RPI acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Private nonprofit · Troy, NY · 5,954 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
RPI admitted 58.4% of applicants for fall 2023, up from 41.2% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $66,032 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 41.2% | 16,150 | 6,654 |
| 2014 | 37.5% | 18,602 | 6,976 |
| 2015 | 41.9% | 17,752 | 7,432 |
| 2016 | 44.3% | 18,524 | 8,215 |
| 2017 | 43.2% | 19,505 | 8,420 |
| 2018 | 43.0% | 20,402 | 8,770 |
| 2019 | 47.4% | 18,635 | 8,835 |
| 2020 | 57.3% | 16,661 | 9,540 |
| 2021 | 53.0% | 17,498 | 9,277 |
| 2022 | 64.5% | 16,863 | 10,878 |
| 2023 | 58.4% | 16,283 | 9,517 |
Applications went from 16,150 in fall 2013 to 16,283 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $25,140 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $25,313 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $31,222 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $33,659 |
| Over $110,000 | $35,346 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $66,032 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $85,291 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $32,758 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 57% submitted the SAT, 13% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
What the numbers say
Rensselaer reported 16,283 applications for fall 2023, and 9,517 of those applicants were admitted, a rate of 58.4%.1 Its rate in fall 2013 was 41.2%, making the increase 17.2 percentage points.1 The path included a peak of 64.5% in 2022 and declines in 5 of the 10 yearly changes.1 Applications were almost flat over the decade, up 1%, but the admitted count went from 6,654 to 9,517.1
RPI is test-optional, and in 2023 the SAT came from 57% of enrolled students and the ACT from 13%.1 Middle scores ranged 650 to 730 on SAT reading and writing, 680 to 770 on SAT math, and 30 to 34 on the ACT composite.1
RPI charges $66,032 in tuition and fees for 2025-26, the same for every student.2 Its net price after grants varies less by income than the sticker price suggests: $25,140 for families earning $0 to $30,000, $31,222 for $48,001 to $75,000, and $35,346 over $110,000.2
Among 2019 entrants, 80% graduated within 6 years, compared with a 56% median for 157 New York colleges.2 Retention was 91%, median earnings are $113,011 10 years after entry, and median federal debt is $24,250.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 16,283 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 9,517 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,552 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 5,954 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 650 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 730 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 680 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 30 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 57% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 13% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $66,032 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $85,291 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $32,758 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $25,140 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $25,313 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $31,222 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $33,659 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $35,346 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 80% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 91% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 22% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $113,011 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $24,250 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, New York (N = 157) | 56% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with RPI, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page