Test-optional, with exceptions for some programsED + EA

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

NY · Private · Mid-Atlantic · National university · Top 100 tier · 5,687 undergraduates (medium)

Admission rates

Latest admit rates

Overall admit rate63.4%
ED rate57.9%139 of 240
Regular round (est.)†63.5%includes Early Action

How much of the class comes from ED

~11% of enrolled freshmen were admitted through Early Decision.

This is a share of the freshman class, not an admit rate.

† Regular round (est.) = (all admitted students − Early Decision admits) ÷ (all applicants − Early Decision applicants). It also includes Early Action, because the Common Data Set does not report Early Action counts.

Trends, Fall 2019–Fall 2024

Admission rates

OverallEarly Decision
0%40%80%'19'20'21'22'23'2447.4%57.3%63.4%65.1%70.2%57.9%no datano datano data

ED share of the enrolled freshman class (% of first-years admitted ED, not an admit rate)

ED admits ÷ enrolled first-years
0%15%30%'19'20'21'22'23'2428.2%10.6%no datano datano datano data

Early plans

Fall 2027 applicants

Early Decision I & II (binding) + Early Action (non-binding) · School admissions page ↗What this means:

Testing

Testing policy

Fall 2027
Test-optional, with exceptions for some programsTest-optional for most; scores required for the Physician-Scientist B.S./M.D. programSchool testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026
Fall 2028
Fall 2028 policy not yet announced.School testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026

Superscoring

What this means:

SAT
Superscores
ACT
Does not superscore (highest single sitting)

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Test-optional (required for Physician-Scientist BS/MD).

How to send scores

Self-report accepted; official scores only after admission/enrollment

School’s words: “Enrolling students will be required to send official scores for any and all self-reported test scores they submitted in the application process.”

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Students submitting scores

Est. % submitting scores‡60%SAT 49% + ACT 11%

‡ Est. % submitting scores adds the share of enrolled first-years who submitted the SAT to the share who submitted the ACT.

Submitted SAT49%
Submitted ACT11%

Score ranges (middle 50%)

Enrolled first-years who submitted scores, Fall 2024. A quarter scored below the range and a quarter above.

SAT composite
1390–1500 median 1450
10001600
SAT Reading & Writing
670–740 median 710
500800
SAT Math
705–770 median 740
500800
ACT composite
30–34 median 33
2036

Trends, Fall 2019–Fall 2024

Share of enrolled students submitting scores

SAT + ACT (est.)SATACT
0%50%100%'19'20'21'22'23'24100%96.0%60%69.0%67.0%49%31.0%29.0%11%no datano datano data

SAT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
1600150014001300'19'20'21'22'23'24no data1310–146014601310no datano datano data1390–150015001390

ACT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
3634323028'19'20'21'22'23'24no data29–343429no datano datano data30–343430

Waitlist admit rate

Share of students who stayed on the waitlist and were later admitted, by entering class.

  • 2024: 3%
  • 2021: 0.2%
  • 2020: 5%

What is a waitlist? How is it different from a deferral?

Test policy in each Common Data Set

History only. The current policy is under Testing above.

  1. Fall 2027 CDS not available2025-26 CDS
  2. Fall 2026 Required for some2024-25 CDS
  3. Fall 2025 CDS not available2023-24 CDS
  4. Fall 2024 CDS not available2022-23 CDS
  5. Fall 2023 CDS not available2021-22 CDS
  6. Fall 2022 Required2020-21 CDS
  7. Fall 2021 Not reported2019-20 CDSThis form’s own wording says Fall 2019; every CDS here is read as covering the fall two years after its first year.

Notes

Sources