Boston University (BU) vs URI-Kingston

Boston University and the University of Rhode Island, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Boston University, a private research university in the heart of Boston, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a more diverse student body compared to the University of Rhode Island, a public research university located in Kingston, Rhode Island. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Boston University is known for its strengths in the fields of business, engineering, and health sciences, while the University of Rhode Island excels in marine sciences, engineering, and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about the differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Boston University logo

Boston University

University of Rhode Island logo

University of Rhode Island

Overview

Location Boston, Massachusetts Kingston, Rhode Island
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 94.0% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 18.6% 76.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $95
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1360 - 1520 1090 - 1290
ACT range 31 - 34 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 32.0% 30.0%
Students submitting ACT score 13.0% 3.0%
Total number of applicants 75,778 25,105
Total number of admissions given out 14,129 19,196
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,011 3,340
Yield rate 28.4% 17.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $79,606
In state: $31,614

Out of state: $49,636
Average net price $25,852 $20,496
Tuition $58,560
In state: $13,250

Out of state: $31,272
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,990

Meal plan: $5,850
Room/dormitory: $8,340

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

53.0%
Average amount $50,486
94.0%
Average amount $12,949
Students receiving federal student loan 24.0%
Average amount $4,317
61.0%
Average amount $5,252
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $25,248
18.0%
Average amount $18,913

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 18,229
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
14,744
Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
Graduate students 17,875
Men 42.5% Women 57.5%
2,767
Men 37.5% Women 62.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 60.3%
International students 26.6% 2.7%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 11,356 5,523
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California New Jersey Connecticut Pennsylvania Rhode Island Mississippi Connecticut New York New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 89.4% 70.0%
Dropout rate 10.3% 28.7%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,398
  • Year 2: $125,611
  • Year 3: $147,490
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,318
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $142,427
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,155
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $117,665
Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,383
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $115,901
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,027
  • Year 2: $106,688
  • Year 3: $113,743
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,380
  • Year 2: $102,306
  • Year 3: $111,308
Insurance (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,170
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $108,260
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,069
  • Year 2: $92,743
  • Year 3: $106,517
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,263
  • Year 2: $96,829
  • Year 3: $104,284
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,137
  • Year 2: $83,848
  • Year 3: $99,636
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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