AMHERST, MA

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute vs Dartmouth - US university comparison

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Amherst, MA

World rank · ARWU#501-600

Acceptance63.5%

Median SAT1456

Graduation rate83.6%

Median earnings · 10 yrs$102K

DARTMOUTH

Hanover, New Hampshire

World rank · ARWU#301-400

Acceptance6.02%

Median SAT1520

Graduation rate95.5%

Median earnings · 10 yrs$97K

🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Dartmouth College

#501-600 World rank · ARWU #301-400

- Rank · THE -

63.5% Acceptance rate 6.02%

1456 Median SAT 1520

83.6% Graduation rate 95.5%

7,042 Enrollment 7,273

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

63.5% Acceptance rate 6.02%

14.4% Yield rate 70.9%

1456 Median SAT 1520

3.93 Avg. GPA -

14,356 Number of applications 28,230

2.2% Int'l students 14.5%

At a glance

Dartmouth leads in 9 of 11 measured metrics

Acceptance63.5% vs 6.02%

Yield14.4% vs 70.9%

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

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 (#501-600 vs #301-400). 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 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for: higher graduate earnings, lower tuition.

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

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; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Dartmouth highlighted. Up and to the left = better value ratio.

FULL DATA TABLE

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

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

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

Do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or Dartmouth graduates earn more?

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

How much is tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute vs Dartmouth?

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

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

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

Which university ranks higher - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or Dartmouth?

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

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

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

Compare Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 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.