St Olaf vs. RPI

Should I go to St Olaf College or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St Olaf or RPI 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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St Olaf College vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute comparison
St Olaf College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
St Olaf College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Overview

St Olaf RPI
Location Northfield, MN Troy, NY
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 3,046 6,968
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #156 #110
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stolaf.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St Olaf RPI
Tuition (In State) $54,650 $58,600
Tuition (Out of State) $54,650 $58,600
Room & Board $12,450 $16,980
Avg Net Price $26,171 $39,127
Avg Grant Aid $40,399 $38,636
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 90%

Admission

St Olaf RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,524 16,863
Admitted 3,116 10,878
Acceptance Rate 56.4% 64.5%
Enrolled % 27.9% 18.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 3.88
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 28/33 30/34
SAT Range 1300/1480 1360/1520
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2024 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

St Olaf RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

St Olaf RPI
Graduation Rate 85% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $284

Diversity

St Olaf RPI
% Men 42% 69%
% Women 58% 31%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 75% 59%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 7% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

St Olaf RPI
% In-State 47% 36%
% Out-of-State 43% 58%

Campus

St Olaf RPI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is larger than than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (6,968 students vs. 3,046 students)

St Olaf vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or RPI?

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 7.2% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($58,600.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.2% higher at RPI than St Olaf College ($58,600.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than RPI ($26,171 vs. $39,127)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 36.4% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($12,450 vs. $16,980)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (99% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 4.6% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($40,399 vs. $38,636)

St Olaf vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 86 points higher than at St Olaf (1282)
  • Incoming RPI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at St Olaf (29)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than St Olaf (56.4%)

St Olaf vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St Olaf or RPI? 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 RPI and St Olaf.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (85% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $28,800 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $53,700)
  • St Olaf College students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($27,000 vs. $27,500)
  • St Olaf graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($279 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St Olaf students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 91%)

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