More selective than 33% of Rhode Island colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $34,321. College Scorecard.
Higher than 44% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 44% of Rhode Island colleges we cover and 85% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
URI acceptance rate & admissions
Of 25,391 applicants, University of Rhode Island admitted 19,568 and 3,289 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1280 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
URI tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Rhode Island residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What URI costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Rhode Island took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Rhode Island. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,368 | $60,633 | 2.0 years |
| $30–48k | $12,923 | $54,535 | 1.8 years |
| $48–75k | $17,803 | $75,129 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $23,394 | $98,723 | 3.3 years |
| $110k+ | $28,460 | $120,101 | 4.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (57% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($69,743) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $29,863 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
URI majors, earnings & careers
University of Rhode Island offers 78 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 17
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Engineering · 9
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Non-degree / basic skills · 1
Highest-earning majors at URI
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $106,153 | $25,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $103,525 | $27,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $100,975 | $26,613 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $96,532 | $26,367 |
| Nursing | $96,020 | $26,390 |
| German | $90,953 | $23,773 |
| Ocean Engineering | $90,901 | $25,147 |
| Industrial Engineering | $90,399 | — |
Quick list of all 78 majors
- Accounting$86,076
- Agricultural Production Operations—
- Animal Sciences$50,203
- Anthropology—
- Apparel and Textiles$64,328
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services$48,403
- Biology$80,379
- Biomedical Engineering$96,532
- Biotechnology—
- Business—
- Business Administration$79,692
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$77,681
- Chemical Engineering$103,525
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$79,457
- Classics—
- Communications$64,520
- Computer and Information Sciences$88,915
- Computer Engineering$100,975
- Criminology—
- Data Analytics—
- Dietetics$61,079
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)$77,224
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$48,446
- Economics$77,225
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$56,999
- Education (Subject Teaching)$64,916
- Electrical Engineering$106,153
- English$54,524
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$72,311
- Environmental Science / Conservation$59,964
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$44,983
- Finance$87,196
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management$48,348
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Geology / Earth Science$40,858
- German$90,953
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences—
- Health-Related Knowledge and Skills$56,761
- History$54,001
- Human Development and Family Studies$51,416
- Industrial Engineering$90,399
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Journalism$52,115
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Landscape Architecture$74,488
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Marketing$75,011
- Mathematics$73,746
- Mechanical Engineering$89,901
- Medical Laboratory Science$80,478
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$52,346
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$96,020
- Ocean Engineering$90,901
- Pharmacology and Toxicology—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$60,559
- Psychology$56,571
- Public Policy Analysis$51,697
- Public Relations and Advertising$72,328
- Social Sciences, Other$66,738
- Sociology$53,802
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$67,384
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$60,922
- Studio Art$44,272
- Theatre$33,972
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$45,571
- Writing$52,625
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Providence
Overall prices in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,832. Housing costs 4% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 35 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Washington County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Washington County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare URI with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Rhode Island by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Rhode Island | 72% | $21,440 | 73% | $69,743 | This school |
| Rhode Island College | 92% | $9,478 | 48% | $56,318 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Rhode Island would cost you $11,962 more per year than Rhode Island College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Rhode Island, mostly from more Rhode Island College students living at home, which lowers its average (+$8,998).
- University of Rhode Island gives aided families $4,905 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Rhode Island resident | URI | RIC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,942 | $11,300 | +$5,642 |
| Books & supplies | $1,250 | $1,200 | +$50 |
| Housing & meals | $14,900 | $13,719 | +$1,181 |
| Personal & travel | $2,436 | $1,440 | +$996 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,207 | −$10,205 | +$8,998 |
| Sticker price | $34,321 | $17,454 | +$16,867 |
| Average grants | −$12,881 | −$7,976 | −$4,905 |
| You pay | $21,440 | $9,478 | +$11,962 |
“+” means URI costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about URI
What is the URI acceptance rate?
University of Rhode Island accepts 72% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 19,568 of 25,391 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1280 on the SAT.
How much does University of Rhode Island cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,321 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,440 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,368 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,460.
How much do URI graduates earn?
Former University of Rhode Island students earn a median $69,743 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the URI graduation rate?
73% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a URI degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Rhode Island costs about $75,129 after grants ($17,803 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $69,743 ten years after starting, $29,863 more than high school graduates in Rhode Island ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 2.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is URI the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing URI with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Rhode Island: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-rhode-island (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).