St. Kate's vs. RPI

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

 St. Kate's RPI
Location Saint Paul, MN Troy, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 3,533 7,024
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #282 #124
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stkate.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Kate's RPI
Tuition (In State) $48,864 $60,360
Tuition (Out of State) $48,864 $60,360
Room & Board $11,636 $17,530
Avg Net Price $22,357 $35,940
Avg Grant Aid $36,206 $43,994
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 96%

Admission

 St. Kate's RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,703 16,283
Admitted 1,602 9,517
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 58.4%
Enrolled % 23.5% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.62 3.88
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/26 30/34
SAT Range 1155/1450 1330/1500
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, 2026

Academics

 St. Kate's RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (51%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Human Services (5%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 St. Kate's RPI
Graduation Rate 65% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,100 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $289 $284

Diversity

 St. Kate's RPI
% Men 3% 10%
% Women 28% 5%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 64% 59%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 7% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 7%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 St. Kate's RPI
% In-State 83% 36%
% Out-of-State 17% 58%

Campus

 St. Kate's RPI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is larger than than St. Kate's based on total student enrollment (7,024 students vs. 3,533 students)

St. Kate's vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Kate's or RPI?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 23.5% more expensive to attend than St. Kate's for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $48,864.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.5% higher at RPI than St Catherine University ($60,360.00 vs. $48,864.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Catherine University than RPI ($22,357 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Catherine University are 50.7% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($11,636 vs. $17,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Catherine University than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (99% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 21.5% larger than aid received St Catherine University ($43,994 vs. $36,206)

St. Kate's vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 336 points higher than at St. Kate's (1032)
  • Incoming RPI students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at St. Kate's (22)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at St. Kate's (3.62)
  • St. Kate's has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than RPI (58.4%)

St. Kate's vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Kate's or RPI? 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 RPI and St. Kate's.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than St Catherine University (84% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $32,400 more per year than St. Kate's graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $50,100)
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Kate's graduates. ($27,500 vs. $28,000)
  • RPI graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than St. Kate's graduates. ($284 vs. $289)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Kate's students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 65%)

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