WCU vs. URI

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

 WCU URI
Location West Chester, PA Kingston, RI
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 17,275 17,473
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #496 #361
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wcupa.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WCU URI
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $13,586
Tuition (Out of State) $19,290 $32,068
Room & Board $14,228 $13,584
Avg Net Price $22,973 $20,695
Avg Grant Aid $5,443 $13,257
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 97%

Admission

 WCU URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,778 25,481
Admitted 12,982 19,465
Acceptance Rate 87.8% 76.4%
Enrolled % 23.2% 17.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.43 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/30 25/30
SAT Range 1080/1260 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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 WCU URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 WCU URI
Graduation Rate 68% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,500 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $242 $242

Diversity

 WCU URI
% Men 39% 42%
% Women 61% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 71%
% Black 11% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

 WCU URI
% In-State 87% 40%
% Out-of-State 12% 59%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than WCU based on total student enrollment (17,473 students vs. 17,275 students)

WCU vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WCU or URI?

  • University of Rhode Island is 76.1% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($13,586.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66.2% higher at URI than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($32,068.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Rhode Island than WCU ($20,695 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 4.7% lower than costs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($13,584 vs. $14,228)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (97% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 143.6% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($13,257 vs. $5,443)

WCU vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Rhode Island (1077) is 5 points higher than at WCU (1072)
  • Incoming WCU students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at URI (24)
  • Accepted freshman URI students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at WCU (3.43)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than URI (76.4%)

WCU vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WCU 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 WCU.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than University of Rhode Island (68% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $7,200 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $49,000)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $62 lower median federal student loan debt than WCU graduates. ($23,438 vs. $23,500)
  • University of Rhode Island and WCU graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($242 vs. $242)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former URI students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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