Your Rensselaer education will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to make your mark and change the world.

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.

Today, 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, challenge themselves, 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.

“Celebration Weekend” An address by President Jackson, presentations by world-leading academic researchers, and performances by the legendary Aretha Franklin and violin virtuoso Joshua Bell are among the highlights of the upcoming “Celebration Weekend: A Tribute to the Transformation of Rensselaer.” For complete information go to the Celebration Weekend Web site.

We invite you to explore Rensselaer and your promising future as a part of our proud legacy! Watch Rensselaer's Institute video, Why Not Change The World?