The New School vs. RPI

Deciding between The New School and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

The New School
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • The New School New York, NY
  • RPI Troy, NY
  • Setting
  • The New School Large City
  • RPI Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • The New School 9,068
  • RPI 7,040
  • Type
  • The New School Private 4 Year
  • RPI Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • The New School #164
  • RPI #130
  • Religious Affiliation
  • The New School -
  • RPI -
  • Status
  • The New School Non-profit
  • RPI Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • The New School
  • RPI

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • The New School $58,694
  • RPI $64,081
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • The New School $58,694
  • RPI $64,081
  • Room & Board
  • The New School $25,337
  • RPI $18,120
  • Average Net Price
  • The New School $67,224
  • RPI $38,887
  • Average Grant Aid
  • The New School $22,174
  • RPI $43,517
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • The New School 94%
  • RPI 95%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • The New School 9,828
  • RPI 17,175
  • Admitted
  • The New School 6,238
  • RPI 10,901
  • Acceptance Rate
  • The New School 63.5%
  • RPI 63.5%
  • Enrolled
  • The New School 21.3%
  • RPI 12.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • The New School 1250
  • RPI 1440
  • Typical ACT score
  • The New School 28
  • RPI 32
  • Average High School GPA
  • The New School 3.59
  • RPI 3.88
  • Typical High School Grades
  • The New School A-
  • RPI A
  • Admissions Standards
  • The New School Difficult
  • RPI Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • The New School Low
  • RPI Low
  • ACT Range
  • The New School 26/30
  • RPI 30/34
  • SAT Range
  • The New School 1140/1360
  • RPI 1375/1510
  • Submit Test Scores
  • The New School Test-free
  • RPI Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • The New School
  • RPI Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • The New School 9:1
  • RPI 14:1
  • Popular Majors
  • The New School
    • Visual and Performing Arts (62%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Foreign Languages (4%)
    • Social Sciences (3%)
  • RPI
    • Engineering (53%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
    • Business (8%)
    • Engineering Technology (5%)
    • Architecture (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • The New School 61%
  • RPI 84%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • The New School $52,700
  • RPI $82,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • The New School 65%
  • RPI 92%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • The New School $23,872
  • RPI $27,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • The New School $246
  • RPI $284

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • The New School 25%
  • RPI 69%
  • % Women
  • The New School 75%
  • RPI 31%
  • Racial Diversity
  • The New School Very High
  • RPI High
  • HBCU
  • The New School No
  • RPI No
  • % White
  • The New School 33%
  • RPI 59%
  • % Asian
  • The New School 9%
  • RPI 10%
  • % Black
  • The New School 6%
  • RPI 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • The New School 12%
  • RPI 8%
  • % Native American
  • The New School 0%
  • RPI 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • The New School 0%
  • RPI 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • The New School 4%
  • RPI 7%
  • % International
  • The New School 32%
  • RPI 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • The New School 4%
  • RPI 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • The New School 13%
  • RPI 37%
  • % Out-of-State
  • The New School 48%
  • RPI 58%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • The New School Yes
  • RPI Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • The New School No
  • RPI Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • The New School Yes
  • RPI Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • The New School Yes
  • RPI No
  • Daycare Facility
  • The New School No
  • RPI No

Comparable Facts

Compare The New School in New York, NY with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

The New School is larger than RPI based on total student enrollment (9,068 students vs. 7,040 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • The New School is located in New York, NY (Large City setting); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is in Troy, NY (Small City setting).
  • The New School is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: The New School 9:1; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 14:1.

The New School vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, The New School or RPI? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than The New School ($38,887 vs. $67,224).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 28.5% lower than at The New School ($18,120 vs. $25,337).
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 9.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than The New School (about $5,387 more per year; $64,081.00 vs. $58,694.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 9.2% higher at RPI than at The New School (about $5,387 more per year; $64,081.00 vs. $58,694.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than at The New School (95% vs. 94%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 96.3% larger than aid received by The New School students ($43,517 vs. $22,174).

The New School vs. RPI Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, The New School or RPI? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between RPI and The New School.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1440) is 190 points higher than at The New School (1250).
  • Incoming RPI students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (32 vs. 28 at The New School).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The New School 1140/1360; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1375/1510.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The New School 26/30; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 30/34.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: The New School - Test-free; RPI - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: RPI Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at The New School (3.59).
  • The New School has a higher acceptance rate (63.5%) than RPI (63.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 21.3% at The New School vs. 12.1% at RPI.

The New School vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for The New School and RPI? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's six-year graduation rate (84%) is higher than The New School's (61%).
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn a median of about $29,800 more per year than The New School graduates about ten years after starting college ($82,500 vs. $52,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, The New School graduates have a $3,628 lower median loan debt than RPI graduates ($23,872 vs. $27,500).
  • Among borrowers, The New School graduates have an estimated $38 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than RPI graduates ($246 vs. $284).
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former The New School 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.