RPI vs. Penn State

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

 RPI Penn State
Location Troy, NY University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 7,024 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #124 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI Penn State
Tuition (In State) $60,360 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $60,360 $39,626
Room & Board $17,530 $13,030
Avg Net Price $35,940 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $43,994 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 36%

Admission

 RPI Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,283 85,956
Admitted 9,517 46,605
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 54.2%
Enrolled % 16.3% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34 27/32
SAT Range 1330/1500 1220/1400
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

 RPI Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 RPI Penn State
Graduation Rate 84% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $284 $277

Diversity

 RPI Penn State
% Men 10% 8%
% Women 5% 8%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 11% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 RPI Penn State
% In-State 36% 51%
% Out-of-State 58% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 7,024 students)

RPI vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or Penn State?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 206.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 52.3% higher at RPI than Penn State Main Campus ($60,360.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than RPI ($27,450 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 34.5% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($13,030 vs. $17,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 280% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($43,994 vs. $11,577)

RPI vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 166 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming RPI students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Penn State (27)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than Penn State (54.2%)

RPI vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RPI or Penn State? 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 Penn State and RPI.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (87% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $27,200 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $682 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,500)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($277 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 69%)

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