RIT vs. Purchase College

Should I go to Rochester Institute of Technology or SUNY at Purchase College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RIT or Purchase College 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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Rochester Institute of Technology vs. SUNY at Purchase College comparison
Rochester Institute of Technology SUNY at Purchase College College 3 College 4
Rochester Institute of Technology SUNY at Purchase College
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Overview

RIT Purchase College
Location Rochester, NY Purchase, NY
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,863 3,229
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #182 #297
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rit.edu purchase.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RIT Purchase College
Tuition (In State) $56,136 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $56,136 $16,980
Room & Board $15,516 $15,400
Avg Net Price $39,753 $18,651
Avg Grant Aid $31,931 $9,627
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 72%

Admission

RIT Purchase College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 24,269 7,221
Admitted 17,328 5,259
Acceptance Rate 71.4% 72.8%
Enrolled % 17.6% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.37
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 29/33 27/32
SAT Range 1280/1460 1178/1363
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 Jul 1, 2025

Academics

RIT Purchase College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (16%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Engineering Technology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

RIT Purchase College
Graduation Rate 64% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $64,900 $40,200
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $22,500
Median Loan Payment $289 $232

Diversity

RIT Purchase College
% Men 10% 1%
% Women 7% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 66% 55%
% Black 5% 10%
% Hispanic 7% 18%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 5% 7%

Students

RIT Purchase College
% In-State 45% 78%
% Out-of-State 52% 21%

Campus

RIT Purchase College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rochester Institute of Technology is larger than than Purchase College based on total student enrollment (16,863 students vs. 3,229 students)

RIT vs. Purchase College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RIT or Purchase College?

  • Rochester Institute of Technology is 694% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($56,136.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 230.6% higher at RIT than SUNY at Purchase College ($56,136.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than RIT ($18,651 vs. $39,753)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY at Purchase College are 0.8% lower than costs at Rochester Institute of Technology ($15,400 vs. $15,516)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rochester Institute of Technology than SUNY at Purchase College (99% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rochester Institute of Technology students is 231.7% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($31,931 vs. $9,627)

RIT vs. Purchase College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rochester Institute of Technology (1251) is 169 points higher than at Purchase College (1082)
  • Incoming RIT students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Purchase College (25)
  • Accepted freshman RIT students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Purchase College (3.37)
  • Purchase College has a higher acceptance rate (72.8%) than RIT (71.4%)

RIT vs. Purchase College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RIT or Purchase College? 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 Purchase College and RIT .

  • The graduation rate at RIT is higher than SUNY at Purchase College (64% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from Rochester Institute of Technology earn on average $24,700 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($64,900 vs. $40,200)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than RIT graduates. ($22,500 vs. $28,000)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than RIT graduates. ($232 vs. $289)
  • More RIT graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purchase College students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 65%)

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