RIT vs. Case Western vs. Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State

Should I go to Rochester Institute of Technology or Case Western Reserve University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RIT or Case Western 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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Rochester Institute of Technology vs. Case Western Reserve University vs. Carnegie Mellon University vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Rochester Institute of Technology Case Western Reserve University Carnegie Mellon University Penn State Main Campus
Rochester Institute of Technology Case Western Reserve University Carnegie Mellon University Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
Location Rochester, NY Cleveland, OH Pittsburgh, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City Large City Small City
Enrollment 16,863 12,266 15,596 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #182 #49 #43 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website rit.edu case.edu cmu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
Tuition (In State) $56,136 $64,100 $62,260 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $56,136 $64,100 $62,260 $39,626
Room & Board $15,516 $18,202 $17,468 $13,030
Avg Net Price $39,753 $41,351 $32,964 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $31,931 $40,197 $47,550 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 86% 49% 36%

Admission

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
Applied 24,269 39,033 33,707 85,956
Admitted 17,328 11,193 3,843 46,605
Acceptance Rate 71.4% 28.7% 11.4% 138.3%
Enrolled % 17.6% 13.8% 44.4% 235.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.86 3.89 -
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Low High Very High Low
ACT Range 29/33 32/35 34/35 27/32
SAT Range 1280/1460 1430/1540 1500/1570 1220/1400
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) 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 15, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 9:1 5:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (16%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Engineering Technology (11%)
  • Engineering (28%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (26%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Business (126%)
  • Engineering (93%)
  • Communication (66%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (56%)
  • Social Sciences (53%)

Outcomes

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
Graduation Rate 64% 78% 87% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $64,900 $84,700 $102,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 84% 91% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $24,066 $26,250 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $289 $248 $271 $277

Diversity

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
% Men 10% 22% 32% 8%
% Women 7% 28% 21% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium High Very High Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 66% 52% 32% 69%
% Black 5% 5% 5% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6% 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4% 4% 3%
% International 6% 11% 18% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 2% 5% 2%

Students

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
% In-State 45% 14% 9% 51%
% Out-of-State 52% 69% 71% 40%

Campus

 RIT Case Western Carnegie Mellon Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No Yes Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No No Yes
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Comparable Facts

  • Rochester Institute of Technology is larger than than Case Western based on total student enrollment (16,863 students vs. 12,266 students)

RIT vs. Case Western Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RIT or Case Western?

  • Case Western Reserve University is 14.2% more expensive to attend than RIT for in-state tuition ($64,100.00 vs. $56,136.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.2% higher at Case Western than Rochester Institute of Technology ($64,100.00 vs. $56,136.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rochester Institute of Technology than Case Western ($39,753 vs. $41,351)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rochester Institute of Technology are 17.3% lower than costs at Case Western Reserve University ($15,516 vs. $18,202)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rochester Institute of Technology than Case Western Reserve University (99% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Case Western Reserve University students is 25.9% larger than aid received Rochester Institute of Technology ($40,197 vs. $31,931)

RIT vs. Case Western Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Case Western Reserve University (1398) is 147 points higher than at RIT (1251)
  • Incoming Case Western students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at RIT (29)
  • Accepted freshman Case Western students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at RIT (3.7)
  • RIT has a higher acceptance rate (71.4%) than Case Western (28.7%)

RIT vs. Case Western Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RIT or Case Western? 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 Case Western and RIT .

  • The graduation rate at Case Western is higher than Rochester Institute of Technology (78% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Case Western Reserve University earn on average $19,800 more per year than RIT graduates after ten years. ($84,700 vs. $64,900)
  • Case Western Reserve University students graduate with a $3,934 lower median federal student loan debt than RIT graduates. ($24,066 vs. $28,000)
  • Case Western graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than RIT graduates. ($248 vs. $289)
  • More Case Western graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RIT students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 75%)

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