RIC vs. URI

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

 RIC URI
Location Providence, RI Kingston, RI
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 5,787 17,473
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #720 #361
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ric.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RIC URI
Tuition (In State) $9,481 $13,586
Tuition (Out of State) $25,014 $32,068
Room & Board $13,414 $13,584
Avg Net Price $11,014 $20,695
Avg Grant Aid $7,537 $13,257
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 97%

Admission

 RIC URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,921 25,481
Admitted 3,432 19,465
Acceptance Rate 87.5% 76.4%
Enrolled % 19.6% 17.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.08 3.58
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30
SAT Range 870/1110 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 Mar 15, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 RIC URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (21%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 RIC URI
Graduation Rate 44% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,000 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,200 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $219 $242

Diversity

 RIC URI
% Men 29% 42%
% Women 71% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 62% 71%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 16% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 8% 7%

Students

 RIC URI
% In-State 80% 40%
% Out-of-State 20% 59%

Campus

 RIC 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 RIC based on total student enrollment (17,473 students vs. 5,787 students)

RIC vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RIC or URI?

  • University of Rhode Island is 43.3% more expensive to attend than RIC for in-state tuition ($13,586.00 vs. $9,481.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.2% higher at URI than Rhode Island College ($32,068.00 vs. $25,014.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rhode Island College than URI ($11,014 vs. $20,695)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rhode Island College are 1.3% lower than costs at University of Rhode Island ($13,414 vs. $13,584)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than Rhode Island College (97% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 75.9% larger than aid received Rhode Island College ($13,257 vs. $7,537)

RIC vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Rhode Island (1077) is 164 points higher than at RIC (913)
  • Incoming URI students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at RIC (19)
  • Accepted freshman URI students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at RIC (3.08)
  • RIC has a higher acceptance rate (87.5%) than URI (76.4%)

RIC vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RIC 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 RIC.

  • The graduation rate at URI is higher than Rhode Island College (63% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $14,200 more per year than RIC graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $42,000)
  • Rhode Island College students graduate with a $2,238 lower median federal student loan debt than URI graduates. ($21,200 vs. $23,438)
  • RIC graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than URI graduates. ($219 vs. $242)
  • More URI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RIC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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