Wilkes vs. URI

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

 Wilkes URI
Location Wilkes-Barre, PA Kingston, RI
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 5,207 17,473
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #478 #361
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wilkes.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wilkes URI
Tuition (In State) $39,134 $13,586
Tuition (Out of State) $39,134 $32,068
Room & Board $15,850 $13,584
Avg Net Price $27,918 $20,695
Avg Grant Aid $29,441 $13,257
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 97%

Admission

 Wilkes URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,798 25,481
Admitted 4,517 19,465
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 76.4%
Enrolled % 10.6% 17.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/26 25/30
SAT Range 1060/1260 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

 Wilkes URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 Wilkes URI
Graduation Rate 58% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,200 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $268 $242

Diversity

 Wilkes URI
% Men 31% 42%
% Women 69% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 71%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 9% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

 Wilkes URI
% In-State 75% 40%
% Out-of-State 24% 59%

Campus

 Wilkes 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 Wilkes based on total student enrollment (17,473 students vs. 5,207 students)

Wilkes vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wilkes or URI?

  • Wilkes University is 188% more expensive to attend than URI for in-state tuition ($39,134.00 vs. $13,586.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22% higher at Wilkes than University of Rhode Island ($39,134.00 vs. $32,068.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Rhode Island than Wilkes ($20,695 vs. $27,918)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 16.7% lower than costs at Wilkes University ($13,584 vs. $15,850)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Wilkes University as University of Rhode Island (97% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilkes University students is 122.1% larger than aid received University of Rhode Island ($29,441 vs. $13,257)

Wilkes vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Rhode Island (1077) is 24 points higher than at Wilkes (1053)
  • Accepted freshman URI students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at Wilkes (3.56)
  • Wilkes has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than URI (76.4%)

Wilkes vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wilkes 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 Wilkes.

  • The graduation rate at URI is higher than Wilkes University (63% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Wilkes University earn on average $2,000 more per year than URI graduates after ten years. ($58,200 vs. $56,200)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $2,562 lower median federal student loan debt than Wilkes graduates. ($23,438 vs. $26,000)
  • URI graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Wilkes graduates. ($242 vs. $268)
  • More Wilkes 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/