Uniquely URI

What makes the University of Rhode Island unique? Our beautiful campus just miles from the ocean. Our distinguished position as the state’s flagship public research institution, with  $100 million awarded in competitive research grants each year. Our distinctive expertise in health sciences, communication, engineering, languages, the environment, and technology. Our leadership in global educational partnerships and opportunities.

URI’s unique advantages lead to success, as applications and enrollment have increased over consecutive years, degree completion rates have dramatically increased to earn national recognition, and the full-time faculty has grown by 40 percent over the last decade.

Take a Closer Look
  • 18,000 students
  • 16:1 student-faculty ratio
  • More than 130,000 alumni
  • 48 states/districts/territories represented
  • 76 nations represented

What makes URI even more unique is our strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, with strategies for recruiting and retaining talent and transforming the culture of our institution. From nationally recognized programs like Talent Development to new curriculum initiatives and a committed Alumni of Color Network, URI is working to effect real change and be a leader for diversity.

  • 23% of students identify as students of color
  • 23% of full-time faculty are racially/ethnically diverse and/or international

Over the last 12 years, $902 million has been invested in capital improvements across all four of our campuses, including the Narragansett Bay Campus, home to the Graduate School of Oceanography. The Kingston Campus has new facilities for chemistry and forensic science, pharmacy, and communications. The 182,000 square-foot Fascitelli Center for Advance Engineering rivals any in the world.

Take a closer look at all that the University of Rhode Island has to offer and learn what makes us uniquely URI.

National Recognition

  • Recognized as a Green Campus for more than a decade by the Princeton Review
  • Named one of three finalists for our innovative approaches to improve degree completion rates by the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU)
  • The quadrangle on URI’s main campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places
  • Numerous faculty members earn formal distinction for their scholarship, research, and teaching

Rhode Island’s Rich History

  • Known as the “Ocean State,” Rhode Island boasts nearly 400 miles of shoreline, featuring miles of public beaches in resort towns, including Newport, Narragansett, Charlestown, and Little Compton
  • Founded by Roger Williams in 1636, on the principles of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of public assembly
  • The State House in the capitol city of Providence boasts the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world
  • The main campus is 30 miles from Providence, 75 miles from Boston, and 160 miles from New York City