Providence College aims to provide a liberal arts education for the whole person-body, mind, and soul-in the Catholic and Dominican tradition. The college is committed to fostering academic excellence through the sciences and humanities, and to providing a variety of opportunities for intellectual, social, moral, and spiritual growth in a supportive environment.

Providence College, the only university in the nation operated by Dominican Friars, encourages deep respect for all, hosting a diverse group of people from every religious, racial, and ethnic background. While students are required to take classes in philosophy and theology, people of hesitant faith, different faiths, or no faith at all are welcome and encouraged to debate higher truths. The college's motto is "veritas," which means "truth," the proper object of all intellectual activity.

Among other local Rhode Island colleges, Providence College's name not only reflects the school's location, but also its mission to provide an environment where each person comes to understand his or her identity and role in the plan of God. The college asserts that faith and reason are compatible, complementary, and point to a single truth.