HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

AMHERST, MA

COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Dartmouth vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - US university comparison

DARTMOUTH

Hanover, New Hampshire

World rank · ARWU#301-400

Acceptance6.02%

Median SAT1520

Graduation rate95.5%

Median earnings · 10 yrs$97K

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Amherst, MA

World rank · ARWU#501-600

Acceptance63.5%

Median SAT1456

Graduation rate83.6%

Median earnings · 10 yrs$102K

🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

Dartmouth College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

#301-400 World rank · ARWU #501-600

- Rank · THE -

6.02% Acceptance rate 63.5%

1520 Median SAT 1456

95.5% Graduation rate 83.6%

7,273 Enrollment 7,042

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

6.02% Acceptance rate 63.5%

70.9% Yield rate 14.4%

1520 Median SAT 1456

- Avg. GPA 3.93

28,230 Number of applications 14,356

14.5% Int'l students 2.2%

At a glance

Dartmouth leads in 9 of 11 measured metrics

Acceptance6.02% vs 63.5%

Yield70.9% vs 14.4%

Grad. debt$24,255 vs $39,539

The verdict, from the data

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts most of the applications it receives (63.5%), while Dartmouth turns away the overwhelming majority (6%).

The share of international students differs sharply: 14.5% (Dartmouth) against 2.2% (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute).

Average aid for an international student is $87,562 (Dartmouth) and $48,307 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute).

64 points separate the SAT profiles: 1520 (Dartmouth) against 1456.

None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.

Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.

EXPERT TAKE

Dartmouth is the more selective of the two (6.02% vs 63.5% acceptance). Dartmouth ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #501-600). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($102K vs $97K). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,976 vs $71,525 per year).

Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.

Choose Dartmouth for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate.

Choose Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for: higher graduate earnings, lower tuition.

College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

Dartmouth is more selective (6.02% vs 63.5% acceptance); Dartmouth has a higher median SAT (1520 vs 1456).

Graduate outcomes

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($102K vs $97K); Dartmouth has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.5% vs 83.6%).

Cost and aid

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,976 vs $71,525); Dartmouth offers a larger average aid package ($75,301 vs $50,402).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

Each dot is a comparable US university; Dartmouth and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute highlighted. Up and to the left = better value ratio.

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric	Dartmouth	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
World rank · ARWU	#301-400	#501-600
Rank · THE	-	-
Acceptance rate	6.02%	63.5%
Yield rate	70.9%	14.4%
Median SAT	1520	1456
Avg. GPA	-	3.93
Number of applications	28,230	14,356
International students	14.5%	2.2%
Median earnings · 10 yrs	$97K	$102K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs	$65K	$71K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs	$189K	$137K
Graduation rate	95.5%	83.6%
Retention rate	98%	91%
Median debt	$17,500	$23,750
Tuition · year	$71,525	$67,976
Avg. aid package	$75,301	$50,402
% of need met	100%	66.2%
Avg. graduate debt	$24,255	$39,539
Application fee	-	$70
Enrollment	7,273	7,042

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into Dartmouth or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

It's harder to get into Dartmouth. Dartmouth accepts 6.02% of applicants, while Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts 63.5%.

Do Dartmouth or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more?

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $102K vs $97K.

How much is tuition at Dartmouth vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

Sticker-price tuition is $71,525 per year at Dartmouth and $67,976 per year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

What SAT score do you need for Dartmouth or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

The median admitted SAT score is 1520 at Dartmouth and 1456 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Dartmouth or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

Dartmouth ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Dartmouth vs #501-600 for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Which university offers more financial aid - Dartmouth or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

The average aid package is $75,301 at Dartmouth and $50,402 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Compare Dartmouth with

Harvard

Stanford

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Washington University

Northwestern

Highest-ranked in ARWU. Click "↻ Change university" in the cards above to choose from all 47 universities (+35).

All metrics come 100% from College Council Atlas (canonical) - admissions, SAT, GPA, graduate outcomes, financial aid and costs from IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25; rankings from ARWU 2024 and THE 2025. Zero manual fields. "-" = not yet in canonical.