RPI vs. Penn State Brandywine

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

 RPI Penn State Brandywine
Location Troy, NY Media, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,024 1,223
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #124 #766
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI Penn State Brandywine
Tuition (In State) $60,360 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $60,360 $24,562
Room & Board $17,530 $13,820
Avg Net Price $35,940 $21,739
Avg Grant Aid $43,994 $9,380
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 69%

Admission

 RPI Penn State Brandywine
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,283 2,461
Admitted 9,517 2,346
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 95.3%
Enrolled % 16.3% 18.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 30/34 18/29
SAT Range 1330/1500 1110/1340
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

Academics

 RPI Penn State Brandywine
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Work and Family Studies (28%)
  • Communication (23%)
  • Ethnic Studies (6%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

 RPI Penn State Brandywine
Graduation Rate 84% 37%
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 Brandywine
% Men 10% 0%
% Women 5% 0%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 63%
% Black 3% 15%
% Hispanic 8% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 RPI Penn State Brandywine
% In-State 36% 74%
% Out-of-State 58% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Penn State Brandywine based on total student enrollment (7,024 students vs. 1,223 students)

RPI vs. Penn State Brandywine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or Penn State Brandywine?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 312.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Brandywine for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 145.7% higher at RPI than Penn State Brandywine ($60,360.00 vs. $24,562.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Brandywine than RPI ($21,739 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 26.8% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($13,820 vs. $17,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Penn State Brandywine (96% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 369% larger than aid received Penn State Brandywine ($43,994 vs. $9,380)

RPI vs. Penn State Brandywine Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 399 points higher than at Penn State Brandywine (969)
  • Incoming RPI students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Penn State Brandywine (22)
  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than RPI (58.4%)

RPI vs. Penn State Brandywine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than Penn State Brandywine (84% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $27,200 more per year than Penn State Brandywine graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Brandywine students graduate with a $682 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,500)
  • Penn State Brandywine 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 Brandywine 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/