Penn State Harrisburg vs. URI

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

 Penn State Harrisburg URI
Location Middletown, PA Kingston, RI
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 4,651 17,351
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #595 #353
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg URI
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $33,512
Room & Board $15,870 $14,900
Avg Net Price $22,406 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $8,421 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 98%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,296 25,391
Admitted 9,924 19,568
Acceptance Rate 96.4% 77.1%
Enrolled % 12.2% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 26/31
SAT Range 1110/1320 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 1, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg URI
Graduation Rate 63% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg URI
% Men 5% 6%
% Women 6% 10%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 71%
% Black 11% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg URI
% In-State 46% 39%
% Out-of-State 27% 60%

Campus

 Penn State Harrisburg 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

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (17,351 students vs. 4,651 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or URI?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 9% more expensive to attend than URI for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $14,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.3% higher at URI than Penn State Harrisburg ($33,512.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Rhode Island than Penn State Harrisburg ($20,964 vs. $22,406)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 6.5% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($14,900 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than Penn State Harrisburg (98% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 52% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($12,803 vs. $8,421)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Rhode Island (1077) is 34 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming URI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman URI students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than URI (77.1%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is the same as at University of Rhode Island (63% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $900 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $3,380 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($23,438 vs. $26,818)
  • URI graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former URI students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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