Quad

Head-to-head

New School
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute grads earn $49.2K more ten years out than New School's ($102,051 vs. $52,901)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute costs about $28.7K less per year on average than New School ($40,877 vs. $69,606, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's grants cover 50% of its full price on average, vs. 23% at New School

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates 15 pts more of its students than New School (85% vs. 70%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    New School's yield is 9 pts higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    New School has 6 pts more first-gen students than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (19% vs. 14%)

    First-generation students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

New School admits 63%, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 63%; New School's yield is higher, at 21%.

Acceptance rate
New School63%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute63%
Quad's selectivity
  • New SchoolSelective
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
New SchoolTest-blind
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1375–1510
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • New SchoolGPA and school record required
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

New School is a bit larger than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (6,563 vs. 5,714 undergrads); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
New School6.6K
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute5.7K
Pell Grant share
New School15%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute20%

Majors and faculty

Fashion/Apparel Design leads at New School, and Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Students per faculty member
New School9 to 1
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute14 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • New SchoolFashion/Apparel Design15%
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteComputer Science21%

What each costs

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute costs about $28.7K less a year than New School on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
New School$69.6K
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$40.9K
Aid generosity
New School23%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute50%

What each pays off

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's former students earn more, a median $102.1K ten years after enrolling; both graduate at least 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
New School$52.9K
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$102.1K
Graduation rate
New School70%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute85%

How each has changed

Applications grew at New School but held steady at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute got less selective while New School held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • New SchoolGrowing+75%
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteSteady−8%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why