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College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

#31 in Best Colleges for Design in America
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Troy, NY
  • 966 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A+
  2. Value
    A+
  3. Diversity
    A
  4. Campus
    C+
  5. Athletics
    B
  6. Party Scene
    A-
  7. Professors
    A+
  8. Location
    B-
  9. Dorms
    B-
  10. Campus Food
    C+
  11. Student Life
    A-
  12. Safety
    B
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RPI is a highly rated private college located in Troy, New York in the Albany Area. It is a mid-size institution with an enrollment of 6,200 undergraduate students. Admissions is fairly competitive as the RPI acceptance rate is 44%. Popular majors include Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. Graduating 80% of students, RPI alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $63,100.
About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute...
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
Liberty League
Address
110 8th Street
Troy, NY 12180
Website
rpi.edu

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
44%
Application Deadline
—
SAT Range
1280-1480
ACT Range
28-32
Application Fee
$70
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes

Test Prep

SAT and ACT Prep Options
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Cost

Net Price
$37,434/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $21,531/ year
  • $30-48k
    $21,787/ year
  • $49-75k
    $28,882/ year
  • $76-110k
    $32,740/ year
  • $110k+
    $40,214/ year
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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.64 responses
41%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.64 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Mechanical Engineering
    226 Graduates
  • Computer Science
    167 Graduates
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
    101 Graduates
  • Electrical Engineering
    94 Graduates
  • Chemical Engineering
    93 Graduates
  • Aerospace Engineering
    87 Graduates
  • Computer Systems Technician
    71 Graduates
  • Business
    69 Graduates
  • Mathematics
    66 Graduates
  • Civil Engineering
    62 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
6,200Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
1%
Pell Grant
17%
Varsity Athletes
10%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 38 responses
Report
  • Nerdy
    45%
  • Driven
    21%
  • Motivated
    18%
  • Nerdy trying to be a college bro.
    13%
  • Don't talk much
    3%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
50%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.76 responses
Poll
70%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.87 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 34 responses
Report
  • Why not change the world?
    62%
  • A community of innovative and creative minds.
    18%
  • A bunch of nerds.
    15%
  • A bunch of nerds with potential
    3%
  • a place manufactures engineers and nothing more
    3%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$77,900/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
80%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
94%
National
83%
93%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.45 responses
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Reviews

966 reviews
All Categories
Difficult academics earn you a degree that will support your future aspirations. This school will support you mentally and academically to the best of their ability, and the payout is well worth it. The clubs are diverse as they are meaningful ranging from robotics to rocketry to learning Russian to Cinema. RPI's technological facilities are enormous as they are accessible- but be prepared to reach out yourself to use the school's resources. The food is beyond amazing, seriously, its awesome- but be ready to do a little hill climbing to access all of campus.
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The school is very challenging academically, but it's well worth it in the end. Most professors are very willing to help their students succeed. Something I do not like about the school is that much of your grades are dependent on the professor you get. This causes many students to drop or withdraw from classes to get a different, more experienced professor the next time around. Of course how much effort a student puts in will truly be what determines their grades, but getting specific professors for certain courses does make a difference. The food is decent. The dining hall food isn't great, but the food in the student union is delicious. The people are very friendly at RPI and everyone is very smart. Sports and clubs are very big at the school and there is something for everyone.
Academics are very difficult here, but the degree is worth it. You'll come out of RPI really knowing your field. Parties are mostly through Greek Life, so it can be tricky to find parties or to get in if you are unaffiliated. The majority of people probably don't party. Campus is in a great location, short walk from downtown Troy, and the city bus service is free to students. There is so much to do at RPI and no matter who you are you'll always find a group to fit in with!