Lehigh vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
What each college publishes, side by side. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt come from federal data.
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PACompass Score: Exceptional · Top 5%ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NYCompass Score: Exceptional · Top 9%
At a glance
- Lehigh has the higher graduation rate: 88% against 84% at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
- For families earning $48,001 to $75,000, Lehigh has the lower price after aid: $18,722 a year, against $28,212 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
- Lehigh admits 26% of applicants, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admits 63%.
Scores
Compass Score
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 5%
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 9%
Academic Excellence
AAcademic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 4%
AAcademic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 6%
Value
B-Value: Good (grade B-): below the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.
B-Value: Good (grade B-): below the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.
The college
Category
National universities
National universities
Location
Bethlehem, PA
Troy, NY
Setting
City
City
Students
7,590
7,024
Sports
NCAA Division I · Patriot League
NCAA Division III · Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association
Admission
Admission rate
26%
63%
Average SAT
1440
1456
ACT middle 50%
31–34
30–34
Outcomes
Graduation rate
88%
84%
First-year retention
94%
91%
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$105,584
$102,051
Median debt
$21,960
$23,750
Cost
Average price after aid
$36,931
$36,228
Price after aid, by family income
Up to $30,000
$16,917
$24,078
$30,001–$48,000
$17,140
$26,289
$48,001–$75,000
$18,722
$28,212
$75,001–$110,000
$22,184
$36,230
Over $110,000
$48,751
$42,541
Top majors by graduate earnings
Bachelor's majors
- Computer science $141,691
- Finance $127,210
- Accounting $125,874
- Industrial Engineering $121,498
- Computing and information science $116,999
- Computer science $141,528
- Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians $125,531
- Computing and information science $115,100
- Mathematics $105,768
- Electrical engineering $104,596
Compare with another college
The Compass Score and grades are College Compass Guide’s own ratings. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt are federal data. This comparison doesn’t rank the two colleges; the figures are shown as published.