Public · University

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island · Large suburb

#4 best value in Rhode Island
72.2%
Admit rate
$21,440
Avg net price
73%
Graduation rate
$69,743
Median earnings

University of Rhode Island is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Kingston, Rhode Island (large suburb setting), enrolling 13,381 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 13,381 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 72% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Colonial Athletic AssociationCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Rhode Island's admitted students.

Admit rate
72.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
1020–1280
Avg GPA (est.)
3.35

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Rhode Island's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Rhode Island's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Kingston, Rhode Island

Kingston is a village and a census-designated place within the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Kingston was first settled in the late seventeenth century. Originally known as Little Rest, the name was changed to Kingston in 1826. In addition to the university, major businesses in Kingston include APC by Schneider Electric and the Arnold Lumber Company. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
5 miles
Nearest airport
13 miles to Newport State (NPT)

How University of Rhode Island compares

Selectivity72.2%

More selective than 60% · #6 most selective of 10 in Rhode Island

SAT average1160

Higher than 48%

Graduation rate73%

Higher than 83% · #6 of 10 in Rhode Island

First-year retention84%

Higher than 72%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$69,743

Higher than 83% · #7 of 11 in Rhode Island

Average net price$21,440

Cheaper than 43% · #4 cheapest of 11 in Rhode Island

Median debt at graduation$22,250

Lower than 58%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment13,381

Larger than 92%

Percentiles compare University of Rhode Island with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Rhode Island.

University of Rhode Island campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

16,215students
  • Undergraduate13,38183%
  • Graduate2,83417%

Undergraduates by gender

13,381undergrads
  • Women7,95859%
  • Men5,42341%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White73%
  • Black4.6%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian3.1%
  • Other or multiracial6.8%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
13,381
Graduate enrollment
2,834
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
22%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$80,298
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$99,801
Endowment
$317,751,177

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 3,289 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Rhode Island39%
  • Other U.S. states60%
  • International0.8%

A national draw — only 39% of first-years come from Rhode Island; 60% arrive from other states.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
72.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1020–1280
SAT average
1160
SAT reading
520–650
SAT math
500–630
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.35

Cost

In-state tuition
$16,942
Out-of-state tuition
$37,146
Room & board
$15,607
Books & supplies
$1,250
Total cost of attendance
$34,321
Average net price
$21,440

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
73%
Graduated on time (4 years)
59%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
17%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$57,446
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$69,743
Median debt at graduation
$22,250
Students with federal loans
49%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
65%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
59%
Low-income (Pell)
61%
First-generation
63%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
6,379
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
48%
Housing charge (year)
$8,980
Meal plan (year)
$5,900
Application fee
$65
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Colonial Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
609 (278 men · 331 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)221
Football100
Soccer55
Rowing49
Baseball36
Lacrosse32
Swimming and Diving (combined)31
Basketball28
Softball23
Volleyball16
Golf9
Tennis9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
38
Property offenses (2022–2024)
8

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (17,210 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

15reported offenses a year
13 violent a year2.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
10
Aggravated assault
1.3
Burglary
1.3
Arson
1.3
Fondling
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$14,368
$30–48k
$12,923
$48–75k
$17,803
$75–110k
$23,394
$110k+
$28,460

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$76,396

$17,803/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$11,315
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 98% — get grant money from University of Rhode Island itself, averaging $11,315, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 3,404 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$69,743
Typical debt at graduation
$22,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
32%
Out-earn a HS grad
70%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$66,338
Men
$74,183

Men out-earn women by $7,845 (12%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
80°F
Winter low
20°F
Annual rain
51.3″
Annual snow
34.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Kingston 1 NW, RI US station (0.9 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Rhode Island

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Rhode Island side by side →

Colleges near University of Rhode Island

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.