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% |
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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