by Victoria Miele ’28 on September 17, 2026
News
On Aug. 31, the 2026-27 academic year officially kicked off with an early start. A week before Labor Day and the Friars could already be seen hanging out on Slavin lawn, eating in Raymond Dining Hall, and attending classes. Over the summer, Providence College made some exciting changes to campus, including Schmear and an Aquinas Hall renovation, but arguably the most exciting part of the beginning of the year is seeing all the new faces on campus as they start their PC journeys.
The class of 2030 arrived on campus Wednesday, Aug. 26 to begin the 2026-27 academic year. The class is composed of 1,304 students—the largest class in PC history- and students come from 31 states, the District of Columbia, and eight different countries, including Canada, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, Egypt, and Congo. In total, there are 779 women, 525 men, and nine percent of students are first-generation college students. About 16 percent are students of color, and 44 students were admitted through the Providence Opportunity Program. There are 99 students in the honors program and 105 student-athletes.
The most popular majors for incoming freshmen are finance, nursing, marketing, health sciences, and management. About 275 students, which is roughly 20 percent of the new class, chose to begin the academic year early by participating in service through pre-orientation programs. Since 1991, the Urban Action program has been dedicated to bringing students—this year, 113—to do service around Providence for three days. They partook in street cleanup on Smith Hill and Pleasant Valley Parkway, and prepared classrooms at St. Augustine School, St. Pius V School, Veazie Street Elementary School, and Blessed Sacrament School.
Additionally, the FaithWorks program drew 62 first-year students to participate in service opportunities in the Diocese of Providence. Another pre-orientation program offered at PC is Transitions, which is a program for students of color and first-generation students that offers city tours, community service, and networking opportunities, with 41 students participating this year.
Another program is Rec Connect, which introduced 40 students to campus life through instruction in group fitness, wellness, recreational sports, and outdoor adventure. And finally, FRAME introduced students to art on campus and in downtown Providence, which 18 students participated in.
In addition to the activities of the new students, the PC campus had some exciting changes. Ruane Cafe underwent an extreme makeover with a complete redesign of the look as well as a more extensive Starbucks menu: now serving cold foam, more specialized drinks, and a wider variety of food. Additionally, a new bagel station has been added to Eaton Street Cafe called Schmear. Schmear makes house-made bagels daily, along with signature spreads that feature new flavors monthly. Not only this, but they make a variety of sandwiches, all of which are available for meal exchange with the Ultimate Flex Plan. In addition to Schmear, the business school has a New Harvest Coffee Roasters and Tea Bar, which serves locally sourced coffee and tea. On top of that, PC is now offering fresh sushi in Alumni Dining, as well as in the grab-and-go areas in Ruane and Mondor.
We welcome the new students and welcome back the returning students! The 2026-27 academic year is off and running here at The Cowl, and we are excited to hear the new conversations and see all of the amazing things coming up this semester!