Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY 12180-3590
About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private research university in Troy, New York, serving roughly 5,714 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 63.47% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $102,051 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($64,081).
- Versus the New York median, sticker tuition is about 4.6×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 83.62%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $102,051.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 604% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 56 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $64,081 | $36,228 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| New York (state median) | $13,810 | $9,373 | 272 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 43% below published tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Key findings
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's average net price ($36,228) is 43% below published tuition ($64,081).
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($64,081).
- Versus the New York median, sticker tuition is about 4.6×.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $64,081
Finding Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $64,081. That is about 2.2× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the New York median ($13,810), sticker tuition is about 4.6×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 5.4×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $36,228.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $36,228 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $26,855 above the New York median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $21,257 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 43% lower after grants and scholarships.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$64,081
Avg. net price
$36,228
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $24,078 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $26,289 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $28,212 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $36,230 |
| $110,001+ | $42,541 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $256,324. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is known for
Top program completions
- Computer Science259
- Mechanical Engineering194
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General120
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering104
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering84
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 16% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1456
- Midpoint ACT: 33
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Campus
Location
Troy, NY
City / state
- ZIP
- 12180-3590
- NCES locale
- Town
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is about 2.4× the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Mid East
- Carnegie
- Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Size
Enrollment
5,714
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 6,285
- Graduate
- 1,299
- Full-time share
- 99%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$23,750
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 19.92%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $46,269 | $46,269 | $32,986 |
| 2014 | $47,908 | $47,908 | $33,595 |
| 2015 | $49,341 | $49,341 | $34,841 |
| 2016 | $50,797 | $50,797 | $33,629 |
| 2017 | $52,305 | $52,305 | $34,839 |
| 2018 | $53,880 | $53,880 | $36,159 |
| 2019 | $55,378 | $55,378 | $35,464 |
| 2020 | $57,012 | $57,012 | $33,937 |
| 2021 | $58,526 | $58,526 | $31,456 |
| 2022 | $60,074 | $60,074 | $34,399 |
| 2023 | $61,884 | $61,884 | $33,139 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1456 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 33 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.80
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reported total enrollment of about 5,714 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 69% male and 31% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (44.8%), Asian (21.6%), and Hispanic or Latino (10.9%). About 19.92% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 13.7% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
99.1% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2024 is 5,714 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 6,285 students. Graduate enrollment is about 1,299 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
90.7%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
71.69% 100% Completion Time
83.62% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 71.69% of students graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Computer Science: 86% male / 14% female
- Mechanical Engineering: 83% male / 17% female
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General: 78% male / 22% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a median of $102,051 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $102,051. Median federal loan debt: $23,750. Average net price used in cost models: $36,228.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates report median earnings of $102,051 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (56 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$920.8M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- New York median 24× the median ($38.1M)
- Mid East median 22× the median ($42.6M)
- U.S. median 35× the median ($26.4M)
- New York median 7.9× the median ($15,424)
- Mid East median 7.5× the median ($16,427)
- U.S. median 10× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 89.2%
- New York median 35.5 pp above median (53.8%)
- Mid East median 32.4 pp above median (56.9%)
- U.S. median 31.3 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $13,820
- New York median 1.7× the median ($8,068)
- Mid East median 1.7× the median ($8,119)
- U.S. median 1.8× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $20,696
- New York median 1.9× the median ($10,822)
- Mid East median 2.3× the median ($9,164)
- U.S. median 2.8× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at a glance
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private non-profit institution in Troy, NY, classified as Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Computer ScienceMechanical EngineeringAerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian44.8%Asian21.6%Hispanic or Latino10.9%
Schools near Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Other campuses in Troy, NY when available, plus nearby institutions in New York.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within New York, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute located?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is located in Troy, NY.
What is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 63.5% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 16,283 applicants and 9,517 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's tuition?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $64,081 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $36,228 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute cost?
Reported tuition is $64,081 and average net price is $36,228 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $18,120 annually.
Why is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, published tuition is $64,081 while average net price is $36,228—about 43% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($36,228), completion (83.6% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($102,051). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reports undergraduate enrollment of about 6,285 students, White (44.8%), Asian (21.6%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
About 13.7% of students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reports midpoint SAT about 1456 and midpoint ACT about 33.
What do graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn?
Median earnings are $83,054 six years after entry and $102,051 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
The 150%-time completion rate is 83.6% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $23,750.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.