by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've gathered data and other essential information about the program, such as the average salary of graduates, ethnicity of students, how many students graduated in recent times, and more. Also, learn how RPI ranks among other schools offering degrees in physics.
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In College Factual's most recent rankings for the best schools for physics majors, RPI came in at #5. This puts it in the top 5% of the country in this field of study. It is also ranked #1 in New York.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Best Physics Schools | 5 |
| Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools | 6 |
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute handed out 50 bachelor's degrees in physics. This is a decrease of 7% over the previous year when 54 degrees were handed out.
In 2022, 6 students received their master’s degree in physics from RPI. This makes it the #99 most popular school for physics master’s degree candidates in the country.
In addition, 4 students received their doctoral degrees in physics in 2022, making the school the #122 most popular school in the United States for this category of students.
Physics majors who earn their bachelor's degree from RPI go on to jobs where they make a median salary of $60,348 a year. This is higher than $47,156, which is the national median for all physics bachelor's degree recipients.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, part-time undergraduate students at RPI paid an average of $2,520 per credit hour. No discount was available for in-state students. The average full-time tuition and fees for undergraduates are shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $60,360 | $60,360 |
| Fees | $1,524 | $1,524 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,310 | $1,310 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $17,530 | $17,530 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $1,680 | $1,680 |
Learn more about RPI tuition and fees.
For the most recent academic year available, 88% of physics bachelor's degrees went to men and 12% went to women.
The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at RPI are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 52% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor's in physics.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 2 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7 |
| White | 26 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 10 |
| Other Races | 5 |
Online degrees for the RPI physics bachelor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the RPI Online Learning page.
All of the 5 students who graduated with a Master’s in physics from RPI in 2022 were men.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a master's in physics.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 2 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 3 |
| Other Races | 0 |
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the physics majors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 17 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 5 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.