KINGSTON, R.I., August 27, 2018 — The University of Rhode Island is preparing to welcome more than 3,200 members of the Class of 2022 to campus — the first student body largely born after the start of the 21st century.
Joining them in September are 500 transfer students, 2,000 graduate students, approximately 150 Finish What You Started students, thousands of returning classmates, and hundreds of concurrent enrollment high school students, creating a dynamic student body of more than 18,000. Campus move-in days begin Saturday, Sept. 1, and classes start Wednesday, Sept. 5.
Students, by the numbers
This information reflects what we know about students expected to enroll for fall 2018. Final numbers will be confirmed in late October.
- The University’s Office of Undergraduate Admission received and reviewed a record 22,775 applications for 3,250 spots in the incoming class. More than 1,400 transfer applications also were considered.
- Consistent with trends nationwide, 57 percent of the anticipated 3,750 new students (freshmen and transfers) are women and 43 percent are men. More than 23 percent have self-identified as students of color.
- About 47 percent of new students are from Rhode Island, and 53 percent are from out of state or foreign countries. Approximately 55 percent of the total student body is from Rhode Island. The University expects to enroll students from more than 44 U.S states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as 49 nations.
- After Rhode Island, the top states represented in the freshman class are, respectively, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
- Admitted students have an average GPA of 3.54; SAT total score of 1185/1600; ACT score of 25.
- About 6,000 undergraduate students are assigned to one of the University’s 24 on-campus residence halls, suites and apartments. URI traditionally houses most of the first-year class in residence halls.
- About 650 students will live in the 17 sororities, fraternities and specialty houses, International Engineering Program houses and the Women’s Center.
- There are 18 Living and Learning Communities, of which 13 are exclusively for first-year students.
- The University also houses approximately 250 graduate students and their families in Graduate Village apartments adjacent to campus.
- Popular majors for the incoming class are animal science, biology, business, criminology and criminal justice, engineering, kinesiology, nursing and pharmacy.
Academically speaking
The new academic year brings the introduction of new majors, minors and certificate programs across disciplines. These include:
- Undergraduate majors: International studies; innovation and entrepreneurship
- Graduate certificates: aquaculture and fisheries; science writing and rhetoric
- Undergraduate certificates: Energy, economics and policy; innovation and entrepreneurship
- Interdepartmental minor: sports media and communications
On the Ballot
On Nov. 6, Rhode Islanders will vote on referendum No. 2, a $70 million higher education general obligation bond that includes $45 million for upgrades at the Narragansett Bay Campus, home of URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). The school is one of the world’s premier academic institutions in oceanography and ocean exploration. Major advances in knowledge of the oceans arise from GSO’s research, education and public service. Proceeds from the bond, if approved, would be used to upgrade the GSO pier — which will accommodate the newly awarded $100 million National Science Foundation research vessel — to construct a 20,000-square-foot Ocean Technology building and a Marine Operations building, among other enhancements.
Save the Dates
The inaugural URI Well-being Conference will be held Sept. 13 and 14, as URI marks important milestones in the institution’s contributions to physical and mental health. The event includes a conversation with world-renowned Professor of Psychology James Prochaska as well as presentations and discussions with leading experts in population health and behavior change.
The 2018 Honors Colloquium, Reimagining Gender: Voices, Power, Action, will address questions about the relevance of gender in shaping human rights, how gender identities connect with outer aspects of inequality and how our rising consciousness about gender leads to vibrant social conversations, power restructuring and new possibilities. The free series, featuring leading voices with diverse perspectives, is held every Tuesday, from Sept. 25 to Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in Edwards Hall, 64 Upper College Road.
URI Innovation with Impact 2018 is a new series of events and programs beginning Sept. 21 that showcases the creative and boundary-pushing work and impact of students, faculty, staff, alumni and industry partners. The series includes the showcase of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Works, HealthHacks RI 2018, Inclusive SciComm Symposium and the ribbon-cutting for the Artificial Intelligence Lab in the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons, the first such lab to be housed in a college library.
Construction Zone
In the last 12 years, nearly $900 million has been invested in renovating or constructing about 1 million square feet of building space on campus. Improvements in 2018 and 2019 include:
- The Robert J. Higgins Welcome Center: The expansive center on Upper College Road opened its doors to students and families this month. An official ribbon-cutting will be held Sept. 26.
- College of Engineering: The $150.5 million, 186,000-square-foot complex will offer some of the best engineering education facilities in the nation when it opens in 2019.
- Brookside Apartments: A new, apartment-style residence hall for upperclassmen is under construction on the northwestern edge of campus. It will welcome its first residents in fall 2019.
- Ongoing upgrades: The Rhode Island legislature approved a $12 million initial phase of improvements at the Fine Arts Center in June. During this phase, performance spaces will be improved as will the building’s mechanical systems; roofing will be replaced or repaired; windows will be enlarged; and exterior walls will gain insulation and surface overlays. Renovation and expansion projects also are in the planning and design phases for Ranger Hall and Meade Stadium, and infrastructure work continues to enhance campus sustainability, aesthetics and function, as well as transportation and parking.
Financial Facts (2018-19)
Undergraduate tuition and fees:
- In-state, $14,138
- Out-of-state, $30,862
- Regional, $22,324
- Undergraduate Room/Board, $12,452
Graduate tuition and fees:
- In-state, $14,924
- Out-of-state, $27,552
Financial aid (2018-19):
- 75 percent of students receive aid
- More than $92 million (awarded by URI)