Amherst vs. RPI

Should I go to Amherst College or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Amherst or RPI is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Amherst College vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute comparison
Amherst College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
Amherst College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Overview

 Amherst RPI
Location Amherst, MA Troy, NY
Setting Town Fringe Small City
Enrollment 1,910 7,024
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #15 #124
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website amherst.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Amherst RPI
Tuition (In State) $66,650 $60,360
Tuition (Out of State) $66,650 $60,360
Room & Board $17,560 $17,530
Avg Net Price $17,965 $35,940
Avg Grant Aid $65,623 $43,994
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 96%

Admission

 Amherst RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,727 16,283
Admitted 1,250 9,517
Acceptance Rate 9.8% 58.4%
Enrolled % 39% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.88
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 31/35 30/34
SAT Range 1360/1550 1330/1500
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 2, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Amherst RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 Amherst RPI
Graduation Rate 96% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,000 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,975 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $134 $284

Diversity

 Amherst RPI
% Men 0% 10%
% Women 0% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 59%
% Black 12% 3%
% Hispanic 13% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 Amherst RPI
% In-State 9% 36%
% Out-of-State 77% 58%

Campus

 Amherst RPI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (7,024 students vs. 1,910 students)

Amherst vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Amherst or RPI?

  • Amherst College is 10.4% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($66,650.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.4% higher at Amherst than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($66,650.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than RPI ($17,965 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 0.2% lower than costs at Amherst College ($17,530 vs. $17,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Amherst College (96% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 49.2% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($65,623 vs. $43,994)

Amherst vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or RPI? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between RPI or Amherst .

  • The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 83 points higher than at RPI (1368)
  • Incoming Amherst students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at RPI (30)
  • Accepted freshman Amherst students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at RPI (3.88)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than Amherst (9.8%)

Amherst vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Amherst or RPI? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between RPI and Amherst.

  • The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (96% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $500 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $82,000)
  • Amherst College students graduate with a $14,525 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($12,975 vs. $27,500)
  • Amherst graduates are paying $150 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($134 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Amherst students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/