West Virginia University
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
AMHERST, MA
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

West Virginia vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - US university comparison

West Virginia University
WEST VIRGINIA
Morgantown, West Virginia
World rank · ARWU#501-600
Acceptance89%
Median SAT1110
Graduation rate64.7%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$56K
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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

West Virginia University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
#501-600 World rank · ARWU #501-600
- Rank · THE -
89% Acceptance rate 63.5%
1110 Median SAT 1456
64.7% Graduation rate 83.6%
23,643 Enrollment 7,042

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

89% Acceptance rate 63.5%
26.5% Yield rate 14.4%
1110 Median SAT 1456
3.70 Avg. GPA 3.93
20,150 Number of applications 14,356
1.7% Int'l students 2.2%
$56K Median earnings · 10 yrs $102K
$36K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $71K
$84K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $137K
64.7% Graduation rate 83.6%
83.4% Retention rate 91%
$22,500 Median debt $23,750
$28,608 Tuition · year $67,976
$16,730 Avg. aid package $50,402
63% % of need met 66.2%
$36,010 Avg. graduate debt $39,539
$65 Application fee $70
$21,636 Avg. int'l aid $48,307
At a glance
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute leads in 8 of 12 measured metrics
Aid$16,730 vs $50,402
Tuition$28,608 vs $67,976
Yield26.5% vs 14.4%

The verdict, from the data

The lower acceptance rate belongs to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: 63.5% against 89% (West Virginia).

Real money goes to international students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($48,307 on average), while West Virginia stops at $21,636.

The cheaper tuition belongs to West Virginia: $28,608 against $67,976, or $39,368 less a year.

The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: $102K against $56K.

These numbers describe the cohorts already enrolled, not your chances; treat them as a starting point rather than a forecast.

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 89% acceptance). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($102K vs $56K). West Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,608 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 West Virginia 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

Admissions

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is more selective (63.5% vs 89% acceptance); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a higher median SAT (1456 vs 1110).

Graduate outcomes

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($102K vs $56K); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a higher 6-year graduation rate (83.6% vs 64.7%).

Cost and aid

West Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,608 vs $67,976); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers a larger average aid package ($50,402 vs $16,730).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

$35k$76k$117k$158k$11k$35k$59k$83kWest VirginiaRensselaer Polytechnic Institute TUITION · YEAR → MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10 YRS →
Each dot is a comparable US university; West Virginia and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute highlighted. Up and to the left = better value ratio.

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric West Virginia Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
World rank · ARWU#501-600#501-600
Rank · THE--
Acceptance rate89%63.5%
Yield rate26.5%14.4%
Median SAT11101456
Avg. GPA3.703.93
Number of applications20,15014,356
International students1.7%2.2%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$56K$102K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$36K$71K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$84K$137K
Graduation rate64.7%83.6%
Retention rate83.4%91%
Median debt$22,500$23,750
Tuition · year$28,608$67,976
Avg. aid package$16,730$50,402
% of need met63%66.2%
Avg. graduate debt$36,010$39,539
Application fee$65$70
Enrollment23,6437,042

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into West Virginia or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

It's harder to get into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. West Virginia accepts 89% of applicants, while Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts 63.5%.

Do West Virginia or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more?

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $102K vs $56K.

How much is tuition at West Virginia vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

Sticker-price tuition is $28,608 per year at West Virginia and $67,976 per year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1110 at West Virginia and 1456 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

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

The average aid package is $16,730 at West Virginia and $50,402 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Compare West Virginia with
Harvard Stanford Massachusetts Institute of Technology Princeton Yale Cornell Penn Johns Hopkins 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.