Overview

The Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences at RIT is home to a diverse community of people and programs helping drive education, research and innovation in computing.

RIT’s Golisano College of Computing offers undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. degrees in fields that include accessibility, bioinformatics, computer science, cybersecurity, game design and development, and software engineering. Our students co-op and go on to work for some of the biggest names in tech, and our faculty drive computing-based solutions to effectively address challenges faced by individuals, organizations, and a global society.

As home to the first IT and SE undergraduate programs in the nation, and forward-thinking initiatives like the ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute (opened in 2020), Golisano College has fostered a legacy of leadership in computing education and research. The college is the largest at RIT, which is the 10th largest private university in the United States and offers programs both on campus in Rochester, NY and at our global campuses in Croatia and Dubai.

View objectives and student learning outcomes by program

By the Numbers

Student Body
Undergraduate	4,214
Graduate	966
Alumni	12,640

Faculty
Full-Time Faculty	140
Adjunct Faculty	56
Staff	70

Degrees Offered
Advanced Certificate	4
Bachelor of Science	8
Master of Science	9
Ph.D.	1

Rankings and Recognition

The game design and development undergraduate program was recently ranked No. 6 in North America by The Princeton Review (MS program ranked No. 10).

18th ranked cybersecurity program by US News & World Report 2025.

In 2017, the college was designated as a Center of Excellence in Cyber Defense Research by the Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency.

An RIT team took home the first-place trophy for the first time ever at the 2013 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. The team placed second in the 2014 competition and third in 2015 and 2017.

Ranked among the 30 Best Online Schools for Graduate Degrees by Best Choice Schools.

About B. Thomas Golisano

Our college was founded in 2001, then opened in 2003 following a $14 million gift from Paychex founder and philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano.

Paychex Inc., headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., is a leading national provider of payroll, human resource, and benefit outsourcing solutions for more than a half-million small- and medium-sized businesses. Golisano served as Paychex’s president and chief executive officer from 1971, when he founded the company, until October 2004.

In 1985, he started the Golisano Foundation to support programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities so that they may achieve their maximum potentials by integrating independence, self-determination, and productivity into all facets of their lives. Since its founding, the Golisano Foundation has made more than $304 million in philanthropic donations to schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations.

In 2014, RIT was selected as the home for Golisano’s archives. The full Golisano Archive collection is housed with the RIT Archives Collection in Wallace Library, and an interactive display highlighting Golisano’s career and philanthropic efforts can be found in the atrium of the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.