by our College Data Analytics TeamRensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution in Troy, New York enrolling 5,714 undergraduates. It accepts 64% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 84%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #186 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 4%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks #186 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 4%.
In its yearly rankings, College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities to determine which ones are the best in a variety of categories, such as overall value, quality, diversity, which schools are the best for each major, and much more.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was awarded 225 badges in the 2027 rankings.
RPI, Rensselaer is ranked #186 out of 5,159 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges list. This puts it in the top 5% of all schools in the nation.
Within the state, RPI, Rensselaer holds the #15 spot on the Best Colleges in New York ranking.
See all of the rankings for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has an acceptance rate of 64%, which means the school is serious about who it admits. Take your time in putting together a strong application that highlights why you are a good fit for RPI, Rensselaer.
About 49% of students accepted to RPI, Rensselaer submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 670 and 740. Math scores were between 705 and 770.
RPI, Rensselaer received ACT scores from 11% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 30 and 34.
Learn more about Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is about average at 14 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 89%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a freshmen retention rate of 91%. That’s a good sign that full-time students like the school and their professors enough to want to stick around for another year. It’s also a sign that the admissions team did a good job in choosing applicants who were a good fit for the school.
Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At RPI, Rensselaer the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 84%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
During the most recent academic year, there were 5,714 undergraduates at RPI, Rensselaer.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The typical net cost at RPI, Rensselaer is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $24,078 | $26,289 | $28,212 | $36,230 | $42,541 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of RPI, Rensselaer, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
It’s not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At RPI, Rensselaer, approximately 51% of students took out student loans averaging $6,167 a year. That adds up to $24,668 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 1.4%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The pay for some majors is higher than others, but on average, students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make about $102,051 a year during their first few years of employment after graduation. That’s great news for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students since it is 107% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year.
See which majors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make the most money.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution found in Troy, New York. The location of the school is great for students who enjoy the amenities of city life. Get more details about the location of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Get in touch with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute can be found below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 110 8th St, Troy, NY 12180-3590 |
| Phone: | 5182766000 |
| Website: | www.rpi.edu |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rensselaer_Polytechnic_Institute |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/RPI.EDU |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/rpinews |
In the latest year of available data, students from 17 majors graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 1,891 | NA |
| Computer Science | 317 | $87,476 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 222 | $68,597 |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 117 | $71,333 |
| Aeronautical Engineering | 116 | $67,361 |
| Electrical Engineering | 105 | $72,826 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 83 | $63,784 |
| Chemical Engineering | 73 | $66,991 |
| Computer Information Systems | 67 | $78,367 |
| Civil Engineering | 65 | $67,102 |
Want to see how other colleges compare to RPI, Rensselaer? Compare them side by side using College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References