Seekonk, MA Hotel near Rhode Island Universities and Schools

Nearby Hotel Brown University Island School University

Located just five miles from downtown Providence, RI, the Ramada Providence Conference Center in Seekonk, MA is an excellent lodging choice for friends and relatives who are visiting students at the many nearby Rhode Island universities. Schools include Brown University, Roger Williams University, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, Johnson & Wales University, and Bryant University in Smithfield, RI.

Brown University.

This first-class liberal arts institution of higher learning began in 1764 as the College of Rhode Island in the town of Warren. Six years later, it moved to its current Providence College Hill neighborhood. Four decades after its founding, the school was renamed Brown University in honor of a gift from Nicholas Brown. Situated on 143 acres, the campus of Brown University is comprised of 238 buildings. Brown offers two different types of four-year baccalaureate degrees, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. Nearly 6,000 students currently study in the Undergraduate College while 1,500 are enrolled in the Graduate School. The Medical School is home to 340 future doctors. In total, all three schools provide students with a choice of almost 100 programs of study. As for extracurricular activities, there are plenty. In fact, there are over 300 organizations. Plus, students can seek a position on any one of Brown’s 37 varsity athletic teams or they can choose to play at the competitive club and intramural levels. For more information, visit http://www.brown.edu/.

Roger Williams University.

In 1919, Northeastern University opened a branch campus at the Providence YMCA on Broad Street. Thirty-seven years later in 1956, the school was granted permission to hand out two-year degrees and became known as Roger Williams Junior College. Beginning in 1969, the name was changed to Roger Williams College and a new campus was constructed in Bristol, RI. More than two decades later, Roger Williams University was born. Known for its solid liberal arts education, Roger Williams features 38 majors and five professional schools. In addition to their studies, students engage in everything from the Student Senate to the Ultimate Frisbee Club to the Campus Entertainment Network. For more information, visit http://www.rwu.edu/. [Top]

Rhode Island School of Design.

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) got its start in 1877. Like Brown University, it’s located in the Providence College Hill section. Composed of artists and designers, RISD boasts a population of more than 2,000 students who come from all four corners of the globe to study. An added bonus is the fact that each year over 200 well-known artists, critics, authors and philosophers visit RISD to share their wisdom and knowledge. Student works, specifically thesis work created by students earning graduate degrees, can be seen in the school’s “Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition,” which is held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in downtown Providence. One of the highlights of the RISD campus is the Museum of Art. More than 80,000 works of art, everything from ancient Greek sculpture to French Impressionist paintings to contemporary art in a variety of media, are on display. For more information, visit http://www.risd.edu/.

Providence College.

Located in Providence, RI, Providence College is a Catholic school that was founded in 1917. Nearly 4,000 undergraduates and almost 900 graduate students attend Providence College, which focuses its academics in the liberal arts and sciences. The only North American college or university run by the Dominican Order of Friars, Providence College offers 50 majors and 24 minors. A big part of the college’s curriculum is the Development of Western Civilization. Because of that, every student is required to complete 20 credits in that discipline. Only a handful of colleges nationwide has that requirement. Sports are big at Providence College, which is a member of the Big East Conference (football, baseball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball are just some of the sports) and the Hockey East Association. For more information, visit www.providence.edu/. [Top]

Johnson & Wales University.

At present, there are four Johnson & Wales University (JWU) campuses: Providence, RI, North Miami, FL, Denver, CO, and Charlotte, NC. Since it opened its doors in 1914, the Providence campus has become the school’s largest. There are over 10,000 students from all across the country and the world who are seeking their degrees in the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. When the school was founded, it began as a business school. Eventually, it expanded, first growing to become a junior college followed by a senior college. Over time, it blossomed into the university that it is today. In 1973, a new career focus made its way into JWU. It was then that the College of Culinary Arts opened along with an associate degree program in that field. This change led to additional two- and four-year degree programs in the hospitality and food service fields. Other JWU fields of study include business, technology, and education. For more information, visit http://www.jwu.edu/.

Bryant University.

Originally called Bryant and Stratton National Business College, which was part of a national chain of coeducational commercial colleges, Bryant University was founded in 1863 in Providence, RI. More than half a century later, Harry Loeb Jacobs purchased the college and combined it with the Rhode Island Commercial School. Degrees included Bachelor of Commercial Science and Bachelor of Accounting. In 1964, Bryant graduated to a four-year school and began offering business and liberal arts courses. Bryant moved from Providence in 1971 to a brand new campus in Smithfield, RI. The goal of Bryant University is to blend business and liberal arts courses in order to help students develop the necessary skills that can help them no matter which profession they choose. For more information, visit http://www.bryant.edu/Bryant/.

Additional Area Schools.

There are many more colleges and universities in the Rhode Island/Massachusetts area that are just as academically challenging. Plus, there are a good amount of excellent college preparatory schools. For your convenience, we’ve listed a few of them below.

• Salve Regina College

• Zion Bible College

• Bristol Community College

• Saint Andrews School

• Moses Brown School

• Providence Country Day School

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