Tulane vs. RPI

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

 Tulane RPI
Location New Orleans, LA Troy, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 14,027 6,968
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #110
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tulane.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Tulane RPI
Tuition (In State) $58,666 $58,600
Tuition (Out of State) $58,666 $58,600
Room & Board $17,346 $16,980
Avg Net Price $50,263 $39,127
Avg Grant Aid $30,747 $38,636
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 90%

Admission

 Tulane RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,615 16,863
Admitted 3,621 10,878
Acceptance Rate 11.5% 64.5%
Enrolled % 50.9% 18.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.88
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 31/33 30/34
SAT Range 1370/1510 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

 Tulane RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 Tulane RPI
Graduation Rate - 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,200 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,529 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $284 $284

Diversity

 Tulane RPI
% Men 39% 69%
% Women 61% 31%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 59%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 7%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

 Tulane RPI
% In-State 9% 36%
% Out-of-State 86% 58%

Campus

 Tulane RPI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Tulane University is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (14,027 students vs. 6,968 students)

Tulane vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Tulane or RPI?

  • Tulane University is 0.1% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($58,666.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Tulane than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($58,666.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Tulane ($39,127 vs. $50,263)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 2.2% lower than costs at Tulane University ($16,980 vs. $17,346)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Tulane University (90% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 25.7% larger than aid received Tulane University ($38,636 vs. $30,747)

Tulane vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 22 points higher than at Tulane (1346)
  • Incoming Tulane students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at RPI (30)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Tulane (3.64)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than Tulane (11.5%)

Tulane vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Tulane 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 Tulane.

  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $8,300 more per year than Tulane graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $74,200)
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $29 lower median federal student loan debt than Tulane graduates. ($27,500 vs. $27,529)
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Tulane graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($284 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Tulane students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 62%)

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