Queens College vs. RPI

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

 Queens College RPI
Location Flushing, NY Troy, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 16,481 7,024
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #348 #124
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Queens College RPI
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $60,360
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $60,360
Room & Board $16,464 $17,530
Avg Net Price $5,339 $35,940
Avg Grant Aid $8,904 $43,994
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 96%

Admission

 Queens College RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 20,800 16,283
Admitted 14,252 9,517
Acceptance Rate 68.5% 58.4%
Enrolled % 14.6% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.88
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34
SAT Range 1100/1320 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

 Queens College RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 Queens College RPI
Graduation Rate 53% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,800 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,000 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $113 $284

Diversity

 Queens College RPI
% Men 5% 10%
% Women 10% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 29% 59%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 29% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 7%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Queens College RPI
% In-State 76% 36%
% Out-of-State 0% 58%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY Queens College is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (16,481 students vs. 7,024 students)

Queens College vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Queens College or RPI?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 771% more expensive to attend than Queens College for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 305.6% higher at RPI than CUNY Queens College ($60,360.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY Queens College than RPI ($5,339 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY Queens College are 6.5% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($16,464 vs. $17,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than CUNY Queens College (96% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 394.1% larger than aid received CUNY Queens College ($43,994 vs. $8,904)

Queens College vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 258 points higher than at Queens College (1110)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.88 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Queens College (3.0)
  • Queens College has a higher acceptance rate (68.5%) than RPI (58.4%)

Queens College vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Queens College 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 Queens College.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than CUNY Queens College (84% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $31,700 more per year than Queens College graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $50,800)
  • CUNY Queens College students graduate with a $16,500 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($11,000 vs. $27,500)
  • Queens College graduates are paying $171 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($113 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Queens College students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 56%)

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