About
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a private research-university in Troy, New York, United States, is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and in the Western Hemisphere. Stephen Van Rensselaer and Amos Eaton established RPI in 1824 for the "application of science to the common purposes of life".
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.8-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 110 Title IV programs, 23 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 87 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing23 · 20.9%
- No Data87 · 79.1%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Action history · 1
- Jun 2025Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,335 students received $8.0M in Pell grants, alongside $31.1M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,143 borrowers who entered repayment, 6 (0.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at RPI
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus8
- Non-campus3
Includes 6 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
RPI vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions RPI selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectRensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 84% | — | 7,040 | $36,228 | R1 Research |
| 89% | 11.1% | 37,737 | $24,402 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 11.7% | 15,888 | $31,944 | R1 Research | |
| 87% | 36.5% | 12,475 | $41,190 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 8.8% | 26,793 | $28,690 | R1 Research | |
| 88% | 25.9% | 7,692 | $36,931 | R2 Research | |
| 96% | 4.5% | 11,886 | $20,111 | R1 Research | |
| 91% | 5.2% | 32,553 | $30,915 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 8.0% | 8,961 | $13,370 | R1 Research | |
| 97% | 5.4% | 29,109 | $28,699 | R1 Research | |
| 85% | 40.1% | 11,946 | $29,278 | R1 Research | |
| 90% | 60.2% | 7,584 | $43,071 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 91% | 11.1% | 12,211 | $30,097 |
Institutions like RPI
Explore the federal data for institutions in RPI's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Boston University
Grad rate89%Admit rate11.1%Enrollment37,737Net price$24,402View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.7%Enrollment15,888Net price$31,944View data - R1 ResearchOhio
Case Western Reserve University
Grad rate87%Admit rate36.5%Enrollment12,475Net price$41,190View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Cornell University
Grad rate95%Admit rate8.8%Enrollment26,793Net price$28,690View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Lehigh University
Grad rate88%Admit rate25.9%Enrollment7,692Net price$36,931View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.5%Enrollment11,886Net price$20,111View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Northeastern University
Grad rate91%Admit rate5.2%Enrollment32,553Net price$30,915View data - R1 ResearchTexas
Rice University
Grad rate95%Admit rate8.0%Enrollment8,961Net price$13,370View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Grad rate97%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment29,109Net price$28,699View data - R1 ResearchNew York
University of Rochester
Grad rate85%Admit rate40.1%Enrollment11,946Net price$29,278View data - R2 ResearchMassachusetts
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Grad rate90%Admit rate60.2%Enrollment7,584Net price$43,071View data
Campuses
The 1 campus that make up Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
- CT
Rensselaer at Hartford
Hartford, CTNo page yet
RPI Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) facilitates the systematic collection, analysis, and reporting of institutional information to external agencies and supports internal planning and decision-making, fostering a culture of assessment.
Visit IR office page- Mohua BoseAssociate Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness & Planning
- Phil BertorelliInstitutional Research Analyst, Sr.
- Claire GonyoInstitutional Research Analyst
- Hilke KayserInstitutional Research Analyst, Sr.
Common Data Set
RPI's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Source publications
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookRensselaer Polytechnic Institute Fact Book2026The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Fact Book is a comprehensive source of verified aggregated data providing key institutional statistics. It includes metrics such as admissions, enrollment, retention, and completion, aimed at empowering stakeholders through data transparency for informed decision-making. The report is designed to aid data-driven analysis but is limited to aggregate descriptive data, not addressing course, instructor, or student-level research questions. Created by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, it supports planning and continuous quality improvement within the institute.provost.rpi.edu
- Strategic planRPI Forward: Our Vision and Roadmap for the Future2026RPI Forward is the strategic plan charting the future course of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as it enters its third century. This plan aims to redefine higher education by fostering inclusivity and innovation, promoting curiosity-driven research, and strengthening partnerships with New York's Capital Region. Successfully executing on the priorities outlined in the strategic plan will position RPI as a leading science and engineering university, drive impact through creativity and science, and attract and retain talent in the region.president.rpi.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of RPI (19)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Dan BuckleyBusiness
- Nicholas M. DonofrioBusiness
- J. Erik JonssonBusiness
- Curtis PriemBusiness
- Sean O’SullivanBusiness
- George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.Invention and engineering
- Marcian HoffInvention and engineering
- Raymond TomlinsonScience and technology
- Steven SassonInvention and engineering
- John L. Swigert Jr.Science and technology
- Dennis TitoScience and technology
- Reid WisemanScience and technology
Frequently asked questions about Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about RPI.
What is the graduation rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
How many students attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
What is the average net price at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
What is the yield rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
Where is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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