Rhode Island vs Georgia - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Georgia admits 37.9%, Rhode Island admits 72.2%.
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Rhode Island reports aid for international students ($26,565 on average), Georgia does not.
On paper the cheaper option is Georgia: $31,678 against $38,398, which is $6,720 less a year.
140 points separate the SAT profiles: 1300 (Georgia) against 1160.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Georgia is the more selective of the two (37.92% vs 72.2% acceptance). Georgia ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#801-900 vs #401-500). Median earnings 10 years after enrollment are effectively tied ($70K vs $69K). Georgia has lower sticker-price tuition ($31,678 vs $38,398 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Rhode Island for: higher graduate earnings, a larger aid package.
Choose Georgia for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Georgia is more selective (37.92% vs 72.2% acceptance); Georgia has a higher median SAT (1300 vs 1160).
Rhode Island graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($70K vs $69K); Georgia has a higher 6-year graduation rate (89.7% vs 73.3%).
Georgia has lower sticker-price tuition ($31,678 vs $38,398); Rhode Island offers a larger average aid package ($17,595 vs $15,348).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Rhode Island | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #801-900 | #401-500 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 72.2% | 37.92% |
| Yield rate | 16.4% | 38.3% |
| Median SAT | 1160 | 1300 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.65 | 4.15 |
| Number of applications | 28,021 | 42,436 |
| International students | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $70K | $69K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $44K | $45K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $102K | $102K |
| Graduation rate | 73.3% | 89.7% |
| Retention rate | 85% | 94.3% |
| Median debt | $22,250 | $18,500 |
| Tuition · year | $38,398 | $31,678 |
| Avg. aid package | $17,595 | $15,348 |
| % of need met | 57% | 73.2% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $42,945 | $20,890 |
| Application fee | $65 | $70 |
| Enrollment | 14,466 | 43,146 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Rhode Island or Georgia?
It's harder to get into Georgia. Rhode Island accepts 72.2% of applicants, while Georgia accepts 37.92%.
Do Rhode Island or Georgia graduates earn more?
Earnings are practically equal - 10 years after enrollment, the median is $70K at Rhode Island and $69K at Georgia.
How much is tuition at Rhode Island vs Georgia?
Sticker-price tuition is $38,398 per year at Rhode Island and $31,678 per year at Georgia.
What SAT score do you need for Rhode Island or Georgia?
The median admitted SAT score is 1160 at Rhode Island and 1300 at Georgia; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Rhode Island or Georgia?
Georgia ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #801-900 for Rhode Island vs #401-500 for Georgia.
Which university offers more financial aid - Rhode Island or Georgia?
The average aid package is $17,595 at Rhode Island and $15,348 at Georgia.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern