RPI vs. SUNY Poly

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

 RPI SUNY Poly
Location Troy, NY Utica, NY
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 7,024 2,704
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #124 #307
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu sunyit.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RPI SUNY Poly
Tuition (In State) $60,360 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $60,360 $18,720
Room & Board $17,530 $14,750
Avg Net Price $35,940 $14,646
Avg Grant Aid $43,994 $8,137
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 90%

Admission

 RPI SUNY Poly
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,283 4,936
Admitted 9,517 3,872
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 78.4%
Enrolled % 16.3% 10%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 30/34 24/27
SAT Range 1330/1500 1150/1330
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 Aug 1, 2026

Academics

 RPI SUNY Poly
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 (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

 RPI SUNY Poly
Graduation Rate 84% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $53,200
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $16,585
Median Loan Payment $284 $171

Diversity

 RPI SUNY Poly
% Men 10% 11%
% Women 5% 19%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 79%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 RPI SUNY Poly
% In-State 36% 95%
% Out-of-State 58% 3%

Campus

 RPI SUNY Poly
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

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (7,024 students vs. 2,704 students)

RPI vs. SUNY Poly Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or SUNY Poly?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 753.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY Poly for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 222.4% higher at RPI than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($60,360.00 vs. $18,720.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than RPI ($14,646 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 18.8% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($14,750 vs. $17,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (96% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 440.7% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($43,994 vs. $8,137)

RPI vs. SUNY Poly Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 227 points higher than at SUNY Poly (1141)
  • Incoming RPI students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at SUNY Poly (26)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at SUNY Poly (3.7)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (78.4%) than RPI (58.4%)

RPI vs. SUNY Poly Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RPI or SUNY Poly? 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 Poly and RPI.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (84% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $29,300 more per year than SUNY Poly graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $53,200)
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $10,915 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($16,585 vs. $27,500)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $113 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($171 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Poly students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 63%)

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