Providence College is a Roman Catholic, four-year, liberal arts college located on 105 acres in Providence, Rhode Island. Providence College was founded in 1917 and is the only college or university in the United States founded by and conducted under the auspices of the Dominican Friars. Formally known as the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans were founded by the Spanish priest St. Dominic de Guzman in 1216.