Purchase College vs. URI

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

 Purchase College URI
Location Purchase, NY Kingston, RI
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,229 17,351
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #297 #353
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website purchase.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Purchase College URI
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $33,512
Room & Board $15,400 $14,900
Avg Net Price $18,651 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $9,627 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 98%

Admission

 Purchase College URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,221 25,391
Admitted 5,259 19,568
Acceptance Rate 72.8% 77.1%
Enrolled % 14.8% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32 26/31
SAT Range 1178/1363 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 Jul 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Purchase College URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 Purchase College URI
Graduation Rate 56% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $232 $242

Diversity

 Purchase College URI
% Men 1% 6%
% Women 1% 10%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 55% 71%
% Black 10% 5%
% Hispanic 18% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 7% 7%

Students

 Purchase College URI
% In-State 78% 39%
% Out-of-State 21% 60%

Campus

 Purchase College 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 Purchase College based on total student enrollment (17,351 students vs. 3,229 students)

Purchase College vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Purchase College or URI?

  • University of Rhode Island is 99.7% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($14,116.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 97.4% higher at URI than SUNY at Purchase College ($33,512.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than URI ($18,651 vs. $20,964)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 3.4% lower than costs at SUNY at Purchase College ($14,900 vs. $15,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than SUNY at Purchase College (98% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 33% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($12,803 vs. $9,627)

Purchase College vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at SUNY at Purchase College (1082) is 5 points higher than at URI (1077)
  • Incoming Purchase College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at URI (24)
  • Accepted freshman URI students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at Purchase College (3.37)
  • URI has a higher acceptance rate (77.1%) than Purchase College (72.8%)

Purchase College vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purchase College 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 Purchase College.

  • The graduation rate at URI is higher than SUNY at Purchase College (63% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $16,000 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $40,200)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $938 lower median federal student loan debt than URI graduates. ($22,500 vs. $23,438)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than URI graduates. ($232 vs. $242)
  • More URI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purchase College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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