Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, is a private research university located in Troy, New York. It was founded in 1824 by Stephen Van Rensselaer and Amos Eaton for the "application of science to the common purposes of life" and is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world. Built on a hillside, RPI's 275-acre (111 ha) campus overlooks the historic city of Troy and the Hudson River and is a blend of traditional and modern architecture. The institute operates an on-campus business incubator and the 1,250-acre (510 ha) Rensselaer Technology Park, and is known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace.

RPI's mission has slowly evolved over the years while retaining a focus on the scientific and technological roots upon which it was founded. Over the past century, RPI has grown into a university with five schools: The School of Architecture, The School of Engineering, The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, The School of Science, and the Lally School of Management & Technology. All together, the university offers around 140 degree programs in 60 fields leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. RPI consistently ranks in the top 50 among U.S. universities for overall academics and among the top 50 worldwide for technology. Adopted by the Board of Trustees in 1995, RPI's current mission is to "educate the leaders of tomorrow for technologically based careers. We celebrate discovery, and the responsible application of technology, to create knowledge and global prosperity."

The institute attracts students from every state and 92 foreign countries. Among class of 2014, 83% were in the top 10% of their high school class. The acceptance rate dropped between 2005–11 and in 2011 was 36.1%. Rensselaer has been proclaimed to be 'the next' Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was named as a 'New Ivy' by Newsweek and Kaplan. It remains in the 'Top 50 Universities' by U.S. News & World Report.