Hobart William Smith Colleges vs. RPI

Should I go to Hobart William Smith Colleges or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Hobart William Smith Colleges 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

RIT Stevens Binghamton University Northeastern St Lawrence University U of R Skidmore College Lehigh MIT WPI Case Western Cornell
Hobart William Smith Colleges vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute comparison
Hobart William Smith Colleges Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
Hobart William Smith Colleges Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Hobart William Smith Colleges RPI
Location Geneva, NY Troy, NY
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 1,607 6,968
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #122 #110
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hws.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Hobart William Smith Colleges RPI
Tuition (In State) $60,350 $58,600
Tuition (Out of State) $60,350 $58,600
Room & Board $16,910 $16,980
Avg Net Price $34,259 $39,127
Avg Grant Aid $44,331 $38,636
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 90%

Admission

 Hobart William Smith Colleges RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,082 16,863
Admitted 3,475 10,878
Acceptance Rate 68.4% 64.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 18.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.55 3.88
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32 30/34
SAT Range 1210/1400 1360/1520
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 Feb 1, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Hobart William Smith Colleges RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 Hobart William Smith Colleges RPI
Graduation Rate 75% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $60,200 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $284

Diversity

 Hobart William Smith Colleges RPI
% Men 49% 69%
% Women 51% 31%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 59%
% Black 5% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 7%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 7% 2%

Students

 Hobart William Smith Colleges RPI
% In-State 36% 36%
% Out-of-State 56% 58%

Campus

 Hobart William Smith Colleges 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 Hobart William Smith Colleges based on total student enrollment (6,968 students vs. 1,607 students)

Hobart William Smith Colleges vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Hobart William Smith Colleges or RPI?

  • Hobart William Smith Colleges is 3% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($60,350.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3% higher at Hobart William Smith Colleges than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($60,350.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Hobart William Smith Colleges than RPI ($34,259 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Hobart William Smith Colleges are 0.4% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($16,910 vs. $16,980)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Hobart William Smith Colleges than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (95% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Hobart William Smith Colleges students is 14.7% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($44,331 vs. $38,636)

Hobart William Smith Colleges vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Hobart William Smith Colleges (3.55)
  • Hobart William Smith Colleges has a higher acceptance rate (68.4%) than RPI (64.5%)

Hobart William Smith Colleges vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Hobart William Smith Colleges 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 Hobart William Smith Colleges.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than Hobart William Smith Colleges (84% vs. 75%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $22,300 more per year than Hobart William Smith Colleges graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $60,200)
  • Hobart William Smith Colleges students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($27,000 vs. $27,500)
  • Hobart William Smith Colleges graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($279 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Hobart William Smith Colleges students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 84%)

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