College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of Rhode Island

RILarge public institution · Overall rank #280 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks University of Rhode Island #280 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

The University of Rhode Island is a public university in Kingston, Rhode Island, with a degree mix led by Health Professions, Business, and Engineering. Mobility is the strongest , well above average.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes part of that to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — which add, while what it cannot explain subtracts.

Return is well above average. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate below the overall cohort.

Affordability is around the average, with the lowest income band paying well below the published cost while the highest band pays closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable public universities, and the largest programs are not the best-paid ones.

Nursing awards the most degrees, while the highest earnings come from much smaller engineering programs.

University of Rhode Island at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
72.2%
Six-year completion[2]
73.3%
Four-year earnings[3]
$73,243

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$17,803
Median student debt[4]
$22,250
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$28,000

University of Rhode Island rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

University of Rhode Island is a public university in Kingston, Rhode Island, enrolling 13,381 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (81st percentile).

The university admits 72.2% of applicants, a rate below the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 83.6% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate is 73.3%, which is above the peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 17.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students.

The four pillars are spread out. Mobility is the strongest, at the 85th percentile, and return is not far behind.

Access sits lower, and affordability is the weakest of the four, near the middle of the field. The shape is a moderately selective public university where student outcomes run ahead of the price picture.

University of Rhode Island is strongest on mobility, a useful sign for families weighing access and post-college progress. Azimuth places its mobility pillar in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth puts return in the 79th percentile and access in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability is the weakest pillar at the 48th percentile. Strong mobility and return sit alongside a more middling affordability picture.

Among enrolled students who submitted SAT scores at University of Rhode Island, the middle 50% fell between 1,020 and 1,280. 21.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the federal aid program for students with financial need.

Azimuth ranks the university #470 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 65.5%, a result 7.8 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole.

The access pillar rests on that completion gap and on the share of undergraduates receiving the grants. Azimuth ranks the university #224 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $3,755 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that accompanies the university's mobility standing.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of Rhode Island rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#280

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 85
Access & reach
National percentile: 68
Affordability
National percentile: 48
Return on investment
National percentile: 79

Top-ranked majors

  1. Ocean Engineering#2
  2. Apparel and Textiles#7
  3. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences#7

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of Rhode Island briefing

University of Rhode Island cost & financial aid[6][7]

At University of Rhode Island, the average net price is $21,440 for aid recipients, meaning what they pay after grants and scholarships. The published cost of attendance is $34,321.

In-state tuition and fees are $16,942, while out-of-state tuition and fees are $37,146 and room and board are $15,607. Aid reduces the published cost by $12,881 for the average aid recipient.

Comparable institutions, defined as those in the same type and size, have a peer median net price of $15,634; this university’s average is $5,806 above it. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

A higher net price than comparable schools and this affordability standing point in the same direction.

The published cost of attendance at University of Rhode Island is $34,321. Azimuth ranks the university #730 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $14,368, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $17,803, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $28,460. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $14,092.

Aid covers about 38% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The across all aid recipients is $21,440, which is $5,806 above the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,250 in federal student loans, $2,174 above the $20,076 peer median. 92.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $28,000 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$17,803

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of Rhode Island

Federal borrowing is widespread at University of Rhode Island, with 92.0% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,250.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $20,076, and the university’s median is $2,174 above that mark. Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median Parent PLUS borrowing of $28,000.

High federal borrowing and debt above the peer median point in the same direction.

The investment picture pairs higher-than-expected earnings with borrowing that sits above the peer median. University of Rhode Island graduates working and not enrolled have median earnings of $73,243 four years after completion, placing earnings in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $3,755 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings scenarios put earnings at $51,384 in the downside case and $92,299 in the upside case; the typical scenario matches the reported median. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $22,250, which is $2,174 above the $20,076 peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years. Earnings beat the model, while median debt remains above the peer comparison.

For the separate population of Parent PLUS parent borrowers, median borrowing is $28,000. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$22,250
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$28,000

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$253/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$356/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of Rhode Island briefing

University of Rhode Island career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Graduates earn about $3,755 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 67th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $8,374. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,619.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $73,243, in the 81st percentile nationally. That is $7,633 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return pillar at the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

University of Rhode Island posts median earnings of $73,243 four years after completion, giving prospective students a clear early-career reference point. That median falls in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and the four-year earnings cohort includes 4,314 completers.

Graduates earn about $3,755 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios based on program mix place the typical outcome at the observed median, with downside and upside scenarios of $51,384 and $92,299.

An estimated 30.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The earnings percentile and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction, while the scenarios show how outcomes can vary by program mix.

University of Rhode Island shows an earnings picture above the comparable-institution benchmark, with median earnings of $73,243 four years after completion, in the 81st percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, making the university $7,633 above it.

For earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, graduates earn about $3,755 more than the model expects for similar students. That measure is in the 67th percentile.

Azimuth ranks the university #307 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $51,384 on the downside to $92,299 on the upside.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,374. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,619.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,886. Above-peer earnings and higher-than-expected earnings point the same way.

Nursing is the largest program, with 290 degrees awarded and median earnings of $96,020 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #79 nationally within its field among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Biology had 193 degrees awarded and median earnings of $80,379 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks it #13 nationally within its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Its earnings are 1.41x the national median for its field.

Among the higher-earning programs, Electrical Engineering had 27 degrees awarded and median earnings of $106,153 four years after completion.

Earnings can differ substantially by field at University of Rhode Island. The downside earnings scenario is $51,384, while the upside scenario reaches $92,299.

These are scenarios based on program mix rather than observed graduate groups, so they describe the range of possible program-related outcomes. At the upper end, Electrical Engineering completers earn a median of $106,153, Chemical Engineering completers earn $103,525, and Computer Engineering completers earn $100,975, all four years after completion. Those field-level figures show why the modeled range is broad.

At University of Rhode Island, the return picture is mixed: federal borrowing sits above the peer comparison, while graduates earn about $3,755 more than the model expects for similar students. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $22,250, which is $2,174 above the peer median of $20,076—the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

This borrower measure excludes Parent PLUS and private loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years.

Parent PLUS borrowers are a separate population, with median borrowing of $28,000. Higher-than-expected earnings and above-peer debt point in different directions for the cost decision.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$8,374
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$4,619
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$3,755

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of Rhode Island briefing

University of Rhode Island acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

At 72.2%, admission at University of Rhode Island is less common than the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The rate summarizes outcomes across the reported applicant pool, rather than setting a personal threshold or describing any individual application.

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
72.2%
Approximate lower endpoint
1020
Reported average
1160
Approximate upper endpoint
1280

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of Rhode Island briefing

What are the largest majors at University of Rhode Island?[12]

At University of Rhode Island, prominent programs range from higher-earning engineering and health fields to a more moderate-earning social science option. Chemical Engineering reports median earnings of $103,525 four years after completion and 28 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #54 nationally in its field.

Biomedical Engineering posts $96,532 in median earnings, with 30 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #55 in its field. Nursing pairs median earnings of $96,020 four years after completion with 290 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks it #79 nationally in its field.

Psychology sits at the more moderate end, reporting $56,571 in median earnings, 224 degrees awarded, and an Azimuth national rank of #78 in its field. The figures show a clear earnings contrast across these prominent fields.

The program list is led by Ocean Engineering, the university's highest-ranked field. Azimuth ranks it #2 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

University of Rhode Island has 35 bachelor's fields with Azimuth national ranks. Apparel and Textiles ranks #7 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, with 64 degrees awarded and median earnings of $64,328 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences #7 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field; it awarded 42 degrees, and median earnings were $77,681 four years after completion. These leading placements span fields with different earnings levels.

The University of Rhode Island's program mix leans toward the applied professions, with Health Professions accounting for 14.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Business for 13.7%, and Engineering for 8.5%. Azimuth ranks 35 of its programs nationally, and 50 have published four-year earnings data.

The largest single program is Nursing, at 290 degrees awarded, followed by Psychology with 224 and Biology with 193. The strongest programs are concentrated in the sciences and engineering.

Ocean Engineering awards 26 degrees, with median earnings of $90,901 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks it #1 in Rhode Island within its field. Apparel and Textiles ranks #7 nationally and #1 in Rhode Island within its field, with 64 degrees awarded and earnings of $64,328.

Biology, the third-largest program, carries a benchmark ratio of 1.41x against the national median for its field, with earnings of $80,379. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Electrical Engineering graduates earn $106,153, from 27 degrees awarded a year.

The pattern is one of strength spread across several fields rather than concentrated in a single department. The largest program, Nursing, earns $96,020 and ranks #1 in Rhode Island within its field, while the highest-ranked programs include a mix of engineering and applied arts.

21.4% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, and the engineering programs that yield the highest earnings are small, with 28 degrees awarded in Chemical Engineering.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 290 degrees awarded
$96,020
Psychology, General 224 degrees awarded
$56,571
Biology, General 193 degrees awarded
$80,379
Communication and Media Studies 170 degrees awarded
$64,520
Business Administration, Management and Operations 154 degrees awarded
$79,692
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 142 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / University of Rhode Island briefing

How does University of Rhode Island serve students from different backgrounds?

Mobility is a relative strength at University of Rhode Island, whose mobility pillar sits in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the first-time full-time cohort, the six-year graduation rate is 73.3%, and Pell recipients complete at 65.5%, below the overall rate by 7.8 percentage points.

Graduates earn about $3,755 more than the model expects for similar students. This earnings beyond expectations measure, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 67th percentile.

The mobility picture pairs a strong pillar placement and above-expected earnings with a lower Pell completion rate.

For prospective students, University of Rhode Island combines a sizable undergraduate body with an admission rate of 72.2%. The public university enrolls 13,381 undergraduates.

Pell Grant recipients make up 21.8% of undergraduates, and an estimated 17.9% enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Enrollment, Pell participation, and the transfer estimate describe several entry points to the university.

06 / University of Rhode Island briefing

What colleges are similar to University of Rhode Island?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Rhode Island.

Admissions peerSalve Regina University68.2% admitted
Comparison with University of Rhode Island
MeasureUniversity of Rhode IslandSalve Regina University
Peer earnings · 4 years$73,243$70,451-$2,792 vs University of Rhode Island
Average annual net price$21,440$36,967+$15,527 vs University of Rhode Island · higher cost
Admission rate72.2%68.2%
Higher-admission alternativeCurry College87.7% admitted
Comparison with University of Rhode Island
MeasureUniversity of Rhode IslandCurry College
Peer earnings · 4 years$73,243$72,447-$796 vs University of Rhode Island
Average annual net price$21,440$29,207+$7,767 vs University of Rhode Island · higher cost
Admission rate72.2%87.7%
Nearby alternativeSalve Regina UniversityNearby option · RI
Comparison with University of Rhode Island
MeasureUniversity of Rhode IslandSalve Regina University
Peer earnings · 4 years$73,243$70,451-$2,792 vs University of Rhode Island
Average annual net price$21,440$36,967+$15,527 vs University of Rhode Island · higher cost
Admission rate72.2%68.2%
Higher-earnings alternativeSUNY Maritime College$104,752 earnings
Comparison with University of Rhode Island
MeasureUniversity of Rhode IslandSUNY Maritime College
Peer earnings · 4 years$73,243$104,752+$31,509 vs University of Rhode Island
Average annual net price$21,440$22,367+$927 vs University of Rhode Island · higher cost
Admission rate72.2%72.4%
Explore SUNY Maritime College →
Lower-cost alternativeWorcester State University$13,381 average net price
Comparison with University of Rhode Island
MeasureUniversity of Rhode IslandWorcester State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$73,243$63,801-$9,442 vs University of Rhode Island
Average annual net price$21,440$13,381-$8,059 vs University of Rhode Island · lower cost
Admission rate72.2%88.0%
Explore Worcester State University →
Similar profileUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of Rhode Island
MeasureUniversity of Rhode IslandUniversity of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$73,243$71,253-$1,990 vs University of Rhode Island
Average annual net price$21,440$23,805+$2,365 vs University of Rhode Island · higher cost
Admission rate72.2%88.2%
Explore University of New Hampshire-Main Campus →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings