Strong graduate outcomes with earnings well above peer institutions. Robust earnings growth over time.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
RPI graduates demonstrate consistent earnings growth as they advance in technical careers, with median earnings rising from $83,054 six years after enrollment to $95,369 at eight years and $102,051 at ten years. This represents 22.9% growth between the six-year and ten-year marks, reflecting career progression as graduates move from entry-level technical positions to senior engineering and management roles.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduates from this institution significantly outperform peers — earnings are 62% higher than similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $23,750 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
RPI graduates complete their degrees with median debt of $23,750, placing the institution around the national average at the 43rd percentile for borrowing levels. Debt amounts range from $17,000 at the 25th percentile to $35,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating moderate variation in borrowing patterns among students.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks at the 97.3rd percentile nationally for return on investment, earning an exceptional tier designation among the highest we track. This outstanding performance reflects graduates earning $8,303 beyond expectations compared to similar students nationally, placing RPI at the 82.3rd percentile for earnings uplift.
Approximately 26.8% of RPI graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with medium confidence. This continuat...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Computer Science drives the strongest individual program earnings at $129,412, followed by Computer Engineering Technologies at $119,498 and Electrical Engineering at $102,236. These outcomes reflect strong market demand for technical skills combined with RPI's reputation among technology employers.
Even specialized programs like Bioengineering ($98,618), Industrial Engineering ($98,602), and Algebra and Number Theory ($100,012) produce earnings that exceed $95,000, demonstrating broad strength across RPI's technical portfolio. The consistent high performance across diverse engineering disciplines indicates that RPI's educational approach and industry connections support strong outcomes regardless of specific technical specialization.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution at RPI shows strong outcomes across the full range of graduates, with 25th percentile earnings of $71,488 and 75th percentile earnings of $137,023 creating a 1.9:1 ratio. Low-income graduates earn $86,100, ranking among the top 5% nationally and demonstrating RPI's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility through technical education.
