Rensselaer is a diverse community of dreamers and doers who share several characteristics. They are drawn to the sciences and technology, and to disciplines ranging from architecture and business to literature. They love to tackle complex problems, and they have a sincere desire to improve the world. Yet the people of Rensselaer are true individuals: everyone who comes here seeks a pathway to greatness that is uniquely his or her own.

Bold Exploration

When you come to study at Rensselaer, you will benefit from a proud legacy of bold exploration. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was established in 1824 as the first technological university in the English-speaking world. The Institute was organized around a concept considered quite radical for the time: that students should actively engage with their studies by performing experiments and exploring other participatory forms of learning, rather than sitting passively in lectures.

A Fully Realized University

Over time, as Rensselaer has evolved into a fully realized university of 5,100 undergraduates, this groundbreaking approach to education has generated wave after wave of innovation and discovery.

One Rensselaer graduate masterminded the first moon landing; another, the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Our alumni invented e-mail and helped develop sunscreen. They have established and led successful enterprises, from Texas Instruments (inventors of the first silicon transistor) to Vicarious Visions (creators of Guitar Hero III).

Become A Pioneer

As a Rensselaer student, you will walk in the footsteps of these pioneers — and become one. You will enjoy access to world-class research facilities, and work along side exceptionally talented researchers on challenges that range from eradicating cholera to combating global warming. Whether you study mechanical engineering or music, bioinformatics or business, Rensselaer is a paradise for people who yearn to fulfill their dreams, and improve the world in the process.