RPI vs. SUNY Stony Brook

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

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
Location Troy, NY Stony Brook, NY
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,968 25,710
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #110 #131
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu stonybrook.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
Tuition (In State) $58,600 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $58,600 $24,990
Room & Board $16,980 $16,408
Avg Net Price $39,127 $17,213
Avg Grant Aid $38,636 $11,584
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 82%

Admission

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,863 40,513
Admitted 10,878 19,908
Acceptance Rate 64.5% 49.1%
Enrolled % 18.4% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 3.94
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34 28/34
SAT Range 1360/1520 1320/1500
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 15, 2025

Academics

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
Graduation Rate 84% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $59,300
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $19,000
Median Loan Payment $284 $196

Diversity

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
% Men 69% 47%
% Women 31% 53%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 36%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 8% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 11% 13%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
% In-State 36% 81%
% Out-of-State 58% 10%

Campus

 RPI SUNY Stony Brook
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

  • Stony Brook University is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (25,710 students vs. 6,968 students)

RPI vs. SUNY Stony Brook Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or SUNY Stony Brook?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 728.9% more expensive to attend than SUNY Stony Brook for in-state tuition ($58,600.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 134.5% higher at RPI than Stony Brook University ($58,600.00 vs. $24,990.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stony Brook University than RPI ($17,213 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stony Brook University are 3.5% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($16,408 vs. $16,980)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Stony Brook University (90% vs. 82%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 233.5% larger than aid received Stony Brook University ($38,636 vs. $11,584)

RPI vs. SUNY Stony Brook Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 97 points higher than at SUNY Stony Brook (1271)
  • Incoming RPI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at SUNY Stony Brook (29)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Stony Brook students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at RPI (3.88)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than SUNY Stony Brook (49.1%)

RPI vs. SUNY Stony Brook Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RPI or SUNY Stony Brook? 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 SUNY Stony Brook and RPI.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than Stony Brook University (84% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $23,200 more per year than SUNY Stony Brook graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $59,300)
  • Stony Brook University students graduate with a $8,500 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($19,000 vs. $27,500)
  • SUNY Stony Brook graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($196 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Stony Brook students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 73%)

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