RPI vs. CMU

<p>We were told by a rep at RPI that they consider themselves 'competitors' with CMU for students. This rep said that many undergrads at each school go to the other for grad school. I had always thought that CMU attracted students with higher scores and GPAs and was considered a stronger program.</p>

<p>RPI average SAT usually runs about 1320 (old SAT) while CMU is about 1360 so they are competitors. I think CMU's engineering school is highly focused on great Comp Sci/Comp Eng and may have an edge on RPI in that regard. However I think that RPI is stronger in the other areas of engineering (nuclear, bio, civil, mech, etc.) Does CMU even offer nuclear?</p>

<p>CMU does not offer nuclear, and that's one reason why I chose RPI over them. RPI has its own critical reactor and linear accelerator, not to mention many smaller projects involving, among other things, fission, fusion and nuclear medicine. CMU definately has the edge when it comes to CS and related fields, but RPI's is still very respectable. </p>

<p>Both schools look to admit students with 1300+ SAT's (old test) and B+/A- or better high school averages. CMU as a whole is slightly more selective because of their higher yield (40% as opposed to RPI's 27%) and more diverse applicant pool (in terms of academic interests).</p>

<p>Nobody will turn up their nose at an engineering degree from either RPI or CMU, and both schools would put you in a very good position upon graduation, either for employment or graduate school.</p>

<p>I'm having the exact same problem you are, RPI Vs. CMU. I got accepted to both on full scholarships but I have no idea where to go! I want to go into Chemical E and either Biomed E or Physics. Got any suggestions? Which is the better engineering school?
Is CMU really more prestigious? Many people I've talked to have never heard of RPI before but most people know of CMU.</p>

<p>Per previous post, if you want Comp Sci/Comp Eng take CMU. But RPI is stronger in more areas of engineering than CMU. Since you are interested in Chem E/Biotech check out Rensselaer's new Biotech Center:
<a href="http://www.rpi.edu/research/biotech/index.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rpi.edu/research/biotech/index.html&lt;/a>
Also, RPI is VERY well known in engineering circles. For example if you went to NASA, they would know RPI. (George Low, RPI class of '48 directed the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon). </p>

<p>Some other RPI grads: </p>

<p>Washington Roebling - Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge
G.W. Gale Ferris - Invented the Ferris Wheel
Ivar Giaver - 1973 Nobel Prize in Physics
J. Eric Jonsson - Co Founder of Texas Instruments Inc (my company)
Marcian Hoff - Inventors Hall of Fame - Inventor of the microprocessor
Don L. Anderson - Caltech Professor - Winner of the Crafoord Prize (the Nobel Prize of Geology) </p>

<p>I could go on....
Many people haven't heard of RPI, but is still one the best undergrad engineering schools in the world. Go to RPI.</p>

<p>rico, you said if i went to NASA they would know RPI, would they know CMU as well? would they think better of RPI than CMU?</p>

<p>CMU is a much better campus, better M/F ratio, on the edge of a nice city and IMO a more prestigious school. CMU is ranked better in every catagory over RPI, by US News, except for BioMed E and Nuc E (CMU doesn't offer Nuclear). CMU also doesn't offer Aero. Neither school is considered a party school, but if you want to party, the social outlets in Pittsburgh are far greater than in Troy/Albany.</p>

<p>CMU is ranked #22 in the country overall and #8 in Engineering, RPI #44 and #18. Obviously there is a definite level of more prestige.</p>

<p>The "REAL" bottom line. You probably can't go wrong with either. Go with the school you feel fits you best.</p>

<p>Again, CMU is highly ranked for what it does. However, as has been pointed out there are several major areas of engineering that it doesn't even offer.
U.S. news doesn't ding CMU for that when they probably should. Can you really be a top ten engineering school but not offer nuc and aero? I could open up another whole discussion on the validity of U.S. News but others have already done that.
CMU better for CS but RPI is strong on virtually all areas of engineering.
By the way I've spent 13 years at TI with 5 in R+D and have met many more RPI grads than CMU. I think that CMU is a great school. No doubt but RPI is the total package.</p>

<p>The people in R+D and TI dont mind that RPI is not a well rounded school; it's H&SS and all things not related to engineering/science/math are weak?</p>

<p>If you want Aero or Nuke then RPI is the obvious choice. A lot of great engineering school have, or no longer have, Nuke E. i.e. Cornell, Va Tech.
Also others don't have Aero. ie.e U. Wisconsin-Madison. Most of the smaller top tech schools like Rose-Hulman, Olin, Harvey Mudd, and Cooper Union don't have either Aero or Nuke.</p>

<p>My opinion was based on more than academics. Both have excellent engineering programs. CMU is the better Electrical, Computer, Robotic option and RPI may be better in other areas and of course has Aero and Nuclear. However, when it comes to the social aspect, the only advantage that "I" see to RPI is the proximity to NYC, Boston and VT skiing, all within 2-3 hrs.</p>

<p>In general is it true that RPI offers more merit scholarships than CMU?</p>

<p>RPI offers a lot lot lot more in Merit Aid and it is easier to get into. A lot of CMU rejections and RPI acceptances and far far far less the other way around, 42% vs. 78% admit rates.</p>

<p>When it comes down to big U.S. companies / goverment agencies, they primarily focus on two things 1) How much engineering expertise / experience/ talent do you have 2) Can your personality fit into a team environment. I have yet to see anyone hired for the engineering jobs based on the quality of the H+SS department of their schools. </p>

<p>Anyway, both of these schools are outstanding. I wouldn't worry to much about admit rate since the SAT difference in only about 40 points.
(RPI is self selecting where nearrly everyone who applies is highly qualified). I attended an alumni meeting here is Dallas where RPI
rep said class of 2010 is shaping up to have much higher scores than '09 so the gap may close even further.
Also ,Rensselaer if more than halfway done on its new Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center. It's a new $140 million center that will be yet another world class facility on the main campus.
<a href="http://empac.rpi.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://empac.rpi.edu/&lt;/a>
This will let RPI dramically improve the cultural offerings on campus.
Good luck on your choice.</p>

<p>I really appreciate all the talk about nuclear and aero E but how is RPI vs. CMU when it comes to ChemE?</p>

<p>I would also like people to refer back to #9, I would like to study in the humanities as well as CS, so an actual answer to this question would be helpful...
(I'm sorry, I don't know about ChemE)</p>

<p>US News 2006 Rankings for Chem E</p>

<p>RPI did not make the list</p>

<p>Undergraduate engineering specialties:
Chemical
(At schools whose highest degree is a doctorate) </p>

<ol>
<li>Massachusetts Inst. of Technology<br></li>
<li>University of California–Berkeley <br></li>
<li>Univ. of Minnesota–Twin Cities *<br></li>
<li>Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison *<br></li>
<li>Stanford University (CA)<br></li>
<li>California Institute of Technology<br>
University of Texas–Austin *<br></li>
<li>U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign *<br></li>
<li>Princeton University (NJ)<br></li>
<li>University of Michigan–Ann Arbor *<br></li>
<li>University of Delaware *<br></li>
<li>Georgia Institute of Technology *<br></li>
<li>Purdue Univ.–West Lafayette (IN)
<br></li>
<li>Carnegie Mellon University (PA)<br></li>
<li>Cornell University (NY)<br></li>
<li>Univ. of California–Santa Barbara *<br></li>
<li>Pennsylvania State U.–University Park *<br></li>
<li>Northwestern University (IL)<br></li>
<li>North Carolina State U.–Raleigh *<br>
Texas A&M Univ.–College Station *<br></li>
<li>Rice University (TX)<br>
University of Florida *<br>
University of Notre Dame (IN)<br>
University of Pennsylvania<br></li>
<li>Virginia Tech *</li>
</ol>

<p>RPI Rankings</p>

<p>U.S. News ranking: National Universities, 43
Peer assessment score (5.0=highest): 3.6
Average freshman retention rate: 92%
2004 graduation rate:
-Predicted: 82%
-Actual: 80%
-Overperformance (+)/Underperformance (-): -2
Classes with under 20 students (2004): 42%
Classes with 50 or more students (2004): 10%
Student/faculty ratio (2004): 14/1
Percent of faculty who are full-time (2004): 93%
SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile (2004): 1220-1420
Freshmen in top 10 percent of high school class (2004): 63%
Acceptance rate (2004): 75%
Average alumni giving rate (2004): 20%</p>

<p>Best Business Programs and Departments</p>

<p>Business program rank: 57</p>

<p>Best Engineering Programs Where the Highest Degree is a Doctorate</p>

<p>Engineering program rank: 18
Biomedical rank: 19
Computer rank: 21
Electrical rank: 16
Materials rank: 15
Mechanical rank: 19</p>

<p>CMU Rankings</p>

<p>U.S. News ranking: National Universities, 22
Peer assessment score (5.0=highest): 4.2
Average freshman retention rate: 94%
2004 graduation rate:
-Predicted: 90%
-Actual: 85%
-Overperformance (+)/Underperformance (-): -5
Classes with under 20 students (2004): 68%
Classes with 50 or more students (2004): 9%
Student/faculty ratio (2004): 10/1
Percent of faculty who are full-time (2004): 93%
SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile (2004): 1290-1480
Freshmen in top 10 percent of high school class (2004): 69%
Acceptance rate (2004): 42%
Average alumni giving rate (2004): 26%</p>

<p>Best Business Programs and Departments</p>

<p>Business program rank: 5
Finance rank: 9
Management rank: 24
Management Information Systems rank: 2
Marketing rank: 20
Production/Operations Management rank: 2
Quantitative Analysis/Methods rank: 2
Supply Chain Management/Logistics rank: 5</p>

<p>Best Engineering Programs Where the Highest Degree is a Doctorate</p>

<p>Engineering program rank: 8
Chemical rank: 14
Civil rank: 13
Computer rank: 3
Electrical rank: 10
Environmental rank: 13
Materials rank: 11
Mechanical rank: 13</p>

<p>Jeez, here we go with U.S. News again. Take a look at Rensselaer's Deparment of Chemical + Biological Engineering website.
<a href="http://www.eng.rpi.edu/chme/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.eng.rpi.edu/chme/&lt;/a>. Look at the facilities offered (especially the new Biotech Center) and you'll find that they are a match for CMU and then some. Go to the two schools and compare your yourself...
I'll match Rensselaer's program with any school on that list.</p>

<p>what does Overperformance (+)/Underperformance (-) mean? thanks for all the info plantree and for the links rico :-D</p>