A Place for Builders

Founded in 1824 to apply science to the common purposes of life, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has always been a place for people who like to build. As the first technological research university in the United States, RPI brings together engineers, scientists, designers, architects, and entrepreneurs who learn by making, testing, and improving. They tackle questions that don't fit neatly into one field and turn ideas into things that work in the real world. For more than two centuries, RPI has proven a simple idea: the best way to imagine the future is to build it.