Rochester Institute of Technology

Private · Moderately Selective · NY

Photo: Catsup31 (CC0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationNY · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads13,215

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate28.2%

6-yr grad rate69.9%

Drop-out rate11.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$59k

Out-of-state tuition$59k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity39.8%

Gender diversity35.1%

International3.8%

Identity—

Overview

RIT in Rochester, New York, is unusual for how deeply it blends technology with art and design under one roof — imaging science, game design, film, and engineering all coexist as serious programs rather than one dominating the others. That range gives the university a genuinely different identity than a typical technical institute, closer to a design school and an engineering school sharing the same campus and, often, the same project teams.

Academics

The defining academic feature is cooperative education, one of the oldest and largest co-op systems in the country: many students alternate semesters of study with paid, full-time work terms before graduating, arriving at their first job with real professional experience already on their resume. Imaging science traces back to the university's historical ties to Rochester's photography and imaging industry, and remains a rare, deep specialty nationally. The Golisano College of Computing, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, and Saunders College of Business round out a curriculum that tends to be applied and project-heavy rather than purely theoretical.

Campus & student life

RIT is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, making it one of the most deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-inclusive campuses in the country, with widespread ASL use and interpreting services woven into everyday campus life rather than treated as an accommodation layered on top. Rochester winters are real and long, and campus culture leans nerdy and maker-oriented, with strong gaming, robotics, and design-competition communities. Division I hockey draws a following well beyond what's typical at a technical school, giving campus a real winter social anchor.

Getting in

RIT evaluates applicants with real attention to fit for specific programs, particularly in its competitive design and imaging fields, where portfolios or supplemental materials matter for some majors beyond grades and scores alone. Demonstrated technical or creative interest — personal projects, portfolios, relevant experience — tends to carry real weight, especially for the more selective creative and computing programs.

After graduation

The co-op system means graduates often have multiple employers' worth of experience by graduation, and placement into technology, imaging, gaming, and design industries is a well-worn pipeline rather than a hoped-for outcome. The alumni network is particularly strong in imaging science and game development circles, and co-op employers frequently hire their own former co-op students after graduation.

Worth knowing

The co-op calendar extends time to degree for many students and should be understood as a feature, not a delay — it's central to why employers recruit here specifically, and most students end up completing several co-op rotations before they graduate.

rit.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate66.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1300–1460 · ACT 29–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 1

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 15

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying