RPI vs. Lehigh

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

 RPI Lehigh
Location Troy, NY Bethlehem, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 7,024 7,590
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #124 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu lehigh.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI Lehigh
Tuition (In State) $60,360 $61,180
Tuition (Out of State) $60,360 $61,180
Room & Board $17,530 $16,470
Avg Net Price $35,940 $33,289
Avg Grant Aid $43,994 $43,644
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 59%

Admission

 RPI Lehigh
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,283 18,415
Admitted 9,517 5,389
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 29.3%
Enrolled % 16.3% 28.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 3.81
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 30/34 31/33
SAT Range 1330/1500 1350/1490
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 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 RPI Lehigh
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

 RPI Lehigh
Graduation Rate 84% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $89,200
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $24,256
Median Loan Payment $284 $250

Diversity

 RPI Lehigh
% Men 10% 12%
% Women 5% 11%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 66%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 11% 8%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 RPI Lehigh
% In-State 36% 23%
% Out-of-State 58% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (7,590 students vs. 7,024 students)

RPI vs. Lehigh Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or Lehigh?

  • Lehigh University is 1.4% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($61,180.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at Lehigh than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($61,180.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Lehigh University than RPI ($33,289 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lehigh University are 6.4% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($16,470 vs. $17,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Lehigh University (96% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 0.8% larger than aid received Lehigh University ($43,994 vs. $43,644)

RPI vs. Lehigh Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 30 points higher than at Lehigh (1338)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at RPI (30)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Lehigh (3.81)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than Lehigh (29.3%)

RPI vs. Lehigh Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Lehigh is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (87% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $6,700 more per year than RPI graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $82,500)
  • Lehigh University students graduate with a $3,244 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($24,256 vs. $27,500)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($250 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lehigh students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 89%)

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