CollegeGrad School
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- 4 Year
- Troy, NY
- 1,000 reviews
- AcademicsA+
- ValueA+
- DiversityA
- CampusC+
- AthleticsB
- Party SceneB+
- ProfessorsA+
- LocationB-
- DormsB-
- Campus FoodC+
- Student LifeA-
- SafetyB+
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
Liberty League
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
43%
SAT Range
1330-1500
ACT Range
29-33
Application Fee
$70
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes
Application Website
Will You Get In?
Test Scores and High School GPA for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute See Other Colleges
Cost
Net Price
$39,308/ year
National
$15,523Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Average Total Aid Awarded
$30,824/ year
National
$7,535Students Receiving Financial Aid
82%
Academics
Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
13:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
- 74%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.58 responses
- 73%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.67 responses
- 40%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.67 responses
Majors
Most Popular Majors
Computer Science
208 GraduatesMechanical Engineering
192 GraduatesChemical Engineering
109 GraduatesElectrical Engineering
100 GraduatesBioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
97 GraduatesBusiness
87 GraduatesAerospace Engineering
85 GraduatesComputer Systems Technician
64 GraduatesMathematics
49 GraduatesCivil Engineering
47 Graduates
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
6,200Undergrads
Part-Time Undergrads
26
Undergrads Over 25
1%
Pell Grant
15%
Varsity Athletes
11%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
- 52%
- of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.79 responses
Poll
- 69%
- of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.90 responses
After College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$82,000/ year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
86%
National
49%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
95%
National
83%- 93%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.45 responses
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Reviews
1,000 reviews
All Categories
I liken RPI to academic boot camp...there is an overall pride in the administration for being very difficult graders. This is excellent for teaching you to grind through adversity and serves you well in the workforce, however it is terrible if you plan on applying to grad school!
RPI is like MIT-light in the fact that it's a research institution and the administration only cares about the professors and grad students who get them big grants and notoriety. This results in an overall poor undergraduate experience however there are tons of opportunities to participate in undergraduate research which is a fantastic resume builder.
Overall, RPI is a great school for the very serious student looking for a career the tech world. If this does not describe you, you would be better off going someplace else!
RPI is like MIT-light in the fact that it's a research institution and the administration only cares about the professors and grad students who get them big grants and notoriety. This results in an overall poor undergraduate experience however there are tons of opportunities to participate in undergraduate research which is a fantastic resume builder.
Overall, RPI is a great school for the very serious student looking for a career the tech world. If this does not describe you, you would be better off going someplace else!
I owe almost all of my current success, from amazing post-graduation job offers, to previous opportunities, to RPI. Although the graduate program at Rensselaer is phenomenal, the school is made up of mostly undergraduates. I highly recommend high school students, who plan on studying any STEM field, to come here for this reason. I have received so many projects and conference opportunities through research and academia, that a similarly elite engineering school would not be able to offer, at the same quality, for undergraduates. My only negative assessment is that RPI has limited much Greek activity, due to liability concerns and a past controversy. That being said, I have faith that much of the passionate alumni will be able to fix this problem, and be able to separate the good houses from the bad house. Overall, however, RPI offers an outstanding education, and as a computer science major, I am very thankful for all the opportunities and connections I have had/made here.
Honestly, I’ve truly enjoyed my time here so far. This school is INCREDIBLY difficult to do well in with regards to grades, and if you can’t manage time effectively you will either flunk out or lose your social life entirely. Luckily, most students accepted here have learned these skills, and can practice them here. The professors do generally care about the class and the students, but this doesn’t make their grading any easier. Despite the difficulty, it absolutely feels worth it to go here. If you put yourself out there, having a social life is no issue, and the hardest part is making sure you can balance the workload and social aspect of school, but this is very similar to what everyone faces in the real world, so this is good practice. Additionally, you’re going to make fat stacks if you’re a good student and go here, so as long as you come in with some good scholarships you should have a manageable amount of student debt after your time here.