The University of Rhode Island (URI) is the flagship public, land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university of the smallest U.S. state. Founded in 1892 and headquartered on a 1,200-acre campus in Kingston — a quintessential New England college town set among stone walls, white-spired churches, and rolling fields — URI enrolls roughly 17,500 students across nine colleges and a Graduate School of Oceanography that is one of the world's leading marine-science institutions. The Carnegie R1 designation reflects URI's deep research enterprise, which spans pharmacy, oceanography, nursing, engineering, computer science, environmental science, and behavioral neuroscience. Geography defines URI's character. The Kingston campus is just six miles from Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, with the Narragansett Bay Campus housing the Graduate School of Oceanography, the research vessel Endeavor, and the Inner Space Center. Marine-related research is woven throughout the curriculum, from ocean engineering and aquaculture to marine biology and coastal-policy work — making URI a genuinely unusual destination for students who want to build a STEM career around the ocean. The College of Pharmacy operates one of the country's most distinctive 'zero-to-six' Doctor of Pharmacy pathways, while the College of Nursing, College of Engineering, and Harrington School of Communications and Media round out a broad, professionally oriented academic portfolio. For international students, URI offers an approachable, mid-sized R1 experience with strong ESL and pathway support, a high admit rate (~75%), and an out-of-state cost of attendance well below private-university norms. The Office of International Students and Scholars (Global URI) supports F-1/J-1 students throughout their academic journey, and URI's STEM-designated programs (the bulk of engineering, computer science, oceanography, biology, and chemistry) qualify for the 24-month STEM-OPT extension. Boston is 90 minutes north and Providence — a vibrant arts and food city — is just 30 minutes away.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$16,942 – $17,500
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$37,146 – $38,500
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
One of the country's most distinctive pharmacy programs, offering a direct-entry six-year 'zero-to-six' Doctor of Pharmacy pathway from high school. ACPE-accredited; strong pipelines into clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, and research.
One of the world's leading oceanographic research institutions. Operates the research vessel Endeavor and the Inner Space Center. Undergraduate marine-science majors at URI benefit from GSO's research environment.
ABET-accredited engineering programs with notable strengths in ocean engineering (one of only a handful in the U.S.), biomedical engineering, mechanical, and electrical/computer engineering.
Long-established BSN program with a strong reputation in New England. Houses the Robert J. Higgins Center for Nursing Excellence.
AACSB-accredited Anderson School of Business with strong programs in finance, supply chain, and entrepreneurship.
Multidisciplinary school combining journalism, public relations, film media, and communication studies.
6 years
URI is one of the few U.S. universities offering a direct-entry six-year Doctor of Pharmacy pathway from high school. Combines undergraduate pre-pharmacy coursework with the professional PharmD degree, eliminating reapplication. Top placement into clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, and pharmacy research.
4 years
STEM-designated. URI's location on Narragansett Bay and integration with the Graduate School of Oceanography make it one of the most credible undergraduate destinations in the U.S. for ocean-focused careers — from NOAA and Woods Hole to defense, aquaculture, and coastal policy.
4 years
STEM-designated. Concentrations in cybersecurity, AI/ML, and software engineering. Strong placement into the Boston-128 corridor and the U.S. Navy's Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, RI.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $37,146
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
