URI move-in weekend begins Friday, Sept. 4

URI’s Fall Move-in officially begins Sept. 4, as the University welcomes more than 3,200 first-year students and their families to its Kingston Campus. Students Edward Britto, Jay Prestegui, and Princess Appiah greet students during 2025’s move-in. (URI photos/Catherine Scott)

KINGSTON, R.I. — Sept. 1, 2026 —The University of Rhode Island will welcome more than 3,200 first-year students and their families to its Kingston Campus, beginning Friday, Sept. 4, to officially open fall move-in for the 2026-27 academic year.

Between Sept. 4 and Sept. 7, the University will welcome approximately 5,400 students who will live in 25 Kingston Campus residence halls, part of 14 living and learning communities. Another 600 students will live in more than a dozen Greek Life houses, while about 100 more will reside in the Grandin International Engineering, Texas Instruments, and Talent Development Achievement houses.

URI will welcome approximately 6,000 new and returning students over four days as part of fall move-in.

URI President Marc Parlange and Mary Parlange, Provost Barbara Wolfe, Vice President for Student Affairs Ellen Reynolds, Assistant Vice President for Housing and Residential Life Tom Cooley, and hundreds of URI staff, faculty members and student volunteers will be on hand throughout the weekend to welcome new and returning students to campus and assist them as they move into their on-campus residences.

URI received a record 29,263 first-year undergraduate applications for the fall 2026 semester, as well as a record number of applications to its graduate programs. 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 more than 17,000 when classes begin.

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 more than 17,000 when classes begin on Sept. 9. (URI Photo/Gianna Fendrich)

Welcome activities will continue through Labor Day weekend with fall classes set to begin Wednesday, Sept. 9. The academic year also kicks off with a full slate of academic, athletic and cultural events beginning Sept. 6 with RhodyFest, a welcoming event that gives students a chance to learn about dozens of student organizations, Greek Life and club sport teams.

WHO: President Marc Parlange, Mary Parlange, Provost Barbara Wolfe, Vice President for Student Affairs Ellen Reynolds, Assistant Vice President for Housing and Residential Life Tom Cooley, hundreds of URI faculty and staff, new and returning URI students and their families

WHAT: Fall Move-in Weekend

WHEN: Move-in weekend will begin Friday, Sept. 4, for first-year and transfer students, continuing into Saturday. Upperclass students will move in Sunday, Sept. 6, and Monday, Sept. 7.

WHERE: URI’s student residential neighborhoods along Butterfield Road. President Parlange and other URI officials will start their Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Hillside Hall, 140 Campus Ave.

MEDIA NOTE: President Parlange and other URI staff members will be available to the media on Friday, Sept. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., during new-student move-in. To make coverage and parking arrangements, please contact Dawn Bergantino at (401) 874-4147, cell: (202) 270-3211, email: dawn_bergantino@uri.edu; or James Bessette: (401) 874-3520, cell: (401) 829-0286, email: james.bessette@uri.edu.