Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
#4 Best Computer Science Colleges in New York- Graduation Rate
- 83% A-
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $102,051 A+
- Top 1% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $36,228 F
- 111% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 63% B
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 18.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $18.3 over 20 years. Ranked #4 in Best Computer Science Colleges in New York.
Every $1 spent returns $18.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,501,210.
What The Data Says
-
A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 150% more than the national college median.
-
A 83% graduation rate — 46% above the national average.
-
Inventor rate in the top 4% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.
-
Social mobility rate of 3.05% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 6.6%
- Top 4%
- Patents
- 588
- Linked to graduates
- World Rank
- #104
- Times Higher Education
- Patent Citations
- 740
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 55/100
- Times Higher Education
Why Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Matters
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private research university in Troy, NY ranked #104 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a top-tier research enterprise, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network, and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 1% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R1 · Very High Research
- Enrollment
- 5,714
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Engineering, Computer Science & IT, Business & Marketing, Mathematics & Statistics
Why students choose Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 63% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1375–1510. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $36,228 a year after grants and scholarships — 111% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $102,051 ten years after enrolling — 150% above the typical college, against $23,750 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 3.0% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 10% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.79 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an enrollment of about 5,700 students, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, is a great fit for those looking to dive deep into STEM fields. With programs in Engineering, Computer Science, Business, and Mathematics, it attracts students who are serious about blending technical skills with practical applications. The acceptance rate of 63% means there's room for a diverse range of applicants, making it accessible without compromising on the quality of education.
After graduation, Rensselaer alumni can expect solid financial outcomes. With a ten-year earnings average of $102,051, students typically see a significant return on their investment in education. That’s a strong indicator of how well graduates navigate the workforce, especially in fields like engineering and tech, which are in high demand. This financial success is paired with a net price of $36,228 after aid, making it a reasonable choice for those who are willing to invest in their future.
When it comes to affordability, the median debt for graduates is $23,750, which is quite manageable given the earning potential. The 20% Pell Grant rate suggests that there's support for low-income students, but the school also attracts a mix of others who thrive on the collaborative and rigorous environment. If you're motivated, willing to engage deeply with your studies, and interested in a strong career trajectory, Rensselaer could be a great match for you.
Rankings
- #4 Best Computer Science Colleges in New York
- #4 Best Engineering Colleges in New York
- #4 Best Data Science Colleges in New York
- #5 Highest-Paying Colleges for Visual
- #5 Highest-Paying Colleges for Graphic Design
- #11 Highest-Paying Colleges for Mathematics
- #11 Highest-Paying Colleges for Physical Sciences
- #11 Highest-Paying Colleges for Environmental Science
Can I Get In?
How selective Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located in Troy, New York, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 63% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,456. The graduation rate is roughly 83%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Retention Rate
- 91%
- SAT Average
- 1456
- ACT Midpoint
- 33
- SAT Range
- 1375–1510
- ACT Range
- 30–34
- Full-Time Faculty
- 89%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $13,820
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 12:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.73
- First-Gen Students
- 14%
- Applicants
- 16,863
- Admitted
- 10,878
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $64,081, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $36,228. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $24,078 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,750 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $64,081
- Out-of-State
- $64,081
- Avg Net Price
- $36,228
- Median Debt
- $23,750
- Pell Grant Rate
- 20%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 51%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $24,078
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $26,289
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $28,212
- Family Income $110K+
- $42,541
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn a median of $102,051, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $83,054
- 8 Years
- $95,369
- 10 Years
- $102,051
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.23x
- Earning > $25K
- 89%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (985)
- 74%
- 100% (985)
- 74%
- 100% (985)
- 74%
- 100% (985)
- 74%
How Rensselaer Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $36,228/year ($144,912 total). Graduates earn $102,051 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,646,122 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,501,210 (18.3× your investment). The median debt is $23,750, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 83% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $144,912
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $2,646,122
- Net Return
- $2,501,210
- ROI Multiple
- 18.3×
- Cost Per Year
- $36,228
- Median Debt
- $23,750
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 83%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 3.05%, among the highest in the country. About 4.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 64.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $114,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 3.05%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 64.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 4.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $114,200
Research & Teaching
Data: Times Higher Education World University Rankings
How Research-Intensive Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at #104 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 55/100, teaching at 51/100, and citation impact of 65/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
- World Rank
- #104
- Teaching
- 50.5
- Research
- 54.6
- Citations
- 64.9
- International
- 48
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute produces inventors at an exceptional rate — the top 4% of U.S. colleges, with 588 patents tied to its graduates, and ranks among research universities with a 55/100 research score.
- Inventor Rate
- 6.56%
- Top 4% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 588
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 740
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 55/100
- Times Higher Ed
- Academic Influence
- 65/100
- Citation impact (THE)
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 5.04%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-188,938,000
Top Programs
The fields Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.
- Engineering 43%
- Computer Science & IT 21%
- Business & Marketing 6%
- Mathematics & Statistics 4%
- Biology & Biomedical 4%
- Visual & Performing Arts 4%
- Physical Sciences 4%
- Health Professions 1%
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located in Troy, New York, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 63% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,456. The graduation rate is roughly 83%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $64,081, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $36,228. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $24,078 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,750 in federal student loans.
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn a median of $102,051, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 3.05%, among the highest in the country. About 4.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 64.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $114,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Its economic connectedness score is 1.79, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
How Research-Intensive Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at #104 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 55/100, teaching at 51/100, and citation impact of 65/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
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Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
- Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA · Close peer89% grad $103,470 earn 60% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO · Close peer81% grad $97,335 earn 61% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · Close peer71% grad $89,812 earn 62% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar size
- University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA · Close peer83% grad $86,522 earn 52% acceptWhy: similar grad rate · similar size
- Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA · Close peer88% grad $109,183 earn 48% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJ · Close peer88% grad $108,772 earn 48% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Its economic connectedness score is 1.79, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note