Acceptance Rate
40%
Avg. SAT
1540
75th percentile
“Pioneering optics whizzes and symphony savants flock to Rochester's brainy, snowy river campus.”
Rochester, NY
Location
Midsize City
Campus Setting
You'll trace the University of Rochester's roots to 1850, when abolitionist Baptists founded it as a scholarly haven amid upstate New York's revivalist fervor, but George Eastman's Kodak fortune in the early 1900s secularized and turbocharged it into a research powerhouse—complete with a lavish River Campus that opened in 1930 overlooking the Genesee River gorges. This place draws quirky, intellectually voracious students who revel in collaborative problem-solving over cutthroat competition, the kind who debate quantum mechanics at 2 a.m. rather than dominate Greek life. Rochester's personality shines understated and inventive, fostering 'Rochester Brainy Smarts' in a midsize city that's gritty yet gem-filled: think lilac-choked spring festivals, proximity to Finger Lakes wineries, and a jazz scene echoing from smoky clubs. Tradeoffs hit hard in winter—expect 100+ inches of lake-effect snow that buries cars and tests your resolve—plus a less polished urban vibe compared to coastal peers, where revitalizing neighborhoods mix uneasily with faded industry.
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
Degree Levels Offered
In classrooms capped by a stellar 9:1 student-faculty ratio, you'll huddle in seminar-style discussions where professors like Nobel laureate Masatoshi Koshiba alumni probe the universe's mysteries, fueled by the quarter system's relentless pace that crams a semester's worth into 10 weeks—intense, but it sharpens your focus. Rochester owns optics (its Institute of Optics, founded in 1929, trains laser pioneers), brain and cognitive sciences, and audio engineering, while the Eastman School of Music dominates classical training; undergrads snag research gigs early at labs like the Lab for Laser Energetics, firing the planet's most energetic laser pulses. The intellectual culture buzzes with 'clusters'—themed freshman cohorts blending STEM nerds with artists—but brace for weed-out rigor in engineering and premed tracks, where half of your bio class might bail before sophomore year, unlike cushier liberal arts havens.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
6,580 undergrad • 5,366 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
37%
Black / African American
5%
Hispanic / Latino
7%
Asian
13%
Other / Multi-racial
39%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Rochester, NY
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
A typical week pulses with 8 a.m. quantum physics lectures, afternoon lab stints tweaking holograms, and evenings at free Eastman concerts where student virtuosos shred Vivaldi; weekends bring Sack Lunches—picnic traditions packing frisbees and debates to the gorges—or Ujima Fest celebrating Black heritage with step shows. Campus life clusters around the brutalist Rush Rhees Library tower and frat quads, with 20% going Greek in a social scene that's nerdy-collaborative rather than booze-fueled ragers—think hackathons over house parties. Housing evolves from freshman clusters to upperclass suites on the Hill, fostering tight-knit vibes, but challenges loom: social dynamics skew STEM-heavy and introverted, leaving extroverts craving more rah-rah energy, and those endless gray, shoveling-heavy winters that confine you indoors more than sunny southern rivals.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
University Athletic Association
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
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
$16,050
$30K – $48K
$19,108
$48K – $75K
$24,062
$75K – $110K
$29,766
$110K+
$46,660
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
91%
4 Years Graduation Rate
79%
6 Years Graduation Rate
87%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$79,042
91% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of Rochester and return in the fall. 79% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 87% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
79%
4-5 years
8%
6-8 years
1%
Non-grad
12%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$60,550
Acceptance
40%
Undergrads
6,580
4-Year Grad Rate
79%
Endowment
$1.7B
Rochester, NY 14627-0011
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