Rochester Institute of Technology

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private research university located in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester. Founded in 1829, it is one of only two institutes of technology in New York state, alongside the New York Institute of Technology. RIT enrolls approximately 21,000 students, including 18,000 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate students, representing all 50 U.S. states and over 100 countries. The university employs more than 4,000 faculty and staff and maintains international branches in Croatia, Kosovo, and the United Arab Emirates. Classified as an “R2: Doctoral University – High research activity,” RIT has a strong emphasis on technological and applied research.RIT originated from the 1891 merger of the Rochester Athenæum, a literary society founded in 1829, and the Mechanics Institute, established in 1885 by local businessmen including Captain Henry Lomb. Initially called Rochester Athenæum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI), the Mechanics Institute’s charter prevailed, and in 1944, the institution was renamed Rochester Institute of Technology, officially re-establishing the Athenæum’s founding charter. The university originally operated in downtown Rochester but relocated to a 1,300-acre suburban campus in Henrietta in 1968, following land donations and city infrastructure changes that necessitated expansion.RIT is notable for pioneering programs and national firsts. In 1966, it became home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Its microelectronic engineering program, launched in 1982, was the first ABET-accredited undergraduate program focused on semiconductor fabrication, while the PhD in imaging science, initiated in 1990, was the first of its kind in the U.S. The university also created the nation’s first recognized IT degree in 1993 and became the first U.S. institution to offer an undergraduate Software Engineering degree in 1996. RIT has consistently been recognized for academic excellence, ranking 88th nationally according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report, reflecting its ongoing commitment to research, innovation, and global education.