Admissions Factors
What Rhode Island Looks For
Rhode Island rates 4 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay and recommendations.
How Rhode Island rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Considered
Not considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
74.6%
20,892 of 28,021 applicants
Early decision admit rate
74.3%
Early decision admits equal 4% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
15%
9 of 60 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.65. 19% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Rhode Island look for in applicants?
Rhode Island rates 4 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay and recommendations.
Does Rhode Island consider legacy status?
Rhode Island rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Rhode Island track demonstrated interest?
Rhode Island rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".
What is Rhode Island's waitlist acceptance rate?
60 students stayed on the waitlist and 9 were admitted, a rate of 15%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Rhode Island's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 150 of 202 applicants were admitted (74.3%), against 74.6% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Rhode Island’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
