AMHERST, MA

STONY BROOK, NY

COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute vs Stony Brook - 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

STONY BROOK

Stony Brook, NY

World rank · ARWU#301-400

Acceptance49.04%

Median SAT1410

Graduation rate75.6%

Median earnings · 10 yrs$75K

🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Stony Brook University

#501-600 World rank · ARWU #301-400

- Rank · THE -

63.5% Acceptance rate 49.04%

1456 Median SAT 1410

83.6% Graduation rate 75.6%

7,042 Enrollment 26,689

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

63.5% Acceptance rate 49.04%

14.4% Yield rate 14.7%

1456 Median SAT 1410

3.93 Avg. GPA -

14,356 Number of applications 55,880

2.2% Int'l students 10.2%

At a glance

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute leads in 6 of 11 measured metrics

% of need66.2% vs 0.6%

Aid$50,402 vs $15,261

Tuition$67,976 vs $32,741

The verdict, from the data

Stony Brook admits 49% of applicants, while Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admits 63.5%.

The more international environment is at Stony Brook (10.2% international students) than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2.2%).

Real money goes to international students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($48,307 on average), while Stony Brook stops at $2,834.

The cheaper tuition belongs to Stony Brook: $32,741 against $67,976, or $35,235 less a year.

The indicators describe a university as a whole, and your own course can sit a long way from that average.

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

Stony Brook is the more selective of the two (49.04% vs 63.5% acceptance). Stony Brook 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 $75K). Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 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 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for: higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate, higher retention.

Choose Stony Brook for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, lower tuition.

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

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

Stony Brook is more selective (49.04% vs 63.5% acceptance); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a higher median SAT (1456 vs 1410).

Graduate outcomes

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($102K vs $75K); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a higher 6-year graduation rate (83.6% vs 75.6%).

Cost and aid

Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $67,976); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers a larger average aid package ($50,402 vs $15,261).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Stony Brook
World rank · ARWU	#501-600	#301-400
Rank · THE	-	-
Acceptance rate	63.5%	49.04%
Yield rate	14.4%	14.7%
Median SAT	1456	1410
Avg. GPA	3.93	-
Number of applications	14,356	55,880
International students	2.2%	10.2%
Median earnings · 10 yrs	$102K	$75K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs	$71K	$49K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs	$137K	$107K
Graduation rate	83.6%	75.6%
Retention rate	91%	89.7%
Median debt	$23,750	$18,228
Tuition · year	$67,976	$32,741
Avg. aid package	$50,402	$15,261
% of need met	66.2%	0.6%
Avg. graduate debt	$39,539	$23,558
Application fee	$70	-
Enrollment	7,042	26,689

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or Stony Brook?

It's harder to get into Stony Brook. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts 63.5% of applicants, while Stony Brook accepts 49.04%.

Do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or Stony Brook graduates earn more?

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $102K vs $75K.

How much is tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute vs Stony Brook?

Sticker-price tuition is $67,976 per year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and $32,741 per year at Stony Brook.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1456 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and 1410 at Stony Brook; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or Stony Brook?

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

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

The average aid package is $50,402 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and $15,261 at Stony Brook.

Compare Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with

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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.