Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Rochester Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | RITRochester, NY | WPIWorcester, MA | Carnegie MellonPittsburgh, PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 66.9% | 60.2% | 11.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1300–1460 | Not reportedWorcester Polytechnic Institute reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1500–1570 |
| Average net price | $34,90627.2% on Pell grants | $43,07111.9% on Pell grants | $31,94416.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $59,274Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $60,965Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $66,246Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 69.9% | 89.7% | 94.1% |
| First-year retention | 88.8% | 93.7% | 98.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 27.2% | 11.9% | 16.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $76,571 | $103,470 | $114,862 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,778 | $27,000 | $21,750 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 13:1 | 13:1 | 5:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 13,215 | 5,447 | 7,304 |
| Consensus percentile | 34Lower is better | 19Lower is better | 7Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 51 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 26 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 11 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | RIT | WPI | Carnegie Mellon |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #88 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #84 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #20 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #195 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #160 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #43 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #47 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| WSJ | #318 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #90 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #56 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #330 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #147 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #18 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #52 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Hands-on technical students — especially in games, security, imaging or engineering technology — who want required co-op experience and do not have single-digit-admit credentials.
A 69.9% six-year graduation rate is below what its outcomes would predict.
Full profileEngineering and computing students who learn by building with a team rather than by lecture and exam, and who want international project work embedded in the degree.
Average net price of $43,071 is high relative to comparable public engineering programs.
Full profileStudents with a sharply defined specialty — computing, robotics, design, drama, quantitative business — who want to go deep immediately rather than explore broadly.
Need-based aid is weaker than peers at the same ranking tier; net price averages $31,944.
Full profile