Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, it offers 47 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate programs.

The central figure in the college's incorporation was Matthew Harkins, Bishop of Providence, who sought an institution that would establish a center of advanced learning for the Catholic youth of Rhode Island.

[2] Opening its doors at the corner of Eaton Street and River Avenue with only one building, Harkins Hall,[2] the college under inaugural president Dennis Albert Casey, O.P.

One of the most notable gifts came from a young MGM film star, Judy Garland, who at just fifteen years old, sold autographs in front of the Loew's State Theater for $5-$10 per copy on February 18, 1938.

Judy brought the gifts to a Bridge and Fashion Show and gave them to Father Dillon's Aquinas Hall Fund.

(1936–1944) lobbied Rhode Island's congressional delegation to pressure the War Department to assign Providence College an Army Specialized Training Program unit.

During his tenure in 1955, Providence acquired the House of Good Shepard property that pushed the original boundaries of campus to Huxley Avenue.

[13] Slavin also oversaw the establishment of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) on campus in 1951,[13] and the Liberal Arts Honors Program in 1957.

[13] Prior to the opening of Alumni Hall in 1955, the men's basketball team played in local Providence high schools.

(1971–1985) instituted the Development of Western Civilization program, while in 1974, the college acquired the property of the former Charles V. Chapin Hospital on the other side of Huxley Avenue.

[15] Two years later, the men's hockey team played their first season in the new home on campus, as Schneider Arena opened in 1974 with Ron Wilson leading the way.

[15] In the early morning hours of December 13, 1977, a dormitory fire killed ten female residents of Aquinas Hall.

The Smith Hill neighborhood, which borders the east end of campus, is a predominantly low-income area with crime rates higher than the city average.

[26] Renovations completed in 2009 to the Slavin Center, the campus student union, added solar panels and a bioretention system.

[29][30] The renovations as of October 2015 include the groundbreaking of the Arthur and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies, handicap accessibility to Aquinas Hall, and the addition to outdoor classrooms.

[34] The corporation consists of four ex officio members: the president of the college, the Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, the Bishop of the Diocese of Providence, and the chairman of the board of trustees.

[40] Beginning with the Class of 2016, the core curriculum was modified to reduce the required credits in natural science and social science, while adding credits in a "core focus" area, as well as proficiencies in intensive writing, oral communication, diversity, and civic engagement.

[9] The new Development of Western Civilization Program, implemented in late 2012, features three semesters of standard lectures which move chronologically from ancient history to the modern period.

The fourth and final semester of the program is organized into various colloquia, specialized courses taught by two professors that are more concentrated to students' interests and majors.

The event takes place the night before DWC final exams in December and May, and is usually centered on the "Quad" area between Aquinas, Meagher, and McDermott Halls.

[55] It is intended to be a harmless gathering to let off steam from the long hours of studying for the intense course's final exam, and is completely unsanctioned.

[5] Parietal rules applying to all undergraduate freshmen limit visitation hours of opposite-sex students in dormitories.

[citation needed] The college does not officially sanction Greek life; there are no recognized fraternities or sororities on or off campus.

[68] The Friars play their home games at the 13,000-seat Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence, a facility that underwent an $80 million renovation completed in 2008.

[69] Despite having the smallest enrollment of any Big East Conference school, the Friars have routinely averaged over 10,000 fans per game during the 30-plus year history of the facility,[70] all while earning postseason berths and placing many players in the National Basketball Association.

In addition to producing NBA players, former Friars players and coaches have also gone on to become basketball icons in the coaching world, such as Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Lenny Wilkens, Pete Gillen, Rick Barnes, Johnny Egan, and John Thompson.

Providence College won the 1961 and 1963 NIT championship and participated in the 1973 and 1987 Final Four, and the 1965 and 1997 squads advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.

[72] In addition, 1963 graduate and star basketball player Raymond Flynn (Class of 1963) earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education–social studies before serving as a three-term Mayor of Boston and the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.

[72] In athletics, two Basketball Hall of Fame players or coaches have graduated from Providence College: Lenny Wilkens and John Thompson.

[72] In ice hockey, Olympic champion goalie Sara DeCosta,[73] played for Providence as well as current NHL forward Brandon Tanev.