Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or RPI is a private research university located in Troy, New York. Founded in 1824 by Stephen Van Rensselaer, RPI is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and is recognized for its successful methods of transferring technology from the laboratory to the marketplace.
The university is divided into five schools: the School of Architecture, the School of Engineering, the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the School of Science, and the Lally School of Management & Technology. It offers over 145 programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels and its students are engaged in interdisciplinary programs that allow them to combine scholarly work from various departments and schools.
There are around 7,656 students enrolled at the university, ably mentored by 386 fulltime faculty members. With a student to faculty ratio of 15 to 1, students enjoy a focused, one-on-one interaction with their instructors.
Cost of attendance for academic year 2009-2010 for fulltime undergraduate students is US$52,160 made up of full-year tuition of US$38,100, regular fees at US$1,065; room and board rate of US$11,145 and miscellaneous expenses at US$1,850. All students are required to purchase a laptop for their studies. Estimated cost of a laptop ranges from US$1,800 to US$2,000. For graduate students, total cost of attendance is US$52,288 broken down into full-year tuition of US$38,100; estimated living expenses of US$10,400; books and supplies at US$1,850; and mandatory fees and insurance of US$1,938. Part-time tuition for graduate students is US$1,587 per credit hour. Financial aid is extended in the form of loans, grants and scholarships.