Howard vs. URI

Should I go to Howard University or University of Rhode Island? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard 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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Howard University vs. University of Rhode Island comparison
Howard University University of Rhode Island College 3 College 4
Howard University University of Rhode Island
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Overview

 Howard URI
Location Washington, DC Kingston, RI
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 13,416 17,351
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #249 #353
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Howard URI
Tuition (In State) $32,878 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $32,878 $33,512
Room & Board $16,474 $14,900
Avg Net Price $30,028 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $21,422 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

 Howard URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,342 25,391
Admitted 10,587 19,568
Acceptance Rate 34.9% 77.1%
Enrolled % 21.4% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/28 26/31
SAT Range 1100/1298 1030/1270
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 15, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Howard URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 Howard URI
Graduation Rate 63% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $279 $242

Diversity

 Howard URI
% Men 8% 6%
% Women 16% 10%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 71%
% Black 91% 5%
% Hispanic 0% 9%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

 Howard URI
% In-State 1% 39%
% Out-of-State 91% 60%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than Howard based on total student enrollment (17,351 students vs. 13,416 students)

Howard vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or URI?

  • Howard University is 132.9% more expensive to attend than URI for in-state tuition ($32,878.00 vs. $14,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.9% higher at URI than Howard University ($33,512.00 vs. $32,878.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Rhode Island than Howard ($20,964 vs. $30,028)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 10.6% lower than costs at Howard University ($14,900 vs. $16,474)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than University of Rhode Island (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 67.3% larger than aid received University of Rhode Island ($21,422 vs. $12,803)

Howard vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 28 points higher than at URI (1077)
  • Incoming Howard students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at URI (24)
  • Accepted freshman Howard students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at URI (3.58)
  • URI has a higher acceptance rate (77.1%) than Howard (34.9%)

Howard vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard 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 Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Howard is the same as at University of Rhode Island (63% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $4,400 more per year than Howard graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $51,800)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $3,562 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($23,438 vs. $27,000)
  • URI graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($242 vs. $279)
  • More URI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 33%)

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