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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Most applicants get into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — 63.5% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute sits in Troy proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. International students are a visible presence here — 7.2% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Science, where graduates median $141,528 four years out. Faculty pay averages $165,840 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 5,714 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 90.7% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1330 and 1500 — above the NY middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
You can apply to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 1330 and 1500; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 650 | 680 | 730 |
| SAT Math | 680 | 730 | 770 |
| ACT Composite | 30 | 32 | 34 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received 16,283 applications and admitted 9,517 (58.4%), with 1,552 enrolling.
How Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute compares
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | New York median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 63.5% | 70.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $64,081 | $17,408 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $102,051 | $60,236 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student earns $102,051 — 69% above the New York median of $60,236 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute lists tuition at $64,081 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $64,081 as the ceiling, not the bill.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute enrolls 5,714 undergraduates — mid-sized, with the trade-offs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's scale implies: more programs than a small college, more anonymity too.
83.6% of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students finish a bachelor's within six years — 28.8 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $64,081 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | $141,528 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $125,531 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $115,100 |
| Mathematics | $105,768 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $104,596 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $103,306 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $99,713 |
| Chemical Engineering | $98,679 |
| Industrial Engineering | $98,509 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $94,750 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $92,952 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $87,358 |
| Nuclear Engineering | $87,239 |
| Civil Engineering | $86,794 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $83,958 |
| Materials Engineering | $82,947 |
| Physics | $81,840 |
| Architecture | $75,551 |
Median earnings for these 18 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $102,051 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 27 additional Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1330–1500 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 63.5% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's acceptance rate?
58.4% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 9,517 admitted from 16,283 applicants.
How much does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute cost?
At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, published tuition is $64,081 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $102,051 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in New York
- Roberts Wesleyan University — 70.6% admitted
- Rochester Institute of Technology — 66.9% admitted
- Pratt Institute-Main — 73.3% admitted
- St Bonaventure University — 81.7% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.