RPI Troy vs Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) are two esteemed institutions of higher learning that offer distinct educational experiences. RPI, a private research university in Troy, New York, boasts a significantly larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Cooper Union, a private college located in New York City. While both institutions excel in engineering and art programs, RPI offers a broader range of undergraduate majors, including business, science, and humanities. Cooper Union, on the other hand, is renowned for its rigorous fine arts and architecture programs. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Overview
Location	New York, New York	Troy, New York
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	14.7%	53.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75
SAT range	N/A	1360 - 1520
ACT range	N/A	32 - 34
Students submitting SAT score		43.0%
Students submitting ACT score		15.0%
Total number of applicants	2,678	17,498
Total number of admissions given out	393	9,277
Admitted students who chose to enroll	210	1,322
Yield rate	53.4%	14.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$67,146	$77,763
Average net price	$20,757	$40,070
Tuition	$44,550	$57,100
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $9,119 Meal plan: $7,260
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,212	97.0% Average amount $35,754
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $4,814	52.0% Average amount $5,116
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $24,000	10.0% Average amount $24,172

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	876 Men 53.2% Women 46.8%	5,614 Men 69.0% Women 31.0%
Graduate students	60 Men 80.0% Women 20.0%	1,160 Men 69.1% Women 30.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	36.5%	N/A
International students	14.6%	19.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	170	3,930
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey California Florida Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Visual & Performing Arts Architecture	Engineering Computer and Information Science Business Mathematics and Statistics Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	83.4%	84.2%
Dropout rate	11.8%	14.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,818 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $19,405 Astronomy and Astrophysics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,379 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A	Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,746 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $127,865 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $83,880 Year 2: $92,277 Year 3: $111,450 Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,042 Year 2: $88,933 Year 3: $99,954 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,265 Year 2: $87,973 Year 3: $94,503 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,333 Year 2: $79,284 Year 3: $93,665 Applied Mathematics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $90,716 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,826 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $88,913 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,471 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: $85,953 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,066 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $84,973 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,458 Year 2: $77,213 Year 3: $84,039

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