Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit college in Troy, NY. Students pay about $36,228 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $102,051 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3 years and adds $384,848 over a decade, ranking it #22 of 918 (top 3%) by value added.
What is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's acceptance rate?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has an acceptance rate of 63.5%, which makes it moderately selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Troy, NY enrolling about 5,714 students, with a 83.4% graduation rate.
How much does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute cost?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute costs about $36,228 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $168,662. Published sticker cost of attendance is $82,404 per year.
How much do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student earns $102,051 per year. That is $55,351 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute pays back its roughly $168,662 cost in about 3 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $384,848 net of cost, a 3.28x return on the money invested. That ranks it #22 of 918 (top 3%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduation rate and student debt
83.4% of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $23,750 in federal student debt. That debt is about 23% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $36,228 | $20,299 | cheaper than 8% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $102,051 | $54,768 | 98th |
| Graduation rate | 83.4% | 57.0% | 91th |
| Acceptance rate | 63.5% | 75.7% | more selective than 71% |
| 10-yr value added | $384,848 | -$28,192 | 98th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.28x | 0.73x | 92th |
| Payback period | 3 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 90% |
How Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute compares with its nearest rivals
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks #22 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 3 of them cost less per year and 2 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit college in Troy, NY with 5,714 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $82,404 a year, but the average aided family pays $36,228, a 56% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $23,750, equal to 23% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Admission is broadly accessible at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which admits 63.5% of applicants, so cost and completion decide its value more than selectivity does.
- Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA; #21 of 918; 90.9% graduate) costs $5,476 more per year ($41,704 net), and its graduates earn $1,886 more ten years out ($103,937). Boston College adds $1,706 more ten-year value than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Boston College pays back its cost in 3.2 years.
- SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, NY; #23 of 918; 69.5% graduate) costs $13,861 less per year ($22,367 net), and its graduates earn $6,100 less ten years out ($95,951). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute adds $5,056 more ten-year value than SUNY Maritime College. SUNY Maritime College pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
- Georgetown University (Washington, DC; #20 of 918; 94.5% graduate) costs $4,587 more per year ($40,815 net), and its graduates earn $1,443 more ten years out ($103,494). Georgetown University adds $4,332 more ten-year value than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Georgetown University pays back its cost in 3.1 years.
- University of Chicago (Chicago, IL; #24 of 918; 95.4% graduate) costs $21,368 less per year ($14,860 net), and its graduates earn $10,166 less ten years out ($91,885). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute adds $7,438 more ten-year value than University of Chicago. University of Chicago pays back its cost in 1.6 years.
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA; #19 of 918; 92.9% graduate) costs $22,747 less per year ($13,481 net), and its graduates earn $9,605 less ten years out ($92,446). University of California-Berkeley adds $5,688 more ten-year value than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. University of California-Berkeley pays back its cost in 1.5 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley | #19 | $13,481 | $92,446 | 92.9% | $390,536 |
| Georgetown University | #20 | $40,815 | $103,494 | 94.5% | $389,180 |
| Boston College | #21 | $41,704 | $103,937 | 90.9% | $386,554 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | #22 | $36,228 | $102,051 | 83.4% | $384,848 |
| SUNY Maritime College | #23 | $22,367 | $95,951 | 69.5% | $379,792 |
| University of Chicago | #24 | $14,860 | $91,885 | 95.4% | $377,410 |
Paying for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks #22 of 918 (top 3%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.28x the money invested over a decade.
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $36,228 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 8% of them.
Do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $102,051 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 98% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute compared to other colleges?
Its 63.5% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 71% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.