TU vs. URI

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

 TU URI
Location Towson, MD Kingston, RI
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,527 17,351
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #375 #353
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website towson.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TU URI
Tuition (In State) $7,382 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $24,402 $33,512
Room & Board $15,644 $14,900
Avg Net Price $15,064 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $11,565 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 98%

Admission

 TU URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,948 25,391
Admitted 15,689 19,568
Acceptance Rate 82.8% 77.1%
Enrolled % 19.2% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/28 26/31
SAT Range 1050/1270 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 Apr 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 TU URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 TU URI
Graduation Rate 64% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,500 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,750 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $183 $242

Diversity

 TU URI
% Men 4% 6%
% Women 12% 10%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 71%
% Black 18% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 7%

Students

 TU URI
% In-State 90% 39%
% Out-of-State 9% 60%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Towson University is larger than than URI based on total student enrollment (19,527 students vs. 17,351 students)

TU vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TU or URI?

  • University of Rhode Island is 91.2% more expensive to attend than TU for in-state tuition ($14,116.00 vs. $7,382.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.3% higher at URI than Towson University ($33,512.00 vs. $24,402.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Towson University than URI ($15,064 vs. $20,964)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 5% lower than costs at Towson University ($14,900 vs. $15,644)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than Towson University (98% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 10.7% larger than aid received Towson University ($12,803 vs. $11,565)

TU vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Towson University (1081) is 4 points higher than at URI (1077)
  • Incoming URI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at TU (23)
  • Accepted freshman TU students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at URI (3.58)
  • TU has a higher acceptance rate (82.8%) than URI (77.1%)

TU vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TU 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 TU.

  • The graduation rate at TU is higher than University of Rhode Island (64% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $2,700 more per year than TU graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $53,500)
  • Towson University students graduate with a $5,688 lower median federal student loan debt than URI graduates. ($17,750 vs. $23,438)
  • TU graduates are paying $59 less per month on federal student loans than URI graduates. ($183 vs. $242)
  • More TU 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/