Class of 2026 to be RPI's largest first-year class

The class of 2026 will be made up of 2,110 students, making it the largest freshman class in RPI history. For comparison, the class of 2025 is made up of around 1,500 students.

Due to such a large incoming class, undergraduates, namely sophomores, may stay in residence halls that aren’t traditionally for their class. In a Webex meeting, Maria Roberts, Associate Dean of the First Year Experience, said, “First years are going to be taking over some typically [sophomore] areas including Quad, North, and E-complex.”

Some sophomores are upset about the change in housing. Jay Shrestha ’25 wrote to The Polytechnic, “I feel like RPI bit off more than they could chew and as a result, the sophomores got screwed over.”

Alongside being the largest class in history, the class of 2026 is also the largest in terms of diversity. In an inquiry from The Polytechnic, Director of Media Relations and Communications Deanna Cohen explained, “This class is one of the most diverse ever, and includes the most women in an entering first year class (625), as well as the most underrepresented minorities (378). The class is made up of students from throughout the country, with 6% of the incoming class hailing from California, and nearly 10% of the class from the western regions of the U.S.”

Vice President for Student Life, Peter Konwerski, told The Polytechnic, “We are excited to welcome the incoming class of 2026 and are ready to meet their housing needs.”