UC Riverside vs. URI

Should I go to University of California Riverside or University of Rhode Island? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Riverside 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UCSC San Diego State UC Merced UCI UCSD San Jose State ASU University of New Hampshire-Main Campus UNH Manchester UC Davis RIC Cal State Long Beach
University of California Riverside vs. University of Rhode Island comparison
University of California Riverside University of Rhode Island College 3 College 4
University of California Riverside University of Rhode Island
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UC Riverside URI
Location Riverside, CA Kingston, RI
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 26,809 17,473
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #361
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside URI
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $13,586
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $32,068
Room & Board $17,333 $13,584
Avg Net Price $14,487 $20,695
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $13,257
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 97%

Admission

UC Riverside URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 25,481
Admitted 37,563 19,465
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 76.4%
Enrolled % 14.8% 17.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.58
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 25/30
SAT Range 1080/1280 1050/1270
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

UC Riverside URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside URI
Graduation Rate 67% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $197 $242

Diversity

UC Riverside URI
% Men 49% 42%
% Women 51% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 71%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 36% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

UC Riverside URI
% In-State 94% 40%
% Out-of-State 2% 59%

Campus

UC Riverside URI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Riverside is larger than than URI based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 17,473 students)

UC Riverside vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or URI?

  • University of Rhode Island is 17.5% more expensive to attend than UC Riverside for in-state tuition ($13,586.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.8% higher at UC Riverside than University of Rhode Island ($41,636.00 vs. $32,068.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than URI ($14,487 vs. $20,695)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rhode Island are 27.6% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($13,584 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than University of California Riverside (97% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 66.3% larger than aid received University of Rhode Island ($22,042 vs. $13,257)

UC Riverside vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 42 points higher than at URI (1077)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at URI (24)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at URI (3.58)
  • URI has a higher acceptance rate (76.4%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside 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 UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of Rhode Island (67% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $4,000 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $4,329 lower median federal student loan debt than URI graduates. ($19,109 vs. $23,438)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than URI graduates. ($197 vs. $242)
  • More URI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/