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University or college · Private nonprofit

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit college in Troy, NY, with about 7,024 students on campus.

Visit www.rpi.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
7,024
5,954 undergrad · 1,070 grad
Admission rate
63%
lower than at 72% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$36,228
higher than at 92% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
84%
higher than at 91% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$102,051
higher than at 99% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s graduates are among the best paid in the country

Former students earn a median $102,051 ten years after starting, more than at 99% of U.S. colleges. Outcomes ↓

Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges

Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $24,078 a year after grants. The average family on aid pays $36,228, more than at 92% of 4-year colleges. What it costs ↓

Men outnumber women about two to one

69% of undergraduates are men and 31% are women. The students ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s biggest bachelor’s programs, computer science graduates earn a median $141,528 four years out. Architecture graduates earn $75,551. Majors ↓

Rent in Troy is below the state median

Median rent in Troy is $1,175 a month, 28% below the state median. Living in Troy ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
84%
within 6 years · Pell students 78%
Come back for year two
91%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$102,051
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$23,750
about $252 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

3.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$252 a month against about $6,921 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

92%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 99% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$100k
Middle income$30–75k
$97k
Higher incomeover $75k
$104k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

63%

of applicants admitted

About 13 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
670–740
SAT math
705–770
ACT
30–34

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1456.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $82,404 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $64,081Room & board $18,120Books & supplies $1,350

After grants, the average family on aid pays $36,228.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$28,212

About $112,848 over 4 years · 66% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Engineering 42%Computer science 23%Biology 5%Architecture 5%Math & statistics 5%Physical sciences 4%Everything else 16%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Computer Science250 graduates a year · typical debt $23,233
$142k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering162 graduates a year · typical debt $24,121
$93k4 yrs out
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering117 graduates a year · typical debt $24,861
$95k4 yrs out
Mathematics75 graduates a year · typical debt $23,250
$106k4 yrs out
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering69 graduates a year · typical debt $23,250
$105k4 yrs out
Biomedical/Medical Engineering65 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$103k4 yrs out
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians62 graduates a year · typical debt $23,582
$126k4 yrs out
Chemical Engineering61 graduates a year · typical debt $24,985
$99k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

5,714 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 45%Hispanic 11%Black 5%Asian 22%Two or more 6%International 7%

Women and men

Women 31%Men 69%
14 : 1
students per teacher
20%
get Pell grants (lower income)
51%
take federal loans
1%
undergrads 25 or older
1%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Troy

17% of Troy’s 50,912 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Troy pages.

Troy →
TroyTroy, NY
$1,175/momedian rent · 28% below the state$299Ktypical home valueDSafety Grade16° / 84°January low / July high · 59" of snowB−Health GradeAll colleges in and near TroyCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Russell Sage CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Troy
0.9 mi1,852 students
Samaritan Hospital School of NursingCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Troy
0.9 mi132 students
Hudson Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Troy
2.3 mi7,760 students
Siena CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Colonie
3.9 mi3,611 students
Bryant & Stratton College-AlbanyCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Colonie
7.1 mi224 students
The College of Saint RoseUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Albany
7.2 mi2,329 students
Albany Medical CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Albany
7.3 mi756 students
Albany Law SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Albany
7.4 mi578 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.