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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.08

Diversity

B-
Where does this grade come from?View all Diversity rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

African American 4%
Asian American 11%
Hispanic 6%
International 2%
Native American 0%
White 75%
Unknown 2%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 68%
Common States of Residence
  • Connecticut
  • Foreign countries
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 1%
18-19: 36%
20-21: 36%
22-24: 15%
25+: 12%
Female Faculty 22%
Male Faculty 78%
Faculty Diversity African American: 2%
Asian American: 15%
Hispanic: 3%
International: 21%
Native American: 0%
White: 59%
Unknown: 0%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Most students consider campus to be quite diverse. With students from all over the country, not to mention the world, there’s a little bit of everything. Virtually every ethnic group on campus has multiple organizations that its members can get involved in and spread awareness of different cultures. There is also a great range of social and economic backgrounds among the students at RPI.

Because it is primarily an engineering school, however, most of the students at RPI have similar interests and hobbies. This can make it seem like the campus isn’t as diverse—although there may be a broad range of people, the number of cliques is somewhat narrower. You see a lot of people hanging out with groups of similar backgrounds, and while the groups don’t clash, there isn’t a tremendous amount of intermingling between them.

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RPI Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Xander31415

Physics '15

3.5
B

The Good and the Bad

I have meet people from almost anywhere in Asia, and some people from Europe and Afica. On the other hand, the male/female ratio is about 7:3

Jan 08, 2012

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Diversity at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Physics123

Physics '15

4.2
A-

Diversity

There's definitely a good amount of diversity on campus and everyone is pretty accepting.

Sep 02, 2011

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Diversity at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

jncarter5206

Physics '11

4.2
A-

Gay Pride

RPI isn't terribly open about it's LGBT community, but it most definitely exists. The college's purple community produces their own newsletter and the Pride Alliance holds a Cross-dressing contest each year. I know that some intolerance exists, but I don't know those people personally.

Jul 24, 2011

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Page 1 of 7
User rating for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Diversity is 3.5 out of 5 based on 21 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How diverse is the student body in the following areas?

How diverse is your personal circle of friends in the following areas?

How accepting is the campus community as a whole toward someone who falls into the minority (ethnic, sexual, or religious)?

How would you best describe your personal political beliefs?

How would you best describe the political beliefs of campus as a whole?

Facts

Gay Pride

There is a relatively small population of homosexual students on campus, but the community is accepting of them. The Rensselaer Pride Alliance (RPA) is one of the clubs on campus.

Political Activity

There is some political activity but much of the student body is apathetic of things outside of RPI and Troy. For those interested, there are political groups on campus: The Progressive Students Alliance (formerly the College Democrats), the College Republicans, and the College Libertarians.

Economic Status

There are students from all different economic backgrounds, although there are quite a few that come from very well-off families. Some people would argue that there is too much “old money” at RPI, and that the school should be more selective amongst the legacies, instead of allowing in anyone who has had a grandfather graduate that donates large sums of money. However, once here, family money doesn’t matter as much, and there is little reflection in day-to-day life of a person’s economic well being.

Most Common Religions

The major religions on campus are Christianity (primarily Catholic and Protestant), Judaism, and Islam. The school has a Chaplain’s Office to serve the needs of the campus religious community. It supports such groups as BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), Koinonia (a Protestant community service organization), Korean Christian Fellowship, Muslim Student Association, Newman Fellowship, Rensselaer Christian Association, and the RPI-Sage Hillel.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Virtually every minority present at RPI has a club associated with it. From the Chinese Student Association to the Iranian Student Association, from the Muslim Women’s Association to the National Society of Black Engineers, there is something for everyone, regardless of ethnicity and heritage. See the Clubs and Organizations section for more.

Did You Know? RPI has more than 180 clubs, and there is a group for almost every background on campus.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Cara Riverso
Hometown
Holmes, NY
Major
Chemical Engineering

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.