BSU vs. URI

Should I go to Ball State University or University of Rhode Island? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BSU or URI is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Ball State University vs. University of Rhode Island comparison
Ball State University University of Rhode Island College 3 College 4
Ball State University University of Rhode Island
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Overview

 BSU URI
Location Muncie, IN Kingston, RI
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,777 17,473
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #547 #361
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BSU URI
Tuition (In State) $8,434 $13,586
Tuition (Out of State) $25,918 $32,068
Room & Board $10,904 $13,584
Avg Net Price $12,615 $20,695
Avg Grant Aid $11,418 $13,257
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 97%

Admission

 BSU URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,859 25,481
Admitted 15,761 19,465
Acceptance Rate 68.9% 76.4%
Enrolled % 22.1% 17.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28 25/30
SAT Range 1090/1260 1050/1270
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 BSU URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 BSU URI
Graduation Rate 55% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $258 $242

Diversity

 BSU URI
% Men 35% 42%
% Women 65% 58%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 81% 71%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 4% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

 BSU URI
% In-State 90% 40%
% Out-of-State 9% 59%

Campus

 BSU URI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Ball State University is larger than than URI based on total student enrollment (19,777 students vs. 17,473 students)

BSU vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or URI?

  • University of Rhode Island is 61.1% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($13,586.00 vs. $8,434.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.7% higher at URI than Ball State University ($32,068.00 vs. $25,918.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ball State University than URI ($12,615 vs. $20,695)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ball State University are 24.6% lower than costs at University of Rhode Island ($10,904 vs. $13,584)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Ball State University as University of Rhode Island (97% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 16.1% larger than aid received Ball State University ($13,257 vs. $11,418)

BSU vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BSU or URI? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between URI or BSU .

  • The average SAT score at University of Rhode Island (1077) is 7 points higher than at BSU (1070)
  • Incoming URI students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at BSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman URI students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at BSU (3.52)
  • URI has a higher acceptance rate (76.4%) than BSU (68.9%)

BSU vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BSU or URI? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between URI and BSU.

  • The graduation rate at URI is higher than Ball State University (63% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $13,700 more per year than BSU graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $42,500)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $1,562 lower median federal student loan debt than BSU graduates. ($23,438 vs. $25,000)
  • URI graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than BSU graduates. ($242 vs. $258)
  • More URI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/