Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

14:1
Student to faculty ratio
31
Average class size
72%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Rensselaer has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
160
10-19
213
20-29
166
30-39
72
40-49
74
50-99
94
100+
47

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute:

91%
First-year retention rate
72%
4-year grad rate
84%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $83,575. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.

$83,575
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
34.2
74.76
115.32
155.88
196.44
237

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architecture 52
  • Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other 20
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 17
  • Neuroscience 8
  • Bioinformatics 6
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 0
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 60
  • Business Statistics 14
Communication
  • Communication, General 7
  • Communication and Media Studies 7
  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 1
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 237
  • Information Technology 23
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 146
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 92
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 75
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 68
  • Civil Engineering, General 50
  • Chemical Engineering 48
  • Industrial Engineering 19
  • Nuclear Engineering 16
  • Materials Engineering 15
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 10
  • Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 0
  • Engineering Science 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician 53
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies 14
Legal Professions And Studies
  • Pre-Law Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 54
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Cognitive Science, General 10
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 4
  • Sustainability Studies 3
  • Science, Technology and Society 2
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • Business Analytics 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 4
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 3
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 32
  • Chemistry, General 10
  • Physics, Other 5
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 1
  • Hydrology and Water Resources Science 0
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 11
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 8
  • Social Sciences, General 0
  • Economics, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Game and Interactive Media Design 39
  • Visual and Performing Arts, General 7
  • Music Theory and Composition 2
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