Quad

Head-to-head

Mississippi State
U. Rhode Island

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Rhode Island grads earn $18.2K more ten years out than Mississippi State's ($69,743 vs. $51,513)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Mississippi State costs about $10.8K less per year on average than U. Rhode Island ($23,737 vs. $34,536, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Mississippi State's grants cover 36% of its full price on average, vs. 26% at U. Rhode Island

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    U. Rhode Island graduates 9 pts more of its students than Mississippi State (72% vs. 63%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    Mississippi State has 8 pts more Pell recipients than U. Rhode Island (29% vs. 22%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  6. 6

    Mississippi State is a bit larger (18,397 vs. 13,381)

    Undergrads

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. Rhode Island admits 75%, Mississippi State 78%; Mississippi State's yield is higher, at 20%.

Acceptance rate
Mississippi State78%
U. Rhode Island75%
Quad's selectivity
  • Mississippi StateSelective
  • U. Rhode IslandSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
Mississippi State
1100–1350
U. Rhode Island
1090–1310
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Mississippi StateGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • U. Rhode IslandRigor and GPA very important43%

Who's on each campus

Mississippi State is a bit larger than U. Rhode Island (18,397 vs. 13,381 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Mississippi State18.4K
U. Rhode Island13.4K
Pell Grant share
Mississippi State29%
U. Rhode Island22%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Mississippi State, and Psychology at U. Rhode Island.

Students per faculty member
Mississippi State16 to 1
U. Rhode Island17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Mississippi StateBusiness Administration and Management, General8%
  • U. Rhode IslandPsychology, General8%

What each costs

Mississippi State costs about $10.8K less a year than U. Rhode Island on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Mississippi State$23.7K
U. Rhode Island$34.5K
Aid generosity
Mississippi State36%
U. Rhode Island26%

What each pays off

U. Rhode Island's former students earn more, a median $69.7K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Mississippi State$51.5K
U. Rhode Island$69.7K
Graduation rate
Mississippi State63%
U. Rhode Island72%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; U. Rhode Island got more selective while Mississippi State got less.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Mississippi StateGrowing+117%
  • U. Rhode IslandGrowing+29%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;University of Rhode Island (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;University of Rhode Island Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;University of Rhode Island Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2019About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why