University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island ( URI ) is the principal public research university in the U . S . state of Rhode Island . Its main campus is located in Kingston . Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence , the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett , and the W . Alton Jones Campus in West Greenwich . URI currently enrolls 14 , 546 undergraduate and 4 , 549 graduate students . It is a land grant , sea grant , and urban grant institution . US News and World Report classifies URI as a tier 1 national university , ranking it 147th overall . History . The University was first chartered as the state ' s agricultural school and agricultural experiment station in 1888 . The site of the school was originally the Oliver Watson Farm , the original farmhouse of which is still maintained as a small museum . In 1892 , the school became known as the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts . The first class had only seventeen students , each completing their course of study in two years . In 1909 , the school ' s name was again changed to Rhode Island State College as the school ' s programs were expanded beyond its original agricultural education mandate . In 1951 the school was given its current title through an act of the General Assembly following the addition of the College of Arts and Sciences and the offering of doctoral degrees . The Board of Governors for Higher Education , appointed by the governor , became the governing body of the University in 1981 during the presidency of Frank Newman ( 1974 - 1983 ) . The current president is David M . Dooley . Academics . Located in a traditional New England college town , URI offers students a land , sea and urban experience . Students can choose from over 80 majors within seven different colleges . Among the most popular majors at URI are Nursing , Communication Studies , Psychology , Kinesiology and Human Development & Family Studies . URI is well known for its nursing and engineering programs , the latter of which includes the internationally recognized International Engineering Program . The University also boasts nationally ranked programs in Pharmacy , Landscape Architecture and Oceanography . The University of Rhode Island Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics has been ranked the fourth most productive research department in the country in the field of agricultural economics by the 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index . Only Colorado State University , Iowa State University and the University of California at Berkeley ranked ahead of URI . Of the top 10 universities in the field , URI ’ s program has the fewest faculty members with 10 . The URI program was the first in the nation to offer a graduate degree in natural resource economics ( in 1969 ) , and the department publishes an internationally recognized research journal , Marine Resource Economics . Agricultural and natural resource economists study the interactions between economic and natural systems , with the goal of developing a sustainable and efficient economy . Faculty in the URI department focus on issues related to the spectrum of natural resource and environmental management , with particular strengths in fisheries and aquaculture , the marine environment , coastal watersheds and terrestrial ecosystem s , ecosystem valuation and international trade . US News and World Report classifies URI as a tier 1 national university , ranking it 147th overall . The average incoming freshman for the fall of 2012 had a GPA of 3 . 38 and an SAT score of 1659 . Athletics . The University of Rhode Island Department of Athletics and Recreation fields teams that compete in 18 intercollegiate sports . The University is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Athletic facilities include the Ryan Center , Keaney Gymnasium , Meade Stadium , Mackal Field House , Tootell Aquatic Center , Bradford R . Boss Arena , URI Soccer Complex , Bill Beck Field , and URI Softball Complex . The Director of Athletics is Thorr Bjorn , who previously worked at the University of Massachusetts . Student organizations . There are over one hundred officially recognized student organizations at the University of Rhode Island . Most student organizations are funded by the URI Student Senate , which is in turn funded by fees levied on all students . Prominent organizations include : Greek life . The University of Rhode Island also has an award - winning Greek System . The community was recognized by the Northeast Greek Leadership Association in February 2008 for excellence in Academic Achievement , Council Management , Membership Recruitment , Multicultural Initiatives , Public Relations , Risk Management and Panhellenic Continuous Open Bidding . The Greek Community consists of 12 fraternities , 10 sororities and one colony . Fraternities : Chi Phi , Alpha Tau Omega , Delta Chi , Zeta Beta Tau , Theta Chi , Lambda Chi Alpha , Sigma Alpha Epsilon , Sigma Pi , Sigma Phi Epsilon , Sigma Chi , Tau Epsilon Phi , Phi Gamma Delta , Pi Kappa Alpha . Sororities : Alpha Delta Pi , Alpha Phi , Alpha Chi Omega , Alpha Xi Delta , Delta Zeta , Zeta Tau Alpha , Sigma Delta Tau , Sigma Kappa , Phi Sigma Sigma and Chi Omega . Colonies : Alpha Epsilon Pi Multicultural Greek Council Organizations : Alpha Kappa Alpha , Lambda Upsilon Lambda , Alpha Phi Alpha , Chi Upsilon Sigma , Kappa Alpha Psi , Sigma Lambda Upsilon , Delta Sigma Theta and Omega Psi Phi . Professional Fraternities and Sororities : Kappa Psi , Lambda Kappa Sigma , Sigma Alpha , Theta Tau , and Alpha Chi Sigma . The Greek Community is governed by the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council . Both organization , along with Greek Life administration are housed on campus in the Christopher House .