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Programs & majors brief

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# Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/)[Cost & aid](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/similar/)

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at RPI?

At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians is among the ranked fields on four-year earnings, making program choice central to the return picture. Its median earnings are $125,531 four years after completion, with 80 degrees awarded.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 nationally within its field. The more moderate-earning ranked fields show a different range.

Architecture reports median earnings of $75,551 and 57 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #5 nationally within its field. Design and Applied Arts has median earnings of $87,358 alongside 41 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks it #5 nationally within its field. These figures show higher and more moderate earnings across the ranked fields.

### Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

-   Engineering**709 · 45.9%**
-   Computer science**330 · 21.4%**
-   Mathematics**83 · 5.4%**
-   Engineering technologies**80 · 5.2%**
-   Business**68 · 4.4%**
-   Other**274 · 17.7%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

30 of 30 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Computer Science 284 degrees awarded**
$141,528

**Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians 80 degrees awarded**
$125,531

**Computer and Information Sciences, General 46 degrees awarded**
$115,100

**Mathematics 83 degrees awarded**
$105,768

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 107 degrees awarded**
$104,596

**Biomedical/Medical Engineering 70 degrees awarded**
$103,306

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs

Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks

| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Computer Science | 284 | $141,528 | #30 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 80 | $125,531 | #1 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 46 | $115,100 | #48 |
| Mathematics | 83 | $105,768 | #18 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 107 | $104,596 | #37 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 70 | $103,306 | #20 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 56 | $99,713 | #28 |
| Chemical Engineering | 63 | $98,679 | #60 |
| Industrial Engineering | 56 | $98,509 | #27 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 112 | $94,750 | #28 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 212 | $92,952 | #82 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 41 | $87,358 | #5 |
| Nuclear Engineering small degree count | 14 | $87,239 | — |
| Civil Engineering | 52 | $86,794 | #97 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other small degree count | 17 | $83,958 | — |
| Materials Engineering small degree count | 12 | $82,947 | — |
| Physics | 50 | $81,840 | #22 |
| Architecture | 57 | $75,551 | #5 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 26 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biology, General | 21 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Chemistry small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Psychology, General small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Economics small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |

[Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## What are the largest programs at RPI?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Computer Science**
284

**Mechanical Engineering**
212

**Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering**
112

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**
107

**Mathematics**
83

**Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians**
80

**Biomedical/Medical Engineering**
70

**Chemical Engineering**
63

**Architecture**
57

**Industrial Engineering**
56

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources)

## How do RPI majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians**#1**
2.  Architecture**#5**
3.  Design and Applied Arts**#5**
4.  Mathematics**#18**
5.  Biomedical/Medical Engineering**#20**
6.  Physics**#22**
7.  Industrial Engineering**#27**
8.  Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering**#28**
9.  Business Administration, Management and Operations**#28**
10.  Computer Science**#30**
11.  Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**#37**
12.  Computer and Information Sciences, General**#48**

Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

[How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## Further analysis

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a technical institute, and the degree mix reflects it: 83.1% of bachelor's degrees are in STEM fields. The university has 18 programs with published earnings data, 15 of which carry an Azimuth national rank.

Engineering accounts for 45.9% of degrees awarded, followed by Computer & Information Sciences at 21.4% and Mathematics & Statistics at 5.4%. Computer Science is the largest single program, at 284 degrees awarded.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #30 nationally and #5 in New York, with graduates earning a median of $141,528 four years after completion. Mechanical Engineering awards 212 degrees and its completers earn $92,952, ranking #82 nationally.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).