URI-Kingston vs Michigan State University (MSU)

When it comes to higher education, University of Rhode Island (URI) and Michigan State University (MSU) stand out as two prominent institutions with distinct characteristics. URI, located in the charming coastal town of Kingston, Rhode Island, offers a tight-knit community feel with a focus on undergraduate education. MSU, situated in the vibrant city of East Lansing, Michigan, boasts a large and diverse student body, along with a wide range of academic programs and research opportunities. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Michigan State University logo

Michigan State University

University of Rhode Island logo

University of Rhode Island

Overview

Location East Lansing, Michigan Kingston, Rhode Island
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 92.0% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 83.3% 76.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1100 - 1320 1090 - 1290
ACT range 23 - 29 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 48.0% 30.0%
Students submitting ACT score 16.0% 3.0%
Total number of applicants 50,630 25,105
Total number of admissions given out 42,150 19,196
Admitted students who chose to enroll 9,225 3,340
Yield rate 21.9% 17.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $29,734

Out of state: $55,546
In state: $31,614

Out of state: $49,636
Average net price $8,738 $20,496
Tuition
In state: $14,750

Out of state: $40,562
In state: $13,250

Out of state: $31,272
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,408

Meal plan: $6,268
Room/dormitory: $8,340

Meal plan: $5,500
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

58.0%
Average amount $12,822
94.0%
Average amount $12,949
Students receiving federal student loan 34.0%
Average amount $4,999
61.0%
Average amount $5,252
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $18,093
18.0%
Average amount $18,913

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 38,574
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
14,744
Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
Graduate students 11,085
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
2,767
Men 37.5% Women 62.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 18.7% 60.3%
International students 8.3% 2.7%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 17,463 5,523
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York Rhode Island Mississippi Connecticut New York New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.1% 70.0%
Dropout rate 7.8% 28.7%
Transferred out 9.8% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,500
  • Year 2: $123,886
  • Year 3: $132,790
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,863
  • Year 2: $98,481
  • Year 3: $108,546
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,313
  • Year 2: $89,435
  • Year 3: $101,511
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,361
  • Year 2: $96,183
  • Year 3: $100,492
Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $97,714
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,294
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $93,263
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,609
  • Year 2: $83,915
  • Year 3: $92,316
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,457
  • Year 2: $86,129
  • Year 3: $91,721
Food Science and Technology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,178
  • Year 2: $83,915
  • Year 3: $89,761
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,462
  • Year 2: $80,133
  • Year 3: $84,869
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,221
  • Year 2: $113,894
  • Year 3: $119,883
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,532
  • Year 2: $109,286
  • Year 3: $115,106
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,037
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $86,487
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,976
  • Year 2: $71,473
  • Year 3: $86,408
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,309
  • Year 2: $67,995
  • Year 3: $79,045
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,134
  • Year 2: $72,693
  • Year 3: $78,528
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,485
  • Year 2: $65,557
  • Year 3: $77,404
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $73,720
  • Year 3: $75,985
Ocean Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,071
  • Year 2: $63,600
  • Year 3: $73,268
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,907
  • Year 2: $63,880
  • Year 3: $72,515

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The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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