URI Named No. 1 Public University In New England: WSJ Rankings

KINGSTON, RI — The University of Rhode Island was ranked the No. 1 public university in New England and the 35th-best public university in the U.S., according to recent rankings from the Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking rates the top 500 universities in the country. URI was ranked No. 84 overall— 15 spots ahead of the next closest New England public university, the University of Connecticut, which ranked 99th. Rhode Island and Connecticut were the only two New England public universities to earn a spot in the top 100.

"This ranking reflects our values, so it is not surprising to me that we are one of the highest ranked public flagship universities," URI President Marc Parlange said. "URI makes a difference in people's lives, and that's what this ranking recognizes. We are committed to providing broad access to a high-quality academic experience and to ensuring that students have the support and resources they need to succeed. And we are incredibly proud of the success and impact of our graduates, who are making a real difference throughout Rhode Island and around the globe."

The ranking focused on how well colleges prepare students for career and financial success, as well as overall student satisfaction, and responding to concerns about the rising cost of college tuition. Among other things, the ranking assesses how much a school improves students’ chances of graduating and their future earnings, balancing these outcomes with feedback from students on college life.

According to the rankings, more than 90 percent of URI graduates are employed or pursuing graduate studies within six months of their graduation.

While URI ranked 84th out of 500 among all ranked universities, it ranked No. 35 among public universities nationwide.

According to university officials, interest in URI reached an all-time high this year. URI received a record 26,900 first-year undergraduate applications for the fall 2024 semester, as well as a record number of applications to its graduate programs. Approximately 3,100 first-year students recently joined more than 500 transfer students, more than 2,000 graduate students, and thousands of returning URI students, to comprise a student body of more than 17,000.

More than 89 percent of URI students receive some form of financial aid, and financial aid support at the University increased to more than $150 million this year. School official said this was a record high for the university.

The WSJ/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking was developed and executed in collaboration with research partners College Pulse and Statista. The rankings score colleges based on student outcomes (70 percent), learning environment (20 percent) and diversity (10 percent). Student outcomes include salary impact, years to pay off net price and graduation rate impact.

Here are the key rankings URI received from the Wall Street Journal:

• No. 1 ranked public university in New England
• No. 12 ranked public flagship university in the U.S.
• No. 35 ranked public university in the U.S.
• No. 84 ranked university overall (of 500) in the U.S.

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