MHC vs. RPI

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

 MHC RPI
Location South Hadley, MA Troy, NY
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,392 6,968
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #85 #110
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mtholyoke.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MHC RPI
Tuition (In State) $58,280 $58,600
Tuition (Out of State) $58,280 $58,600
Room & Board $17,180 $16,980
Avg Net Price $35,765 $39,127
Avg Grant Aid $39,304 $38,636
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 90%

Admission

 MHC RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,894 16,863
Admitted 1,946 10,878
Acceptance Rate 39.8% 64.5%
Enrolled % 28% 18.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.88
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34 30/34
SAT Range 1350/1540 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 Jan 15, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 MHC RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 MHC RPI
Graduation Rate 85% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,000 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,206 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $219 $284

Diversity

 MHC RPI
% Men 1% 69%
% Women 99% 31%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 45% 59%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 26% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 MHC RPI
% In-State 16% 36%
% Out-of-State 60% 58%

Campus

 MHC 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 MHC based on total student enrollment (6,968 students vs. 2,392 students)

MHC vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MHC or RPI?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 0.5% more expensive to attend than MHC for in-state tuition ($58,600.00 vs. $58,280.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.5% higher at RPI than Mount Holyoke College ($58,600.00 vs. $58,280.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mount Holyoke College than RPI ($35,765 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 1.2% lower than costs at Mount Holyoke College ($16,980 vs. $17,180)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Mount Holyoke College (90% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mount Holyoke College students is 1.7% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($39,304 vs. $38,636)

MHC vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at MHC (3.87)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than MHC (39.8%)

MHC vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MHC 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 MHC.

  • The graduation rate at MHC is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (85% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $32,500 more per year than MHC graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $50,000)
  • Mount Holyoke College students graduate with a $6,294 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($21,206 vs. $27,500)
  • MHC graduates are paying $65 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($219 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MHC students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 77%)

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