Iowa State vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: 63.5% against 88.7% (Iowa State).
Real money goes to international students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($48,307 on average), while Iowa State stops at $12,582.
The cheaper tuition belongs to Iowa State: $28,881 against $67,976, or $39,095 less a year.
Ten years on, graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn noticeably more: $102K against $63K.
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
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the more selective of the two (63.5% vs 88.66% acceptance). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($102K vs $63K). Iowa State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,881 vs $67,976 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 Iowa State for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is more selective (63.5% vs 88.66% acceptance); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a higher median SAT (1456 vs 1250).
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($102K vs $63K); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a higher 6-year graduation rate (83.6% vs 75.3%).
Iowa State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,881 vs $67,976); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers a larger average aid package ($50,402 vs $15,665).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Iowa State | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #501-600 | #501-600 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 88.66% | 63.5% |
| Yield rate | 28.8% | 14.4% |
| Median SAT | 1250 | 1456 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.75 | 3.93 |
| Number of applications | 23,095 | 14,356 |
| International students | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $63K | $102K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $44K | $71K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $90K | $137K |
| Graduation rate | 75.3% | 83.6% |
| Retention rate | 87.6% | 91% |
| Median debt | $22,869 | $23,750 |
| Tuition · year | $28,881 | $67,976 |
| Avg. aid package | $15,665 | $50,402 |
| % of need met | 78% | 66.2% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $29,475 | $39,539 |
| Application fee | $40 | $70 |
| Enrollment | 30,432 | 7,042 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Iowa State or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
It's harder to get into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Iowa State accepts 88.66% of applicants, while Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts 63.5%.
Do Iowa State or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $102K vs $63K.
How much is tuition at Iowa State vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
Sticker-price tuition is $28,881 per year at Iowa State and $67,976 per year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
What SAT score do you need for Iowa State or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
The median admitted SAT score is 1250 at Iowa State and 1456 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - Iowa State or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
The average aid package is $15,665 at Iowa State and $50,402 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern