College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Rochester Institute of Technology

NYLarge private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #363 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Rochester Institute of Technology #363 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Rochester Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit university in Rochester, New York, whose degree mix is led by Engineering and Computer & Information Sciences. Return is well above average, while affordability is below the levels seen at many peers.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes the gap to the factors it measures, while the unexplained remainder subtracts.

The price case turns on income: the lowest band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students complete at a rate below the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is well above average.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and the degree mix is heavily STEM. A student considering the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are not always the largest.

Rochester Institute of Technology at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
66.9%
Six-year completion[2]
69.9%
Four-year earnings[3]
$84,133

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$28,874
Median student debt[4]
$26,778
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$35,625

Rochester Institute of Technology rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Rochester Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit university in Rochester, New York, enrolling 13,215 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (75th percentile).

The university admits 66.9% of applicants, a rate above the 47.1% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Of students who start full time, 88.8% return for a second year, against a peer median of 90.1%.

The six-year graduation rate is 69.9%, below the peer median of 80.0%. An estimated 8.7% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes a majority of the student body but not all of it.

The four sit far apart. Return is the strongest, at the 89th percentile, while access and mobility both sit at the 80th percentile.

Affordability is the weakest of the four, at the 7th percentile, and the gap between the top and bottom pillars is wide.

The four pillars at Rochester Institute of Technology sit far apart. Return is the strongest, in the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Access and mobility are both in the 80th percentile in the same cohort. Affordability is the weakest pillar, in the 7th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

27.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Among enrolled students who submitted test scores, the middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,300 and 1,460.

The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 29 and 33. Azimuth ranks Rochester Institute of Technology #294 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at a rate of 61.9%, which is 8.0 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate. Azimuth ranks the university #294 for mobility.

Graduates earn about $6,959 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with the mobility pillar's position.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Rochester Institute of Technology rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#363

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 80
Access & reach
National percentile: 80
Affordability
National percentile: 7
Return on investment
National percentile: 89

Top-ranked majors

  1. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management#1
  2. Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians#1
  3. Radio, Television, and Digital Communication#2

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Rochester Institute of Technology briefing

Rochester Institute of Technology cost & financial aid[6][7]

Rochester Institute of Technology publishes a cost of attendance of $74,626, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $59,274, and room and board are $16,142.

For the average aid recipient, the net price—what families pay after grants and scholarships—drops to $34,906, a savings of $39,720 against the sticker total. That sits below the peer median of $36,211 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,305.

Affordability is the university's weakest pillar. Azimuth ranks Rochester Institute of Technology #1,309 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The sticker price is high, and while the lowest-income band sees an average net price of $24,680 for families earning under $30,000, the overall average remains above the peer mark. For families who qualify for aid, the discount is real, but the starting point is steep.

Rochester Institute of Technology publishes a cost of attendance of $74,626, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $59,274 and room and board are $16,142.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $24,680; for the middle band, families earning $48,001–$75,000, it is $28,874; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $44,970. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $20,290.

Azimuth ranks the university #1,309 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $39,720 against the sticker price.

The average net price across all aid recipients is $34,906, which sits below the peer median of $36,211 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,305. The median federal student debt at completion is $26,778.

That median is above the peer median of $23,168 by $3,610, and 93.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The median Parent PLUS borrowing is $35,625.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $304 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$28,874

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Rochester Institute of Technology

Completers who borrowed federal loans at Rochester Institute of Technology left with a median federal debt of $26,778. Federal borrowing is nearly universal, with 93.9% of federal aid recipients taking these loans.

The university's median sits above the peer median of $23,168 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,610. For parents who borrow through Parent PLUS, a separate population, the median debt is $35,625. Widespread borrowing and the above-peer median point the same way.

Graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology earn about $6,959 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion reach $84,133, which places it in the 92nd percentile nationally.

That median is above the $83,615 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $518. Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show a typical earnings level equal to the observed median, with a downside scenario of $55,511 and an upside scenario of $122,333.

Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $26,778, which corresponds to an estimated payment of $304 a month if repaid over ten years. That debt figure is above the $23,168 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,610.

The return picture is mixed: graduates beat the model's expectations, yet median earnings sit below the peer median while median debt sits above its own peer benchmark.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $35,625. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $304.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$26,778
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$35,625

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$304/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$453/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Rochester Institute of Technology briefing

Rochester Institute of Technology career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Rochester Institute of Technology stands out for return on investment: Azimuth places the university's return pillar in the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, graduates earn a median of $84,133, a figure in the 92nd percentile nationally.

That sits above the peer median of $83,615 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $518. Graduates earn about $6,959 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 76th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,064. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,105. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $9,022.

Graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology earn about $6,959 more than the model expects for similar students, and the median earnings four years after completion reach $84,133. That median sits above the peer median of $83,615 for comparable institutions (same type and size), by $518.

The earnings cohort includes 2,984 completers, placing the university in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix range from a downside of $55,511 to an upside of $122,333.

An estimated 22.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The combination of above-expected earnings and a wide scenario spread reflects a program portfolio tilted toward technical fields that pay well but vary in their returns.

Rochester Institute of Technology graduates earn a median of $84,133 four years after completion, placing the university in the 92nd percentile nationally. That figure sits above the peer median of $83,615 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $518.

Graduates earn about $6,959 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 76th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,064.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,105. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $9,022.

Azimuth ranks the university #169 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, grounded in the program mix, show a downside of $55,511 and an upside of $122,333.

The university's program-level results show a concentration in technical fields that coincide with strong earnings. The largest program, Computer Science, awarded 186 degrees and posts median earnings of $135,702, ranking #49 nationally in its field according to Azimuth.

Computer Software and Media Applications follows with 152 degrees awarded and earnings of $88,096. It ranks #3 nationally and #1 in New York in its field, and its median is 1.50x the national median for the field.

The highest-earning program is Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, where completers post median earnings of $138,679 four years after completion, which is 1.63x the national median for the field. Computer Engineering rounds out the picture with 149 degrees awarded and earnings of $123,027, ranking #28 nationally in its field according to Azimuth.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide spread: $55,511 on the downside and $122,333 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $84,133. The program-level figures illustrate that range.

Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management graduates report median earnings of $138,679 four years after completion, while Computer Science, the largest program, reports $135,702. Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $52,043, showing how much the field matters within the overall spread.

Graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology earn about $6,959 more than the model expects for similar students. The return pillar sits at the 89th percentile, but the affordability pillar is the weakest of the four, at the 7th percentile.

The published cost of attendance is $74,626 (an average across living arrangements). After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $34,906, which is $1,305 below the peer median of $36,211 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,778 in federal student loans. That is $3,610 above the peer median of $23,168.

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $304 a month.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$15,064
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$8,105
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$6,959

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Rochester Institute of Technology briefing

Rochester Institute of Technology acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Rochester Institute of Technology admits 66.9% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median of 47.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
66.9%
Approximate lower endpoint
1300
Reported average
1383
Approximate upper endpoint
1460

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Rochester Institute of Technology briefing

What are the largest majors at Rochester Institute of Technology?[12]

The five largest programs at Rochester Institute of Technology are concentrated in computing and engineering, and their earnings four years after completion span a wide range. Computer Science leads with 186 degrees awarded and a median of $135,702.

Azimuth ranks it #49 nationally within its field. Computer Software and Media Applications is the strongest performer by national rank, at #3 in its field, with 152 degrees awarded and median earnings of $88,096.

Computer Engineering follows at 149 degrees and $123,027, ranked #28 nationally. At the more moderate-earning end of the largest programs, Design and Applied Arts awards 122 degrees and reports median earnings of $52,043, ranked #63 nationally.

The contrast with the top-earning programs is sharp, and a student's field choice here carries a large earnings consequence.

Rochester Institute of Technology publishes earnings data for 39 bachelor's programs, 32 of which hold an Azimuth national rank. The largest program, Computer Science, awarded 186 degrees and shows a median of $135,702 four years after completion, ranking #49 nationally.

Several programs hold top-ten national ranks. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management ranks #1 with 68 degrees awarded and a median of $138,679.

Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians ranks #1 nationally and #1 in New York, with 56 degrees awarded and a median of $83,553. Computer Programming ranks #2 and reports a median of $113,559 with 27 degrees awarded.

Rochester Institute of Technology awards nearly two-thirds of its bachelor's degrees in STEM fields, with 64.5% of degrees awarded in those disciplines. The program mix is concentrated in three families: Engineering accounts for 22.7% of degrees awarded, Computer & Information Sciences for 19.9%, and Engineering Technologies for 11.4%.

Azimuth ranks 32 of the university's programs nationally, with published four-year earnings data covering 39 fields. The largest program is Computer Science, at 186 degrees awarded, followed by Computer Software and Media Applications at 152 and Computer Engineering at 149.

The highest-earning program is Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, where graduates earn a median of $138,679 four years after completion, from 68 degrees awarded. Computer Science, the largest program, is the second-highest-earning at $135,702, and Azimuth ranks it #49 nationally and #6 in New York within its field.

Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management holds the highest national rank at #1 within its field, with 68 degrees awarded and median earnings of $138,679. Radio, Television, and Digital Communication carries a benchmark ratio of 1.81x against the national median for its field, with earnings of $91,222.

The pattern is one of concentrated strength. The largest programs are also among the best-paid and highest-ranked.

The earnings spread between the top and bottom of the largest five is wide. Design and Applied Arts, the fifth-largest program at 122 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $52,043, less than half the figure for Computer Science.

A student drawn to the arts or design fields should go in knowing that the earnings picture differs sharply from the engineering and computing programs that dominate the degree mix.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Computer Science 186 degrees awarded
$135,702
Computer Software and Media Applications 152 degrees awarded
$88,096
Computer Engineering 149 degrees awarded
$123,027
Mechanical Engineering 148 degrees awarded
$93,065
Design and Applied Arts 122 degrees awarded
$52,043
Electrical and Computer Engineering 120 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Rochester Institute of Technology briefing

How does Rochester Institute of Technology serve students from different backgrounds?

Graduates earn about $6,959 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that lands in the 76th percentile nationally. In the 80th percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 69.9%, while Pell recipients complete at 61.9% — below the overall rate by 8.0 percentage points. The graduation rate sits near the peer median of 80.0%, and the earnings beyond expectations measure points higher: completion is solid, and the payoff for those who finish is stronger than the model predicts.

Rochester Institute of Technology enrolls 13,215 undergraduates and admits 66.9% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median for comparable institutions (the peer median) of 47.1%. Pell Grant recipients make up 27.2% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 8.7% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

06 / Rochester Institute of Technology briefing

What colleges are similar to Rochester Institute of Technology?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Rochester Institute of Technology.

Admissions peerIthaca College69.0% admitted
Comparison with Rochester Institute of Technology
MeasureRochester Institute of TechnologyIthaca College
Peer earnings · 4 years$84,133$60,436-$23,697 vs Rochester Institute of Technology
Average annual net price$34,906$33,926-$980 vs Rochester Institute of Technology · lower cost
Admission rate66.9%69.0%
Explore Ithaca College →
Higher-admission alternativeD'Youville University81.4% admitted
Comparison with Rochester Institute of Technology
MeasureRochester Institute of TechnologyD'Youville University
Peer earnings · 4 years$84,133$84,182+$49 vs Rochester Institute of Technology
Average annual net price$34,906$20,433-$14,473 vs Rochester Institute of Technology · lower cost
Admission rate66.9%81.4%
Nearby alternativeD'Youville UniversityNearby option · NY
Comparison with Rochester Institute of Technology
MeasureRochester Institute of TechnologyD'Youville University
Peer earnings · 4 years$84,133$84,182+$49 vs Rochester Institute of Technology
Average annual net price$34,906$20,433-$14,473 vs Rochester Institute of Technology · lower cost
Admission rate66.9%81.4%
Higher-earnings alternativeRensselaer Polytechnic Institute$98,311 earnings
Comparison with Rochester Institute of Technology
MeasureRochester Institute of TechnologyRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Peer earnings · 4 years$84,133$98,311+$14,178 vs Rochester Institute of Technology
Average annual net price$34,906$36,228+$1,322 vs Rochester Institute of Technology · higher cost
Admission rate66.9%63.5%
Explore Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute →
Lower-cost alternativeD'Youville University$20,433 average net price
Comparison with Rochester Institute of Technology
MeasureRochester Institute of TechnologyD'Youville University
Peer earnings · 4 years$84,133$84,182+$49 vs Rochester Institute of Technology
Average annual net price$34,906$20,433-$14,473 vs Rochester Institute of Technology · lower cost
Admission rate66.9%81.4%
Similar profileDrexel UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with Rochester Institute of Technology
MeasureRochester Institute of TechnologyDrexel University
Peer earnings · 4 years$84,133$91,041+$6,908 vs Rochester Institute of Technology
Average annual net price$34,906$38,509+$3,603 vs Rochester Institute of Technology · higher cost
Admission rate66.9%79.4%
Explore Drexel University →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings