Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, New York · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

At a glance

Average net price: $36,228What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 63%
Graduation rate: 83%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 5,714
In-state tuition: $64,081Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $64,081
SAT midpoint: 1,440
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $102,051Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$36,228

1/5

Better than 9% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

83%

5/5

Better than 91% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$102,051

5/5

Better than 97% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$23,750

3/5

Better than 58% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$82,404

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$36,228

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	83%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	91%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$23,750
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$102,051

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Computer Science	$104,943	250
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	$94,722	62
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$85,172	35
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	$83,412	69
Mathematics	$80,196	75
Chemical Engineering	$78,263	61
Nuclear Engineering	$77,014	18
Industrial Engineering	$74,787	29
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$74,427	65
Mechanical Engineering	$73,833	162
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	$73,213	117
Civil Engineering	$71,790	53
Materials Engineering	$66,927	14
Physics	$60,348	42
Architecture	$54,334	56
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$47,925	58
Design and Applied Arts	$36,191	34
Biology, General	Not reported	28
Chemistry	Not reported	22
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	Not reported	20
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs	Not reported	15
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering	Not reported	14
Psychology, General	Not reported	13
Economics	Not reported	8
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	Not reported	7
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	Not reported	7
Cognitive Science	Not reported	7
Science, Technology and Society	Not reported	7
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	Not reported	6
Visual and Performing Arts, General	Not reported	4
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	Not reported	4
Sustainability Studies	Not reported	3
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	Not reported	3
Communication and Media Studies	Not reported	3
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	Not reported	2
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	Not reported	2
Philosophy	Not reported	2
Architectural Sciences and Technology	Not reported	1
Music	Not reported	1
Engineering Science	Not reported	Not reported
Social Sciences, General	Not reported	Not reported
Non-Professional Legal Studies	Not reported	Not reported
Engineering Physics	Not reported	Not reported
Data Analytics	Not reported	Not reported
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General	Not reported	Not reported

All 45 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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