University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
University of Rhode Island Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Public Colleges in Rhode Island 2026
- #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Rhode Island
- #1 Rhode Island's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #2 Rhode Island's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 Best Research Universities in Rhode Island
- #2 Best Colleges in Rhode Island
- #2 Best Grad Schools in Rhode Island 2026
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 Accelerated Online Speech Pathology Masters
- #7 Online Bachelor's in Strategic Communications
- #10 Most Affordable Online Computer Science PhD Programs
- #10 Online Master’s in Cybersecurity
- #14 Accelerated Online Doctorate of Computer Science
- #14 Online Bachelor’s in Communications
About University of Rhode Island
According to Wikipedia, The University of Rhode Island is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is the flagship public research as well as the land-grant university of Rhode Island. The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". As of 2019, the URI enrolled 14,653 undergraduate students, 1,982 graduate students, and 1,339 non-degree students, making it the largest university in the state.
University of Rhode Island's Online Degrees
MS in Supply Chain Management And Applied Analytics
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Gis And Geospatial Technologies
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MLS in Library And Information Studies
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
BA in Communication Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Professional Certificate in Cannabis Studies
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
MS in Dietetics
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 14 months
- Format: Fully online
BSN in Nursing Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources And The Environment
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Fisheries Science
- Required Credits: 14
- Format: Fully online
University of Rhode Island Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25,391 | 72% | 84% | 72% | 1150 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does University of Rhode Island Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $17,476 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $15,297 |
| 30K - 48K | $15,468 |
| 48K - 75K | $17,805 |
| 75K - 110K | $23,068 |
| 110K+ | $31,501 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do University of Rhode Island Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of Rhode Island students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $73,439 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
University of Rhode Island's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 20,938 | 17,656 | 3,282 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of Rhode Island?
University of Rhode Island is located at Green Hall, 35 Campus Avenue, Kingston, RI 02881.
How Safe is University of Rhode Island?
Relative to its enrollment, University of Rhode Island has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.02%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is University of Rhode Island Known For?
University of Rhode Island is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Earth Sciences
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Communications
- Education
- Business
- History
- Engineering
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Sociology
- Medical
- Economics
- Nursing
- Physics
- Criminal Justice
- Literature
- Philosophy
University of Rhode Island's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of Rhode Island's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
University of Rhode Island ranks #88 in the U.S. and #344 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #139 in the U.S. and #467 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #176 in the U.S. and #700 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #178 in the U.S. and #546 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #179 in the U.S. and #807 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #180 in the U.S. and #431 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #196 in the U.S. and #677 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #202 in the U.S. and #817 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #208 in the U.S. and #661 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #220 in the U.S. and #624 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #228 in the U.S. and #1287 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #236 in the U.S. and #942 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #254 in the U.S. and #1029 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #275 in the U.S. and #985 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #290 in the U.S. and #1041 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #297 in the U.S. and #1630 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #300 in the U.S. and #810 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #318 in the U.S. and #1405 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #327 in the U.S. and #577 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #356 in the U.S. and #1069 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of Rhode Island ranks #383 in the U.S. and #1268 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWho Are University of Rhode Island's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Rhode Island's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, Earth Sciences, and Psychology. Here are some of University of Rhode Island's most famous alumni:
- Christiane Amanpour
- An English-Iranian news anchor and international correspondent.
- Robert Ballard
- A United States Navy officer, oceanographer and underwater archaeologist.
- Candace Owens
- An American political commentator.
- Stuart Vyse
- An American psychologist specializing in superstition and irrational behavior.
- Jan Camiel Willems
- A Belgian control theorist .
- Tom Hull
- An American mathematician.
- John C. Norcross
- An American psychologist.
- John King
- An American journalist.
- James W. Carey
- An American sociologist .
- Cornelius M. Kerwin
- A 14th President of American University.
- James O. Prochaska
- An American psychologist.
- Lamar Odom
- An American basketball player.
Who Are University of Rhode Island's Most Influential Faculty?
University of Rhode Island's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Anthropology, Earth Sciences, and Psychology. Here are some of University of Rhode Island's most famous faculty:
- Peniel E. Joseph
- An American scholar.
- Marcus R. Ross
- An American paleontologist and young earth creationist.
- Simin Liu
- An American physician researcher.
- Kimberly Arcand
- An American science communicator and astronomer.
- Cindy Blodgett
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Lynne Roberts
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Brian Wardle
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Nele Meckler
- A Paleoclimatologist based in Bergen.
