SUNY Poly vs. URI

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

SUNY Poly URI
Location Utica, NY Kingston, RI
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,704 17,351
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #307 #353
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sunyit.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SUNY Poly URI
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $18,720 $33,512
Room & Board $14,750 $14,900
Avg Net Price $14,646 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $8,137 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 98%

Admission

SUNY Poly URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,936 25,391
Admitted 3,872 19,568
Acceptance Rate 78.4% 77.1%
Enrolled % 10% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.58
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/27 26/31
SAT Range 1150/1330 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 Aug 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

SUNY Poly URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

SUNY Poly URI
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,200 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,585 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $171 $242

Diversity

SUNY Poly URI
% Men 11% 6%
% Women 19% 10%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 71%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 7% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

SUNY Poly URI
% In-State 95% 39%
% Out-of-State 3% 60%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (17,351 students vs. 2,704 students)

SUNY Poly vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Poly or URI?

  • University of Rhode Island is 99.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY Poly for in-state tuition ($14,116.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 79% higher at URI than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($33,512.00 vs. $18,720.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than URI ($14,646 vs. $20,964)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 1% lower than costs at University of Rhode Island ($14,750 vs. $14,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (98% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 57.3% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($12,803 vs. $8,137)

SUNY Poly vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (1141) is 64 points higher than at URI (1077)
  • Incoming SUNY Poly students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at URI (24)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at URI (3.58)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (78.4%) than URI (77.1%)

SUNY Poly vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Poly 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 SUNY Poly.

  • The graduation rate at URI is higher than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $3,000 more per year than SUNY Poly graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $53,200)
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $6,853 lower median federal student loan debt than URI graduates. ($16,585 vs. $23,438)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $71 less per month on federal student loans than URI graduates. ($171 vs. $242)
  • More URI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Poly 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/