10-yr median earnings
$102,051
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Troy, New York
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit institution in Troy, New York. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $102,051
- 10-yr median earnings
- 63.5%
- Acceptance rate
- $36,228
- Avg net price / yr
- 83.4%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute pairs top-1% former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 1%
- former-student earnings, US
- 63.5%
- acceptance rate
- 83.4%
- 150%-time completion
- +23%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small
Carnegie: R1
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C+
College Value Score
64/100
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$102,051
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$36,228
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A
83.4%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$23,750
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
95.4%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
90.7%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$36,228
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
83.4%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 83.4%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$102,051 Top 1% higher than 99% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $102,051 | #46 of 5103 | 99th |
| Average net price | $36,228 | #4785 of 5020 | 5th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 83.4% | #534 of 4858 | 89th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,714 | #648 of 5462 | 88th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
5,714
Undergraduate enrollment
63.5%
Acceptance rate
1,456
SAT average
83.4%
150%-time completion
$102,051
10-yr median earnings
90.7%
First-year retention
How Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks in New York
State rank among 299 reporting New York colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $102,051 | #10 of 299 | 97th |
| Average net price | $36,228 | #299 of 328 | 9th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 83.4% | #57 of 322 | 82nd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,714 | #45 of 367 | 88th |
Highest former-student earnings in New York
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | $131,426 | $29,882 |
| 2 | Helene Fuld College of Nursing | $111,027 | $47,181 |
| 3 | SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University | $109,601 | - |
| 4 | Center for Allied Health Education | $107,249 | $48,150 |
| 5 | Miami Ad School-New York | $106,192 | - |
| 6 | St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens | $104,403 | $26,315 |
| 7 | Cornell University | $104,043 | $28,690 |
| 8 | Weill Medical College of Cornell University | $104,043 | - |
| 9 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $102,491 | $21,590 |
| 10 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteThis school | $102,051 | $36,228 |
| 11 | Cochran School of Nursing | $99,503 | - |
| 12 | Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing | $96,980 | - |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 63.5% |
| SAT Average | 1,456 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 705 – 770 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 670 – 740 |
| ACT Average | 33 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 30 – 34 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$24,078 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$26,289 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$28,212 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$42,541 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $64,081 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $64,081 |
| Average Net Price | $36,228 |
19.9%
Pell Grant Rate
51.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$23,750
Median Debt
$252/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $31,456 to $36,159 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +0.5%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$31,456
Highest year
$36,159
Most recent (2023)
$33,139
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $32,9862023 · $33,139
Over the same years, enrollment went +9.9% (5,379 → 5,909 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
34.4%
Female
13.7%
First Generation
Outcomes
90.7%
Retention Rate
$83,054
Median Earnings (6yr)
88.7%
Earning Over $25K
95.4%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 83.4% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 90.7% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $83,054 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $102,051 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 88.7% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 95.4% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $23,750 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $252/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 25 | 1,500 | $98,118 | $141,528 | $24,600 |
| Master's | 10 | 271 | $127,591 | $200,027 | - |
Top programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$200,027 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$141,528 median earnings
- Computer Engineering Techn…
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$125,531 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$115,100 median earnings
- Applied Mathematics
Applied Mathematics
$114,450 median earnings
- Management Sciences and Qu…
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$112,190 median earnings
- Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
$107,173 median earnings
- Mathematics
Mathematics
$105,768 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Master's | 26 | $200,027 | - |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | 284 | $141,528 | $23,233 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's | 80 | $125,531 | $23,582 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's | 46 | $115,100 | $27,000 |
| Applied Mathematics | Master's | 36 | $114,450 | - |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's | 46 | $112,190 | - |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's | 39 | $107,173 | - |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | 83 | $105,768 | $23,250 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's | 107 | $104,596 | $23,250 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 24 | $104,117 | - |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's | 70 | $103,306 | $26,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's | 56 | $99,713 | $25,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's | 63 | $98,679 | $24,985 |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's | 56 | $98,509 | $22,500 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's | 112 | $94,750 | $24,861 |
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
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Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? ▼
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit institution in Troy, New York. The acceptance rate is 63.5%. The average SAT score is 1,456. Undergraduate enrollment is 5,714 students.
How much do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $102,051 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $83,054.
How much does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute cost? ▼
The average net price at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $36,228. In-state tuition is $64,081 and out-of-state tuition is $64,081. Median student debt at graduation is $23,750.
What is the graduation rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? ▼
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a 83.4% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 90.7%.
Is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $23,750, while former students earn a median of $102,051 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 23% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 95.4% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $252.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Compare Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in New York side by side.Browse New York
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.