National university
#1 Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $21,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,250 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#114 of 1,046
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#151 of 950
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#311 of 1,829
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#41 of 239
- Best colleges for nursing in America#187 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#200 of 1,132
Show 11 more
- Best colleges for marketing in America#162 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#307 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#260 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#259 of 1,238
- Best value colleges in America#147 of 674
- Best colleges for finance in America#167 of 744
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#154 of 681
- Best colleges for psychology in America#324 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#426 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#306 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#324 of 1,358
In Rhode Island
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Rhode Island#1 of 9
- Best value colleges in Rhode Island#2 of 9
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in Rhode Island#2 of 9
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Rhode Island#2 of 9
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Rhode Island#2 of 9
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Rhode Island#2 of 8
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.73%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.84%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,160
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,555
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $34,321 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 14,670 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 42% · Women 58% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 26% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 61% |
| Total students | 17,351 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $21,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $34,321 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,250 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 73% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 65% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 65% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 69% |
| First-year retention | 84% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $69,743 |
| Admission rate | 72% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $65 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,402 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 22% |
| Average SAT | 1160 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 520–650 |
| SAT math | 500–630 |
| ACT composite | — |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 26% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Electrical engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Nursing | |
| German | |
| Ocean Engineering | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Finance | |
| Accounting | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Biology | |
| Business administration | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | |
| Economics | |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | |
| Marketing | |
| Landscape Architecture | |
| Mathematics | |
| Public relations | |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | |
| Romance languages | |
| Other social sciences | |
| Secondary education | |
| Communication studies | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Political science | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Teacher education | |
| Health-Related Knowledge and Skills | |
| Psychology | |
| English | |
| History | |
| Sociology | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Music | |
| Journalism | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Family and human development | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | |
| Film and video | |
| Fine arts | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agricultural Production Operations, Anthropology, Biotechnology, Business (general), Chemistry, Classics, Criminology, Data Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Ethnic and gender studies, Foods, Nutrition,, General studies, Health administration, Health sciences, Interdisciplinary studies, International business, International relations, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Philosophy, Physics, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Engineering | |
| Communication | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 5% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 3% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $15,607 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Atlantic 10 Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 17 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 14%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 69%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $18,285IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 43% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)About 17 miles away · about 45 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 66 miles away |
| Town population | 7,332Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 65 miles away · about 1 hour 50 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 29°F in January · 71°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Kingston 1 NW, RI |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is University of Rhode Island’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 23% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does University of Rhode Island cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $21,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into University of Rhode Island?
- University of Rhode Island admitted 72% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of Rhode Island’s graduates do?
- 73% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $69,743; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,250.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 217484
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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