Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private, nonprofit school in an suburban setting in Troy, New York. RPI was founded in 1824 and now enrolls around 7,616 students a year, including 6,283 undergrads.

RPI offers housing for up to 0 students. Most students live off campus,.

RPI's endowment was valued at $673.705 million in 2021. For each full-time student, RPI spends about $20,149. There are 14 RPI undergrads for each full-time professor.

RPI Regular Decision Deadline 2022

The deadline to apply regular decision to RPI for Fall 2022 is January 6. All regular decision applicants should hear back from RPI by March 6.

RPI Early Admission

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers early decision and early action.

Mark Your Calendar!

The deadline to apply early to RPI is on December 1, 2021, which is coming up soon!
RPI admits 96% of students that apply early action. 7% of applicants that applied early decision in 2021 got in to RPI.

Applying Early?

Visit College Confidential's Early Admission Central – a place to share stats, questions, and results with others applying early to RPI in 2021.

RPI Acceptance Rate 2021

It is very difficult to get into RPI. RPI admitted 57% of all applicants in 2021. In 2021, 9,539 out of 16,661 total applicants were accepted.

RPI Waitlist

In 2021, 2,302 applicants were waitlisted.

How Do I Get Into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

RPI is considered very difficult to get into. Every admissions committee has a different way of evaulating applicants, but most look at a combination of grades, test scoes, activities, as well as essays and recommendations. To apply to RPI, applicants must submit the following items.

RPI Application Requirements

GPA and Test Scores for RPI

The average high school GPA for a student admitted to RPI is 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. The mean SAT scores for students who get into RPI is 1393. The mean ACT score for RPI students is 30.

Visit the Admissions tab above for more on how to apply to RPI.

Does RPI Require Test Scores?

RPI is a test optional school. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

Out of all applicants, 67% submitted the SAT. 29% submitted the ACT.

Want to Score 1393 or Higher On the SAT? Even a little bit of test prep can really help improve your score.

Learn how to increase your SAT score 200 points or more in just 10 minutes a day.

Want to Score 30 or Higher on the ACT?

Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

Does RPI Provide Dorms?

Yes! RPI provides on-campus housing for students.

RPI students are active in the school's Red Army Spirit Club, Outing Club and Indian Student Association. Grand Marshal Week, Big Red Freakout, and and Fall Fest Weekend are a few of the events that the campus rallies behind each year.

Click the Student Life tab above to learn more about the student body and campus life at RPI.

Financial Aid at RPI

RPI meets 18% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend RPI full-time are awarded $46,293 a year in financial aid, on average.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is awarded ona first-come, first-serve basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can.. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Is RPI a Good School?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Retention and Graduation Rates at RPI

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at RPI, around 91% return for their sophomore year. Out of the 1,331 students who started at RPI as first-time freshman, 985 graduate within four years.

Around 87% of students who started at RPI earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes and Debt for RPI Grads

Job placement rates after graduation, average starting salaries, and the debt students graduate with can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Within six months of graduating, 93% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Recent grads have an average starting salary of $68,912 a year. In 2020, students graduated with an average of $40,450 in student loans for each student with debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

Based on this information, how does RPI sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So ask yourself: Is RPI a good school for you?

Applying to RPI for Fall 2022?

Click the heart icon at the top of this page to save RPI to your own personal list of colleges.

Read on to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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Where is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Located?

RPI is located in the suburban setting of Troy, New York, less than an hour from Albany.

If you want to see RPI for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take New York State Thruway to Troy, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Albany International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what RPI and Troy are like without leaving home.

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