RPI vs. Bennington

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

 RPI Bennington
Location Troy, NY Bennington, VT
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 6,968 880
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #110
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu bennington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI Bennington
Tuition (In State) $58,600 $60,648
Tuition (Out of State) $58,600 $60,648
Room & Board $16,980 $17,720
Avg Net Price $39,127 $32,497
Avg Grant Aid $38,636 $49,183
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 98%

Admission

 RPI Bennington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,863 2,801
Admitted 10,878 1,269
Acceptance Rate 64.5% 45.3%
Enrolled % 18.4% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 3.51
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34 29/33
SAT Range 1360/1520 1260/1370
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

 RPI Bennington
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (39%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 RPI Bennington
Graduation Rate 84% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $31,700
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $284 $268

Diversity

 RPI Bennington
% Men 69% 31%
% Women 31% 69%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 65%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 5%
% International 11% 13%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

 RPI Bennington
% In-State 36% 2%
% Out-of-State 58% 87%

Campus

 RPI Bennington
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
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 Bennington based on total student enrollment (6,968 students vs. 880 students)

RPI vs. Bennington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or Bennington?

  • Bennington College is 3.5% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($60,648.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.5% higher at Bennington than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($60,648.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bennington College than RPI ($32,497 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 4.4% lower than costs at Bennington College ($16,980 vs. $17,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bennington College than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (98% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bennington College students is 27.3% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($49,183 vs. $38,636)

RPI vs. Bennington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Bennington (3.51)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than Bennington (45.3%)

RPI vs. Bennington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RPI or Bennington? 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 Bennington and RPI.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than Bennington College (84% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $50,800 more per year than Bennington graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $31,700)
  • Bennington College students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,500)
  • Bennington graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($268 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bennington 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/