Wellesley vs. RPI

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

 Wellesley RPI
Location Wellesley, MA Troy, NY
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,447 6,968
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #110
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wellesley RPI
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $58,600
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $58,600
Room & Board $19,080 $16,980
Avg Net Price $21,362 $39,127
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $38,636
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 90%

Admission

 Wellesley RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 16,863
Admitted 1,152 10,878
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 64.5%
Enrolled % 50.8% 18.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.88
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 33/35 30/34
SAT Range 1430/1550 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 8, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Wellesley RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 Wellesley RPI
Graduation Rate 92% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $92 $284

Diversity

 Wellesley RPI
% Men 1% 69%
% Women 99% 31%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 59%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 11% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 7%
% International 12% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 Wellesley RPI
% In-State 11% 36%
% Out-of-State 73% 58%

Campus

 Wellesley 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 Wellesley based on total student enrollment (6,968 students vs. 2,447 students)

Wellesley vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or RPI?

  • Wellesley College is 5.1% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.1% higher at Wellesley than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($61,584.00 vs. $58,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than RPI ($21,362 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 12.4% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($16,980 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Wellesley College (90% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 58.7% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($61,328 vs. $38,636)

Wellesley vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wellesley College (1369) is 1 points higher than at RPI (1368)
  • Incoming Wellesley students have at the same average ACT score (30) as students at RPI (30)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at Wellesley (3.86)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than Wellesley (13.6%)

Wellesley vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wellesley 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 Wellesley.

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (92% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $14,400 more per year than Wellesley graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $68,100)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $18,600 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($8,900 vs. $27,500)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $192 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($92 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wellesley students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 86%)

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