St. Mary's vs. RPI

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

 St. Mary's RPI
Location St. Mary's City, MD Troy, NY
Setting Distant Rural Small City
Enrollment 1,520 6,968
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #143 #110
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's RPI
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $58,600
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $58,600
Room & Board $14,146 $16,980
Avg Net Price $20,714 $39,127
Avg Grant Aid $10,265 $38,636
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 90%

Admission

 St. Mary's RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,934 16,863
Admitted 2,268 10,878
Acceptance Rate 77.3% 64.5%
Enrolled % 18.1% 18.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.88
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 28/30 30/34
SAT Range 1130/1370 1360/1520
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

 St. Mary's RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's RPI
Graduation Rate 79% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $210 $284

Diversity

 St. Mary's RPI
% Men 41% 69%
% Women 59% 31%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 59%
% Black 8% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 St. Mary's RPI
% In-State 87% 36%
% Out-of-State 12% 58%

Campus

 St. Mary's RPI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
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 St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (6,968 students vs. 1,520 students)

St. Mary's vs. RPI Cost Comparison

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

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 383.7% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($58,600.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 107.9% higher at RPI than St Mary's College of Maryland ($58,600.00 vs. $28,192.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than RPI ($20,714 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Mary's College of Maryland are 20% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($14,146 vs. $16,980)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (94% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 276.4% larger than aid received St Mary's College of Maryland ($38,636 vs. $10,265)

St. Mary's vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 223 points higher than at St. Mary's (1145)
  • Incoming RPI students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at St. Mary's (25)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.43 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at St. Mary's (3.45)
  • St. Mary's has a higher acceptance rate (77.3%) than RPI (64.5%)

St. Mary's vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary'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. Mary's.

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than St Mary's College of Maryland (84% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $31,000 more per year than St. Mary's graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $51,500)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $7,130 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($20,370 vs. $27,500)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $74 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($210 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Mary's students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 82%)

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