Lehman vs. RPI

Should I go to CUNY Lehman College or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lehman 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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CUNY Lehman College vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute comparison
CUNY Lehman College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
CUNY Lehman College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Overview

 Lehman RPI
Location Bronx, NY Troy, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 12,894 7,024
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #513 #124
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Lehman RPI
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $60,360
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $60,360
Room & Board $21,788 $17,530
Avg Net Price $4,076 $35,940
Avg Grant Aid $9,389 $43,994
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 96%

Admission

 Lehman RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 20,954 16,283
Admitted 11,615 9,517
Acceptance Rate 55.4% 58.4%
Enrolled % 12% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.88
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34
SAT Range 860/1220 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 15, 2026

Academics

 Lehman RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (24%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Human Services (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 Lehman RPI
Graduation Rate 40% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,400 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 49% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,200 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $105 $284

Diversity

 Lehman RPI
% Men 4% 10%
% Women 9% 5%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 6% 59%
% Black 28% 3%
% Hispanic 55% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 7%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Lehman RPI
% In-State 84% 36%
% Out-of-State 0% 58%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY Lehman College is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (12,894 students vs. 7,024 students)

Lehman vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lehman or RPI?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 771% more expensive to attend than Lehman for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 305.6% higher at RPI than CUNY Lehman College ($60,360.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY Lehman College than RPI ($4,076 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 24.3% lower than costs at CUNY Lehman College ($17,530 vs. $21,788)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than CUNY Lehman College (96% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 368.6% larger than aid received CUNY Lehman College ($43,994 vs. $9,389)

Lehman vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 343 points higher than at Lehman (1025)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.68 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Lehman (3.2)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than Lehman (55.4%)

Lehman vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lehman 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 Lehman.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than CUNY Lehman College (84% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $37,100 more per year than Lehman graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $45,400)
  • CUNY Lehman College students graduate with a $17,300 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($10,200 vs. $27,500)
  • Lehman graduates are paying $179 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($105 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lehman students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 49%)

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