RPI vs. MIT vs. Michigan vs. Johns Hopkins

Should I go to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or Massachusetts Institute of Technology? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RPI or MIT is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute vs. Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs. University of Michigan vs. Johns Hopkins University comparison
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Michigan Johns Hopkins University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Michigan Johns Hopkins University
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Overview

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
Location Troy, NY Cambridge, MA Ann Arbor, MI Baltimore, MD
Setting Small City Midsize City Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 7,024 11,920 52,065 30,362
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #124 #7 #47 #10
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website rpi.edu mit.edu umich.edu jhu.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
Tuition (In State) $60,360 $59,750 $16,896 $62,840
Tuition (Out of State) $60,360 $59,750 $57,740 $62,840
Room & Board $17,530 $19,390 $13,856 $19,910
Avg Net Price $35,940 $21,519 $19,005 $22,844
Avg Grant Aid $43,994 $58,331 $22,005 $58,456
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 58% 55% 60%

Admission

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
Applied 16,283 26,904 87,632 38,926
Admitted 9,517 1,274 15,722 2,943
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 4.7% 17.9% 3.4%
Enrolled % 16.3% 85.6% 47.5% 9%
Avg High School GPA 3.88 3.96 3.88 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme Very High Extreme
ACT Range 30/34 34/36 31/34 34/35
SAT Range 1330/1500 1510/1580 1350/1530 1530/1580
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026 Jan 3, 2026

Academics

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 3:1 11:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Engineering (41%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Physical Sciences (10%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Health Professions (5%)
  • Social Sciences (4%)
  • Engineering (4%)
  • Biology (3%)
  • Mathematics (1%)

Outcomes

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
Graduation Rate 84% 93% 90% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,500 $142,100 $74,400 $85,800
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 92% 78% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $17,316 $20,103 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $284 $179 $207 $155

Diversity

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
% Men 10% 37% 18% 38%
% Women 5% 25% 18% 41%
Racial Diversity High Very High Medium Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 59% 37% 62% 41%
% Black 3% 6% 4% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 15% 5% 13%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 6% 3% 5%
% International 11% 10% 7% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 2% 6% 3%

Students

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
% In-State 36% 8% 51% 12%
% Out-of-State 58% 81% 44% 71%

Campus

 RPI MIT Michigan Johns Hopkins
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes Yes No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology is larger than than RPI based on total student enrollment (11,920 students vs. 7,024 students)

RPI vs. MIT Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RPI or MIT?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 1% more expensive to attend than MIT for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $59,750.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1% higher at RPI than Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($60,360.00 vs. $59,750.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than RPI ($21,519 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 10.6% lower than costs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($17,530 vs. $19,390)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Massachusetts Institute of Technology (96% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students is 32.6% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($58,331 vs. $43,994)

RPI vs. MIT Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, RPI or MIT? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between MIT or RPI .

  • The average SAT score at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1507) is 139 points higher than at RPI (1368)
  • Incoming MIT students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at RPI (30)
  • Accepted freshman MIT students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at RPI (3.88)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than MIT (4.7%)

RPI vs. MIT Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RPI or MIT? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between MIT and RPI.

  • The graduation rate at MIT is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (93% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn on average $59,600 more per year than RPI graduates after ten years. ($142,100 vs. $82,500)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology students graduate with a $10,184 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($17,316 vs. $27,500)
  • MIT graduates are paying $105 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($179 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MIT students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 92%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/