R2 ResearchPrivate nonprofit

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Mid East·rit.edu
6-yr Graduation
70%
-13.5pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
17,098
peer median 9,670
Avg net price
$29,694
-$2.9k vs R2 Research
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About

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private research university in Henrietta, New York, United States, a suburb of Rochester. It was founded in 1829. It is one of only two institutes of technology in New York state, the other being the New York Institute of Technology.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
27,911
27,911 candidates competed
Admitted
18,682
66.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
3,042
16.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
70%-13.5pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
28%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
71%
Full-time retention
89%

Pell equity

8.0pp gap
Pell recipients
65%
Non-Pell
73%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 185 Title IV programs, 45 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 140 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
185
Passing
45
24.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

185programs
  • Passing45 · 24.3%
  • No Data140 · 75.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
45
No data
140

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

45
American Sign Language
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
+32.0%
$45,330 vs $34,350
Hospitality Administration/Management
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+49.5%
$51,363 vs $34,350
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+50.2%
$51,577 vs $34,350
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+51.5%
$52,043 vs $34,350
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+52.7%
$102,151 vs $66,899
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+53.4%
$52,704 vs $34,350
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+54.2%
$52,970 vs $34,350
Mechanical Engineering
Master's Degree · Engineering
+58.8%
$109,087 vs $68,699

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

44
American Sign Language
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
56%
$25,534 debt · $45,330 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
52%
$27,000 debt · $52,043 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
51%
$27,000 debt · $52,970 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
49%
$26,000 debt · $52,704 earn
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
49%
$27,000 debt · $55,122 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
46%
$23,908 debt · $51,577 earn
General Sales Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
46%
$26,606 debt · $58,141 earn
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
45%
$26,125 debt · $57,748 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1958Next review Jan 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 10

  1. Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  2. Oct 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  3. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  4. Aug 2023Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  5. Apr 2023Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$24,475
$30–48k$25,200
$48–75k$25,561
$75–110k$30,655
$110k+$34,772

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$29,694
-$2,933vs R2 Research median $32,628
Federal loans
55.2%
In-state tuition
$57,016
Out-of-state
$57,016

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 4,597 students received $29.0M in Pell grants, alongside $81.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,597
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$29.0M
$29,031,122 total
Direct Loans
$81.9M
12,454 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
20
4k
21
4k
22
4k
23
5k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$21.4M
5,096 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$17.9M
5,489 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.2M
479 loan awards
Parent PLUS$31.6M
1,265 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.8M
125 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 3,007 borrowers who entered repayment, 26 (0.8%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
3,007
Defaulted
26
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.1%
2017
3.3%
2018
2.9%
2019
0.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at RIT

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs137
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,377 total completions
01Computer Sciences
94828.1%
02Engineering
77422.9%
03Visual/Performing Arts
36910.9%
04Business
35110.4%
05Engineering Tech
3349.9%
06Biological Sciences
1344.0%
07Health Professions
1273.8%
08Liberal Arts
1253.7%
09Physical Sciences
1213.6%
10Communication
942.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
17,098
12-mo unduplicated
19,382
Undergraduate
16,004
Graduate
3,378

Gender split

Men
64%12,464
Women
36%6,918

Race / ethnicity composition

White
61.3%
Asian
12.3%
Hispanic
9.3%
Two or more
5.6%
Black
5.3%
Non-resident
4.1%
Unknown
1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
603
368 M · 235 W
Women athletes
39.0%
Athletic aid
$1.9M
Total student aid
Budget
$11.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$914K
$946K
Recruiting expense
$155K
$137K
Head-coach salaries
$70K
$52K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Track and Field (Indoor)
69 M · 33 W
$193K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
59 M · 32 W
$209K
Lacrosse
58 M · 22 W
$1.1M
Rowing
40 M · 39 W
$366K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
35 M · 30 W
$371K
Soccer
34 M · 28 W
$534K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.81
30 offenses · 16,615 students

3-year trend

1.422 yrs ago1.911 yr ago1.81Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
85
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
58
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
19

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
11
Fondling
11
Motor vehicle theft
5
Arson
1
Burglary
1
Aggravated assault
1

By location

30total
  • On campus28
  • Non-campus2

Includes 23 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
20
Dating violence
9
Stalking
29 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs038
Liquor070

Residence-hall fires

  • University Commons2 fires
    Heating equipmentDamage $0-$99
  • University Commons2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Colby Hall1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Ellingson Hall1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $0-$99
  • Peterson Hall1 fire
    A student intentionally set a piece of paper on fire on a door.Damage $0-$99
  • Global Village1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
13.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,069

RIT vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions RIT selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectRochester Institute of Technology
70%17,098$29,694R2 Research
Case Western Reserve University
87%36.5%12,475$38,909R1 Research
Clarkson University
75%77.4%3,348$31,955R2 Research
Drexel University
78%79.4%21,153$38,428R1 Research
Illinois Institute of Technology
75%54.9%8,834$19,353R2 Research
Lehigh University
88%25.9%7,692$33,549R2 Research
Northeastern University
91%5.2%32,553$32,116R1 Research
Purdue University-Main Campus
83%49.9%58,658$13,945R1 Research
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
84%63.5%7,040$33,139R1 Research
Stevens Institute of Technology
87%47.6%8,469$40,468R2 Research
University of Dayton
80%65.4%10,506$31,236R2 Research
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
90%60.2%7,584$43,273R2 Research
Peer group median84%54.9%9,670$32,628

RIT Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Research, Data and Analytics
Phone
585-475-2411
Address
1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623

We promote data-informed decision making through analytics, business intelligence and decision support.

Visit IR office page
Team
14 members
  • Leah Bradley
    Director of Educational Effectiveness Assessment
  • Nilay Sapio
    Executive Director, Institutional Research, Data and Analytics
  • Kathryn Scahill
    Assistant Director of Educational Effectiveness Assessment
  • James Brien
    Enterprise Analytics Architect III
  • Kielynne Banker
    Senior Assessment Associate
  • Joshua Butler
    Reporting and Analytics Manager
  • Beth Prince-Bradbury
    Enterprise Data Governance Lead
  • Rob Rolleston
    Data Scientist III
  • Patrick Casey
    Data Analyst II
  • Sara Irizarry
    Data Analyst III
  • Rachael Jones
    Data Analyst II
  • Dharmik Joshi
    Data Analyst II
  • Zeinab Salarifar
    Data Analyst II
  • Sri Charitha Velamuri
    Data Analyst II

Common Data Set (5)

The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.

Reports & documents (4)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of RIT (26)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Brian Chontosh
    Military
  • Robert J. Duffy
    Politics
  • Alex Kipman
    Computer Science
  • Rick Kittles
    Science
  • Elan Lee
    Games
  • John Resig
    Computer Science
  • Grant Tremblay
    Astrophysics
  • Steven Van Slyke
    Engineering
  • Daniel Carp
    Business
  • Tom Curley
    Business
  • Austin McChord
    Business
  • Matt Hamill
    Sports
Showing 112 of 26
1 / 3

Frequently asked questions about Rochester Institute of Technology

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about RIT.

What is the graduation rate at Rochester Institute of Technology?

Rochester Institute of Technology reports a 6-year graduation rate of 70% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Rochester Institute of Technology?

Rochester Institute of Technology reports a total enrollment of 17,098 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Rochester Institute of Technology?

The average net price at Rochester Institute of Technology is $29,694 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Rochester Institute of Technology?

Rochester Institute of Technology's yield rate is 16.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Rochester Institute of Technology located?

Rochester Institute of Technology is located in Rochester, New York 14623-5603.

Who runs Institutional Research at Rochester Institute of Technology?

Rochester Institute of Technology's IR work is done by the Institutional Research, Data and Analytics.

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