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Career outcomes brief

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# University of Rhode Island Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-rhode-island/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-rhode-island/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-rhode-island/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-rhode-island/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-rhode-island/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much do University of Rhode Island graduates earn?

The reported median is $73,243 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is $7,633 per year.

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.

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.

An estimated 30.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Since the four-year earnings figure covers completers who are working and not enrolled, it does not include those continuing their education at that point.

**Median earnings · four years after completion**
$73,243

**Rank for difference from expectations**
67th percentile

Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks

**University of Rhode Island reported median**
$73,243

**Peer schools comparable schools · $7,633 below University of Rhode Island**
$65,610

**Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $3,755 below University of Rhode Island**
$69,488

School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

## How could earnings differ from the median?

The planning scenarios range from $51,384 to $92,299, around the reported median of $73,243. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Rhode Island borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-rhode-island/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan.

Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate.

Earnings four years after completion

Planning rangeReported median

**Lower estimate**
$51,384

**Median · reported**
$73,243

**Higher estimate**
$92,299

Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates.

[Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/).

## Do University of Rhode Island graduates earn more than expected?

Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added).

University of Rhode Island graduates’ reported earnings are $3,755 above that expectation, the 67th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls.

The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending University of Rhode Island caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

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.

## Which fields at University of Rhode Island report the highest earnings?

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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #2 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

It awarded 26 degrees, and its completers had median earnings of $90,901 four years after completion. 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.

Highest reported four-year program earnings

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**
$106,153

**Chemical Engineering**
$103,525

**Computer Engineering**
$100,975

**Biomedical/Medical Engineering**
$96,532

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**
$96,020

**Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics**
$90,953

**Ocean Engineering**
$90,901

**Industrial Engineering**
$90,399

[Explore University of Rhode Island program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-rhode-island/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context.

## Further analysis

Field choice accounts for a broad modeled range grounded in the program mix: the downside earnings scenario is $51,384, the typical scenario is $73,243, and the upside scenario is $92,299. Electrical Engineering reaches $106,153 four years after completion, whereas Psychology among the largest programs is $56,571. This spread shows variation by field.

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.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

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

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).