learn more about Salve Regina University at the Graduate Studies & Continuing Education Department website.