Home
Colleges
University of Rhode Island
Academics

University of Rhode Island
Academics

Back to Profile

How strong are the academics at University of Rhode Island?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

17:1
Student to faculty ratio
29
Average class size
57%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

URI has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
317
10-19
532
20-29
683
30-39
330
40-49
194
50-99
164
100+
88

Honors Programs

University of Rhode Island has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on URI's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at University of Rhode Island:

84%
First-year retention rate
57%
4-year grad rate
70%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are University of Rhode Island's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Psychology, General
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Health and Wellness, General
78.4
121.12
163.84
206.56
249.28
292

The Full List

Major Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
  • Animal Sciences, General 62
  • Applied Horticulture/Horticultural Business Services, Other 24
  • Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture 5
Architecture And Related Services
  • Landscape Architecture 13
Area
  • Women's Studies 8
  • African-American/Black Studies 4
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 147
  • Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 45
  • Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology 42
  • Biomedical Sciences, General 26
  • Biotechnology 17
  • Neurobiology and Anatomy 7
  • Neuroscience 6
  • Neuropharmacology 0
Business
  • Finance, General 105
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 90
  • Business Administration and Management, General 88
  • Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 70
  • Accounting 65
  • International Business/Trade/Commerce 14
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 11
  • Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations 8
  • Organizational Leadership 5
  • Business/Commerce, General 1
Communication
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 198
  • Public Relations/Image Management 67
  • Sports Communication 26
  • Journalism 20
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 90
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 80
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 29
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 13
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education 0
  • Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 99
  • Civil Engineering, General 46
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 32
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 31
  • Ocean Engineering 31
  • Chemical Engineering 26
  • Computer Engineering, General 23
  • Industrial Engineering 12
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 41
  • Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 7
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Human Development and Family Studies, General 87
  • Apparel and Textiles, General 44
  • Human Nutrition 5
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 29
  • German Language and Literature 17
  • Chinese Language and Literature 17
  • French Language and Literature 13
  • Italian Language and Literature 7
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 6
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 292
  • Health and Wellness, General 114
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 64
  • Dietetics/Dietitian 22
  • Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 14
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 2
History
  • History, General 32
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other 2
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 21
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 19
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 3
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 3
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 3
  • Business Analytics 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 55
  • Environmental Science 40
  • Environmental/Natural Resource Economics 34
  • Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management 10
  • Natural Resources/Conservation, General 0
Parks
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 112
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 10
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 9
Physical Sciences
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 13
  • Chemistry, General 10
  • Forensic Chemistry 5
  • Physics, General 4
  • Physics, Other 1
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 237
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 28
Social Sciences
  • Criminology 103
  • Political Science and Government, General 50
  • Economics, General 25
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 23
  • Anthropology, General 11
  • Sociology, General 5
  • International Relations and Affairs 4
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production 46
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 24
  • Art/Art Studies, General 10
  • Music, General 10
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 9
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 0

Mistakes were made

(But not by you!)

These are the top 10 mistakes people make when searching for colleges

Top Ten Mistakes

CollegeIQ relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

© 2025 Whittier Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service