Quad

Head-to-head

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
U. San Diego

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute grads earn $15.5K more ten years out than U. San Diego's ($102,051 vs. $86,522)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    U. San Diego has 11 pts more first-gen students than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (25% vs. 14%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's grants cover 50% of its full price on average, vs. 43% at U. San Diego

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute costs about $4.1K less per year on average than U. San Diego ($40,877 vs. $44,933, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  5. 5

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates 4 pts more of its students than U. San Diego (85% vs. 81%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    U. San Diego admits 52% vs. 63% at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

    Acceptance rate

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

U. San Diego admits 52%, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 63%; both have the same yield, 12%.

Acceptance rate
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute63%
U. San Diego52%
Quad's selectivity
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteVery selective
  • U. San DiegoVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1375–1510
U. San DiegoTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required
  • U. San DiegoGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and U. San Diego are about the same size; U. San Diego has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute5.7K
U. San Diego5.7K
Pell Grant share
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute20%
U. San Diego21%

Majors and faculty

Computer Science leads at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Finance at U. San Diego.

Students per faculty member
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute14 to 1
U. San Diego13 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteComputer Science21%
  • U. San DiegoFinance, General13%

What each costs

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute costs about $4.1K less a year than U. San Diego on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$40.9K
U. San Diego$44.9K
Aid generosity
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute50%
U. San Diego43%

What each pays off

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's former students earn more, a median $102.1K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$102.1K
U. San Diego$86.5K
Graduation rate
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute85%
U. San Diego81%

How each has changed

Applications grew at U. San Diego but held steady at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteSteady−8%
  • U. San DiegoGrowing+19%
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