URI: the complete school report for parents
URI rates 4 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, GPA and the essay. A second tier of extracurricular activities, volunteer work and work experience carries real weight too. It does not consider legacy and the interview, so family connections carry no weight. With a 74.6% admit rate and 64% of enrolled students at a 3.50 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Major matters more than the name on the diploma here: five years out, Computer and Information Sciences, General graduates earn a median $111,170 against $40,426 for Anthropology.
URI is officially University of Rhode Island. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
What does URI actually weigh in admissions?
URI rates 4 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, recommendations. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is URI's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How URI rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Very Important |
| personal qualities | Considered |
| talent | Considered |
| class rank | Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Considered |
| the interview | Not Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Important |
| work experience | Important |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does URI consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does URI consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does URI consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does URI consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does URI consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does URI consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does URI consider character and personal qualities?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does URI consider a special talent or ability?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does URI consider class rank?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does URI consider demonstrated interest?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does URI consider an interview?
No. URI does not consider it. There is no interview to prepare for.
Does URI consider legacy status?
No. URI does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does URI consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does URI consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does URI consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does URI consider volunteer work?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does URI consider work experience?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does URI consider religious affiliation?
No. URI does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
64% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.65 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.18% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 28% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 15% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 21% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 13% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 15% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 7% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 1% |
What is the URI waitlist really like?
URI offered a place on its waiting list to 1,430 applicants and 60 accepted one. 9 were ultimately admitted. That is 15.0% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
URI admitted 65.4% of 1,718 transfer applicants, against 74.6% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.5.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
URI reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | February 1 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | January 31 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 1 |
| Early Action offered | Yes |
| Early Action deadline | December 1 |
| Application fee | $65 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
URI requires 18 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | Not stated |
| Mathematics | 3 years | Not stated |
| Science | 2 years | Not stated |
| of which lab science | 1 year | Not stated |
| Foreign language | 2 years | Not stated |
| History | 0 years | Not stated |
| Visual / performing arts | 0 years | Not stated |
What will URI actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $21,440 a year at URI after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $15,148. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 64% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1,038 merit awards averaging $10,107 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
What families at each income level actually paid:
| Family income | Average net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $14,368 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $12,923 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $17,803 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $23,394 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,460 |
68% of URI graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $42,945 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $236 a month in repayment. URI’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from URI pay off?
Graduates earn a median $69,743 ten years after entering, and $57,446 at six years. 87% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 69% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:
| Family income | Four-year net cost | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $57,472 | 2.2 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $51,692 | 2.0 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $71,212 | 2.8 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $93,576 | 3.6 |
| Over $110,000 | $113,840 | 4.4 |
A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.
$111,170 to $40,426, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at URI:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $111,170 | 96 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $96,673 | 27 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,316 | 120 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $90,720 | 290 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $88,632 | 111 |
| Marketing | $82,344 | 107 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $80,974 | 74 |
| Biology, General | $74,984 | 193 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $74,225 | 97 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $45,389 | 65 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $42,027 | 22 |
| Anthropology | $40,426 | 15 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
85% of first-years return for a second year. 57% graduate within four years and 71% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 62.5% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 75.4% of everyone else, a gap of 12.9 points.
How big are the classes?
38% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 3% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 17:1, and 69% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at URI like?
14,466 undergraduates, 62% of first-years from out of state. 93% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 46% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 24% of men join a fraternity and 30% of women a sorority. 26% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $72,503.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- 64% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.65. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 9 of 60 who waited were admitted, about 15%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $111,170 five years out against $40,426 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about URI
What GPA do you need for URI?
64% of enrolled students at URI had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.65, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the URI waitlist move?
60 students accepted a place on the URI waiting list and 9 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do URI graduates earn?
URI graduates earn a median $69,743 ten years after entering, and 87% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with URI
- UAFAdmissions report · 64.2% admit rate
- San Jose State UniversityAdmissions report · 80.4% admit rate
- Sacramento StateAdmissions report · 93.6% admit rate
- SUNY Stony Brook State University of New York at Stony BrookAdmissions report · 48.2% admit rate
- City | City College | CCNY | City College of New YorkAdmissions report · 58.0% admit rate
- Syracuse UniversityAdmissions report · 48.8% admit rate
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: URI’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.