About Us Language

While our unique voice is infused into everything we communicate, for certain mediums, it’s more business than brand.

Please use the content below for things like press releases, the “about us” section of our website, and job descriptions. We want to be as straightforward as possible, so the reader knows exactly who we are, what we provide, and the things that make us distinctive.  

Use this official boilerplate language for a more direct approach.

Founded in 1829, Rochester Institute of Technology is a diverse and collaborative community of engaged, socially conscious, and intellectually curious minds. Through creativity and innovation, and an intentional blending of technology, the arts and design, we provide exceptional individuals with a wide range of academic opportunities, including a leading research program and an internationally recognized education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Beyond our main campus in Rochester, New York, RIT has international campuses in Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo. And with more than 19,000 students and more than 135,000 graduates from all 50 states and over 100 nations, RIT is driving progress in industries and communities around the world. Find out more at rit.edu.

RIT’s commitment to creativity, innovation, and ingenuity can be traced back to its roots when, in 1829, the city of Rochester’s founder established the Rochester Athenaeum. This literary society offered public lectures and debates and attracted such luminaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes. In 1891, the Athenaeum merged with the Mechanics Institute, which had been created and funded by local business and community leaders to provide technical training to meet the local industry’s growing demand for skilled workers. The merged institution combined cultural education (the arts) with practical technical training (technology and design). In 1912, cooperative education was added to the mix, and the core foundation was in place for the Rochester Institute of Technology, as it has been named since 1944.

In 1955, RIT awarded its first bachelor of science degrees, and five years later, the university awarded its first master’s degrees. In 1966, RIT was chosen as the home for the federally sponsored National Technical Institute of the Deaf, which began operations in 1968. Today, NTID provides programming at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree levels and supports more than 930 deaf and hard-of-hearing students who live, work, and study with hearing students across all majors on the RIT campus.

In 1990, RIT established its first PhD program. Today, the university’s portfolio includes 14 doctoral degrees, and RIT is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, game design, imaging science, sustainability, film and animation, photography, and the fine and applied arts. RIT’s stature and reputation have been on a dramatic rise. U.S. News and World Report ranks RIT as No. 5 in the U.S. for co-op or internship programs, No. 42 in its “Most Innovative Schools” list, and No. 43 among best-value schools.

Situated between Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes, Rochester is the third largest metro area in New York. As of the 2010 census, the region’s metropolitan statistical area had a population of 1.08 million. The region is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity (16 percent African and Latin American and 7 percent of international origin) and is known for its intellectual capital and innovation. Scientific Reports named Rochester 18^th among “the world’s leading science cities,” and the New Republic reports Rochester as one of the most innovation-intensive metro areas in the country. Atlantic Magazine listed Rochester as one of 35 innovation hubs in the country, based on start-up companies, patents, and entrepreneurs per capita. Rochester is a five-hour drive to New York City and a three-hour drive to Toronto and its airport includes non-stop flights to 18 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

The region has an exceptional quality of life, with cultural amenities and recreational activities; affordable healthcare and cost of living; excellent schools; and the arts, culture, sports, and nightlife of a big city with the ease and comfort of a small town. Rochester is one of the least-congested cities in the U.S., with an average commute of under 20 minutes. The region has been ranked 6th among 379 metro areas by Places Rated Almanac as one of the “Best Places to Live in America” and 1st by Expansion Management Magazine’s ranking of metro areas having the best quality of life in the nation.

The Rochester region is home to 19 colleges and universities, enrolling more than 83,000 students. Rochester is one of the most productive regions in the country, ranking third in college degrees per capita and first for degrees in STEM fields, according to the latest U.S. Department of Education reports.