
People and Programs
People and Programs
At our top 100 nationally ranked university, our faculty are dedicated to discovering something new—and mentoring our multi-talented students along the way. RIT students push the boundaries of science on research teams, while exploring their love of the arts. They study internationally, build real-world skills, and leave college passionate about their careers.

-
Work experiences give students an edge
RIT’s co-op program is one of the largest and oldest in the nation. In addition, RIT was recognized in the 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, which ranked its co-op and internship program sixth in the nation.
-
Performance teams thrive in the trenches
Technical skills learned as part of performance teams, working with peers, and overcoming setbacks all become assets for co-ops and eventually careers.
-
Expanding global awareness
RIT has nearly doubled global opportunities in the past eight years, with 701 students participating in international experiences in the 2023-2024 academic year.
-
Concepts turn into companies
With more than 2,500 students exploring entrepreneurship in some way each year, the university is committed to establishing RIT as a world-recognized leader in the field.
-
Research opportunities give undergraduates an advantage
Getting hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art lab is something most students think will happen during graduate school. Not at RIT.
-
Performing Arts Scholars pursue their passions
In 2019, RIT initiated the Performing Arts Scholars program, offering partial scholarships to incoming students who want to be involved in the arts during their time on campus.
-
Endowed professors strengthen university
Today, there are 51 endowed professorships at RIT. Thirteen of those have been established since 2017. These named professorships help provide both the recognition and the resources that the highest caliber faculty and experts in their field deserve.
-
Ph.D. programs point the way forward
RIT has 13 Ph.D. programs currently enrolling 492 students. RIT President David Munson’s time at RIT has seen the addition of seven Ph.D. programs, including cognitive science and physics this past fall.

Places
Places
Unprecedented access to makerspaces, world-class labs that rival those found in industry, and studios and stages designed to inspire creativity and innovation. At RIT, we have intentionally created spaces for students to have free rein to create, imagine, and build through inspired learning, making, and performing— all to bring out the best in our dynamic student body.

-
SHED showcases technology, the arts, and design
The SHED complex covers 209,000 gross-square feet of combined new construction and an extensive renovation of Wallace Library. The $120 million complex represents RIT’s biggest capital project since the campus moved to Henrietta, N.Y., from downtown Rochester in 1968.
-
New theater to open next year
The curtain is set to rise in 2026 for RIT’s new music performance theater, a 750-seat, 40,000-square-foot complex that will be the first major theater to open in the Rochester area in decades.
-
RIT’s campus in Dubai flourishes
RIT Dubai, one of the university’s five global campuses, opened phase one of its new campus in 2021 and is now on to phase two, set to be complete in 2027. The new construction will be done in two stages and will help boost the campus enrollment to 4,000 students.
-
Upgrades modernize business education
The college completed more than $25 million of upgrades and renovations to Max Lowenthal Hall. Designed by LaBella Associates, the space nearly doubled the size of RIT’s business college, adding more than 35,000 square feet.
-
Upgraded venues thrust athletics into national spotlight
RIT’s athletics teams have been a powerhouse over the past decade, and now they’re getting the facilities to match their success. At the northern end of campus, a new facility for track and field welcomes visitors.
-
Making digital media
The 52,000-square-foot living laboratory engages students and faculty using the latest technologies, while allowing for real-life experiences in publishing new media projects and incubating new businesses.
-
Fighting cyber crime
The need to build cybersecurity resilience and enable public-private collaboration is more critical than ever. RIT’s ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute is bringing that together as a nexus of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence research and education.
-
New research building comes online in 2025
Research awards as well as national funding sources for economic development have increased to record levels at RIT, prompting the need for more research laboratory space on campus.
-
Growing collaboration advances semiconductor industry
RIT is working to improve competitiveness in computer chip design, development, and manufacturing as part of an international partnership.
-
Battery ecosystem energized
The new Battery Development Center will help launch startup businesses, support research and development in established companies, and prepare a workforce to build and apply battery technology in today’s interconnected environment.
-
Alliance addresses health needs
RIT and Rochester Regional Health are partnering to address widespread nursing shortages in the healthcare sector.
-
Bridges connect RIT and the community
The RIT-Genesee Country Village & Museum (GCV&M) Partnership, which is supported by the Philip K. and Anne Wehrheim Endowment, is just one example of how these collaborations provide a two-way bridge of benefits.
by-the-numbers
By the Numbers
Last fall, RIT enrolled a record number of students for the fourth straight year. Figures include global campuses.
RIT has campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo. Enrollment abroad continues to grow.
AALANA = African American, Latino American, and Native American students. Excludes global campuses.
Last fall, RIT enrolled students at its main campus from more than 100 countries. These are the top countries outside the U.S. that RIT students come from.
Gifts to the Annual Fund support the most urgent needs of RIT’s colleges and key programs. Through significant growth in the number of Sentinel Society memberships, the Annual Fund has more than doubled in the last 10 years.
Last academic year, 65 Ph.D. degrees were awarded.
The number of applications from prospective first-year students seeking bachelor’s degrees at RIT’s main campus has skyrocketed.
RIT’s main campus enrolled 14,307 undergraduate students and 2,859 graduate students last fall across nine colleges and two degree-granting institutes.
Undergraduate
Graduate
The average grade-point average and test scores for first-year students at RIT’s main campus have consistently stayed high.
*RIT made submitting test scores optional for the class entering in fall 2021
Average GPA
Average SAT score
Average ACT score
RIT exceeded its $1 billion campaign goal. Transforming RIT: The Campaign for Greatness garnered support from an array of investors including alumni, parents, friends, government and corporate partners, research foundations, and agencies.