RPI vs. Rice

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

 RPI Rice
Location Troy, NY Houston, TX
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 6,968 8,672
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #110 #9
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu rice.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI Rice
Tuition (In State) $58,600 $54,100
Tuition (Out of State) $58,600 $54,100
Room & Board $16,980 $15,000
Avg Net Price $39,127 $19,902
Avg Grant Aid $38,636 $51,955
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 56%

Admission

 RPI Rice
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,863 31,443
Admitted 10,878 2,730
Acceptance Rate 64.5% 8.7%
Enrolled % 18.4% 44.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 30/34 34/36
SAT Range 1360/1520 1490/1570
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 1, 2025

Academics

 RPI Rice
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 RPI Rice
Graduation Rate 84% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $86,400
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $10,227
Median Loan Payment $284 $105

Diversity

 RPI Rice
% Men 69% 57%
% Women 31% 43%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 37%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 8% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 11% 12%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 RPI Rice
% In-State 36% 36%
% Out-of-State 58% 47%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Rice University is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (8,672 students vs. 6,968 students)

RPI vs. Rice Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or Rice?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 8.3% more expensive to attend than Rice for in-state tuition ($58,600.00 vs. $54,100.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.3% higher at RPI than Rice University ($58,600.00 vs. $54,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rice University than RPI ($19,902 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rice University are 13.2% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($15,000 vs. $16,980)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Rice University (90% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rice University students is 34.5% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($51,955 vs. $38,636)

RPI vs. Rice Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rice University (1482) is 114 points higher than at RPI (1368)
  • Incoming Rice students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at RPI (30)
  • Accepted freshman Rice students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at RPI (3.88)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than Rice (8.7%)

RPI vs. Rice Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Rice is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (92% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Rice University earn on average $3,900 more per year than RPI graduates after ten years. ($86,400 vs. $82,500)
  • Rice University students graduate with a $17,273 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($10,227 vs. $27,500)
  • Rice graduates are paying $179 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($105 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rice students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 87%)

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