Acceptance Rate
67%
Avg. SAT
1460
75th percentile
“RIT launches you into the workforce with co-ops that pay real salaries while you're still in school.”
Rochester, NY
Location
Large Suburb
Campus Setting
You'll step into RIT's world in suburban Rochester, New York, a city that punches above its weight in optics and printing history but trades urban buzz for Finger Lakes scenery and brutal winters. Founded in 1829 as a mechanics institute for hands-on tradesmen, RIT evolved into a tech powerhouse by merging practical training with innovation—think less ivory tower, more workshop. The school houses the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, educating about one in four deaf college students nationwide, which infuses campus with a uniquely inclusive vibe. Students who thrive here are tinkerers and builders—geeks who code late nights, prototype gadgets, or design games—rather than pure theorists chasing seminars. If you crave a liberal arts haven or non-stop nightlife, you'll feel out of place amid the hoodies and hackathons; the tradeoff is unmatched career acceleration in a no-frills setting.
Photo Gallery
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Available Online
Degree Levels Offered
In RIT's fast-paced quarter system, you dive into project-based classes where professors push you to prototype apps, 3D-print solutions, or debug virtual realities from day one, backed by a 13:1 student-faculty ratio that feels personal in labs humming with laser cutters. Standouts include computing and information sciences (with game design ranked tops by insiders), engineering, and niche gems like imaging science, where you might analyze Hubble telescope data. Research abounds for undergrads, especially in cybersecurity or microsystems, but expect less hand-holding than at smaller liberals arts spots—the intellectual culture rewards self-starters who treat classes like startup pitches. Tradeoffs hit in the relentless quarterly grind, cramming what others stretch over semesters, and a heavier STEM skew that sidelines humanities unless you're interdisciplinary.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
14,267 undergrad • 2,831 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
53%
Black / African American
5%
Hispanic / Latino
8%
Asian
11%
Other / Multi-racial
23%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Rochester, NY
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Picture a typical week: mornings in makerspaces soldering circuits, afternoons prepping co-op resumes, evenings at hackathons or the massive Imagine RIT festival showcasing student inventions to 100,000 visitors. Campus pulses with 200-plus clubs—from robotics to board games—Greek life for the outgoing, and nine residential quads fostering tight-knit tech tribes, though freshmen often pile into lively special-interest halls. The vibe skews earnest and collaborative, amplified by NTID's sign-language fluency everywhere, but social scenes lean intramural sports over ragers; you'll bond over late-night problem-solving rather than bar crawls. Winters dump snow that buries everything (expect igloo-building sprees), testing your grit in a suburban sprawl 20 minutes from downtown Rochester's lilac festivals and jazz joints—charming if you embrace it, isolating if you need constant stimulation.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Liberty League
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$22,694
$30K – $48K
$23,405
$48K – $75K
$25,850
$75K – $110K
$30,260
$110K+
$40,298
Apply for Financial Aid
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
89%
4 Years Graduation Rate
31%
6 Years Graduation Rate
71%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$76,571
89% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Rochester Institute of Technology and return in the fall. 31% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 71% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
31%
4-5 years
40%
6-8 years
2%
Non-grad
27%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$52,740
Acceptance
67%
Undergrads
14,267
4-Year Grad Rate
31%
Endowment
$684M
Rochester, NY 14623-5603
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