RPI vs. Sarah Lawrence

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

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
Location Troy, NY Bronxville, NY
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,024 1,743
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #124 #127
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu slc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
Tuition (In State) $60,360 $63,128
Tuition (Out of State) $60,360 $63,128
Room & Board $17,530 $17,546
Avg Net Price $35,940 $43,571
Avg Grant Aid $43,994 $35,677
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 84%

Admission

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,283 4,819
Admitted 9,517 2,840
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 58.9%
Enrolled % 16.3% 14.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34 29/33
SAT Range 1330/1500 1270/1440
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 15, 2026

Academics

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)

Outcomes

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
Graduation Rate 84% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $44,100
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $13,500
Median Loan Payment $284 $139

Diversity

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
% Men 10% 2%
% Women 5% 11%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 53%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 11% 13%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
% In-State 36% 18%
% Out-of-State 58% 76%

Campus

 RPI Sarah Lawrence
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 Sarah Lawrence based on total student enrollment (7,024 students vs. 1,743 students)

RPI vs. Sarah Lawrence Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or Sarah Lawrence?

  • Sarah Lawrence College is 4.6% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($63,128.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.6% higher at Sarah Lawrence than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($63,128.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Sarah Lawrence ($35,940 vs. $43,571)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 0.1% lower than costs at Sarah Lawrence College ($17,530 vs. $17,546)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Sarah Lawrence College (96% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 23.3% larger than aid received Sarah Lawrence College ($43,994 vs. $35,677)

RPI vs. Sarah Lawrence Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Sarah Lawrence (3.75)
  • Sarah Lawrence has a higher acceptance rate (58.9%) than RPI (58.4%)

RPI vs. Sarah Lawrence Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RPI or Sarah Lawrence? 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 Sarah Lawrence and RPI.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than Sarah Lawrence College (84% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $38,400 more per year than Sarah Lawrence graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $44,100)
  • Sarah Lawrence College students graduate with a $14,000 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($13,500 vs. $27,500)
  • Sarah Lawrence graduates are paying $145 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($139 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sarah Lawrence students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 83%)

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