KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 24, 2026 – The University of Rhode Island is set to welcome thousands of new and returning students for the start of the 2026-27 academic year. Fall semester classes begin at the state’s flagship public research university on Sept. 9.
Student move-in days begin Friday, Sept. 4, and run through Tuesday, Sept. 8. Welcome events for new undergraduate students take place as part of O-Week (Sept. 4-8) leading up to the start of classes. After summer orientation, new students will get to take part in over 100 events and activities in the first few days, including RhodyFest on Sept. 6 (3-6 p.m. on the Quad), featuring a giant student organization fair with clubs and organizations, food trucks, free giveaways and more. O-Week will culminate with the official class welcome from URI President Marc Parlange, picture on the Quad, and class T-shirts.
The University received a record 29,263 first-year undergraduate applications for the fall semester, and a record number of applications to its graduate programs. More than 3,200 first-year students will join more than 500 transfer students, more than 2,300 graduate students, and thousands of returning URI students, to comprise a student body of approximately 17,000.
President Parlange will deliver the annual State of the University Address on Thursday, Oct. 8, in Edwards Hall.
With exciting renovations happening at Meade Stadium, URI’s football program—two-time reigning Coastal Athletic Association champions—will play its 2026 home schedule at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, home to Rhode Island FC of the United Soccer League, beginning Sept. 12. Rhody’s five-game regular-season home schedule includes the annual Governor’s Cup game between URI and Brown University on Oct. 3. Student tickets are free for all games, with a student shuttle to the stadium. Meade is undergoing a $42 million renovation and will reopen for the Rams’ 2027 season. Tickets for URI football and all other athletic programs can be purchased by calling 401-874-RAMS or visiting the Rhody ticket site. New students are also invited to join the Ruckus.
Rhody athletics will also celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the track program’s new outdoor track and field facility on Oct. 16. Completed this summer, the track and field facility is one of several URI athletic facilities getting an upgrade. URI will now have one of the best outdoor track and field facilities in the Northeast, reflecting the championship-level student-athletes who represent URI in the sport.
Returning students will notice some revitalized spaces when they return to campus for move-in and classes, as part of the many ongoing capital improvement projects; this includes new campus housing set to open in Fall 2027 and new looks for Mainfare Dining Hall and the Corner Store, both of which will be open when students return.
Registration for Project Connect, which brings new students together via weekly sessions with peer facilitators to learn more about options at URI, starts Aug. 25. The six-week program begins in September.
The Multicultural Student Services Center will hold a Welcome Back get-together on the MSSC Patio on the afternoon of Sept. 8, from noon to 4 p.m., and is also sponsoring a Beats and Eats program on Sept. 16 with a community resource fair.
URI’s annual Quad Fest takes place Oct. 6 and will include everything from food and games to a rock wall and a petting zoo, plus the URI Student Organization Fair.
About our students
Approximately 5,400 students will live in 25 on-campus residence halls this fall, including 14 Living and Learning Communities. More than 600 students will reside in 16 fraternity and sorority houses on campus.
More than 700 students involved in Greek Life at URI are volunteering to help first-year students during move-in. This past spring, URI’s Greek community raised $133,000 for community organizations such as the URI Community First Responder Program.
This fall’s first-year class represents students from many diverse backgrounds. They hail from 49 different states and more than 18 countries (67 in the total student body). The incoming new Ram class is academically talented: 48% are coming in with college credits earned in high school from AP, IB, EEP and other programs. More than 30% of new students are the first in their family to attend college. URI will also welcome 300 new Talent Development Scholars in September.
Popular majors this year include engineering, business, nursing, criminology and criminal justice, political science, kinesiology, and marine biology.
Fall campus happenings
An exhibit on “The Pursuit of Happiness” opens Sept. 1 and will be in place through Oct. 15. Presented with the Tomaquag Museum, this will be the first exhibit in the Frank Main Gallery in URI’s newly renovated Fine Arts Center.
The Center for Military and Veteran Education will hold its annual resource fair, with more than 20 on- and off-campus partners for student veterans and military-connected students, on Sept. 8, 10 a.m. to noon. The event is open to all military-connected students and any other students or family members who wish to attend. RSVP here.
The annual Student Free Farmers Market opens Thursday, Sept. 10. The market offers fresh produce grown in URI’s Teaching Garden and at East Farm free to URI students, taking place every Thursday on the Quad and outside of Mackal-Tootell through October.
URI will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Monday, Sept. 14, at 11 a.m. to celebrate the new Fine Arts Center, with student-led tours of the transformed space. More than 5,000 students take classes in the Fine Arts Center, which also showcases the University’s arts to the public; the building brings more than 50,000 visitors to campus annually.
URI Theatre’s 2026-27 season launches in October with the production of the award-winning play “Proof” by David Aubum. The theatre program will also present a student-directed full-length play Nov. 12-15: “The Receptionist,” directed by senior Jay Harkness.
This year’s fall Honors Colloquium will examine “Interstellar Exploration,” inviting scholars, experts and the broader community to explore cutting-edge science and imagination. The free speaker series begins Sept. 15 and includes movie nights on the Quad on Sept. 14 and 28, with free community showings of “Project Hail Mary” and “The Martian,” open to all. The lecture series is open to the public and available online.
The College of Business is hosting a block party on Sept. 23 and a Fall Career and Internship Day on Sept. 30 in the Ryan Center.
The Center for the Humanities will host a yearlong lecture series on “American Revolutions,” beginning Sept. 24 with a lecture by Robert Parkinson, author of “Tyrants and Rogues: Understanding the Declaration of Independence.”
URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography will host Science Saturday on Sept. 26 at the Narragansett Bay Campus.
URI’s 11th annual Guitar and Mandolin Festival, one of the country’s largest guitar festivals, will take place Oct. 18-25.
Family Weekend takes place Oct. 23-25, featuring comedian John Mulaney at the Ryan Center, URI football vs. Albany, women’s soccer vs. Richmond, Boss Arena Skate Night and more.
Noteworthy
This fall, URI, the state’s land- and sea-grant university, is offering new in-person and online programs: three new undergraduate degrees, three new master’s degrees, and eight new graduate certificates, in addition to URI Online for undergraduate and graduate students.
The URI Forensic Science Partnership begins a new year in September. The unique lecture series brings international authorities to URI, on Friday afternoons, to talk about everything from bombs and cold cases to organized crime and search dogs.
URI’s College of Engineering is hosting a kick-off on Sept. 8 to welcome engineering students back, as well as an IEP Showcase on Sept. 25 and a Health Hack event (Sept. 26-27) with the Colleges of Business and Health Sciences.
Registration will open in September for URI Cooperative Extension’s annual Home Horticulture Certificate course. The program offers 14 weeks of virtual instruction on science-based topics ranging from basic botany to soil science and plant nutrition, and practical topics including enhancing native landscape, managing invasive landscapes, vegetable gardens, fruit culture and turfgrass health. All are encouraged to participate, regardless of zip code.
Donations are always welcome at Rhody Outpost, the community food pantry staffed by student and community volunteers and open to any student in need. The outpost has an Amazon wish list for easy purchasing and shopping.
URI is starting the new academic year StormReady. Last year, the University earned StormReady status from the National Weather Service, recognizing the University’s strong weather emergency preparedness. Students should check that they have the correct information in place for alerts by logging into eCampus and clicking on “URI emergency alert system.”
Four Cook-Cohen Scholars will join the University community this September, thanks to a $1.8 million gift from Board of Trustees chair Margo Cook ’86 and Renee Cohen to help support access and student success. They join five new Ryan Scholars, six Verrechia Scholars and 25 Schilling Scholars.
URI’s Horridge Conservatory drew thousands to campus this summer for its corpse flower bloom. It’s quieter now but still open to visitors—and students looking for a green escape—at 6 Greenhouse Road. The conservatory is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mark your calendar: Derek Hough Dance for the Holidays is coming to the Ryan Center on Dec. 9; tickets are available now.
For more information on any of the items listed here, please visit the University of Rhode Island website at uri.edu. Download the Rhody Connect app for regular community updates. URI family members can also subscribe to the free Rhody Family and Supporter Hub Newsletter; register here.