University Of Rochester

University of Rochester's program mix is anchored in health, biological sciences, and quantitative fields. The largest programs by graduate volume include Nursing, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, and Biology, General, alongside Research Psychology and Computer Science.

Across 43 programs serving roughly 2,072 students annually, 17 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. The strongest financial outcomes cluster in Computer Science.

Azimuth ranks Computer Science #23 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $155,464 from a cohort of 161 graduates. Economics follows closely, with Azimuth ranking it #35 among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates earning median earnings of $109,324.

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering and Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods round out the top earning programs, with Azimuth ranking them #60 and #10 respectively among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment. The program mix reflects two distinct career pathways.

High-mobility, direct-to-workforce programs — including Engineering (11% of graduates) and Social Sciences (11% of graduates) — produce four-year earnings that closely track labor-market outcomes. Graduate-school-dependent pathways, concentrated in Business (10% of graduates) and biological sciences, tend to show more modest four-year figures because a meaningful share of graduates continue to medical, doctoral, or professional programs before entering the workforce at full earnings capacity.

University of Rochester's published cost of attendance is $85,962. Need-based aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $9,678, families in the low-to-mid range pay around $12,185, middle-income families pay about $21,087, families in the mid-to-high range pay approximately $27,883, and higher-income families pay roughly $46,801.

Azimuth ranks University of Rochester #1058 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

University of Rochester's aid structure is need-based, with financial aid packages constructed from grants, loans, and work-study. The university meets demonstrated financial need for admitted students under its current financial aid policies.

Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile to access need-based aid, federal Pell Grants, and institutional scholarships. The gap between sticker price and net price reflects the institution's commitment to need-based aid, though the specific aid package depends on individual financial circumstances and the year of enrollment.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $30,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $87,197, median federal debt of $21,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $237 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $87,197, placing University of Rochester in the 87.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $7,078 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of Rochester in the 80.9 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of Rochester #177 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern at University of Rochester reflects a program mix anchored in Health, with Engineering representing 11% of graduates, Social Sciences at 11%, and Business at 10%. Computer Science stands out as the highest aggregate-return program, combining cohort scale with strong four-year earnings.

Nursing, the largest program by graduate count with 243 graduates, delivers median earnings of $90,038 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #228 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods and Biology, General follow with median four-year earnings of $102,625 and $54,937 respectively, with Azimuth ranking Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods #10 and Biology, General #195 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Among the highest-earning programs, Computer Science graduates earn median earnings of $155,464 four years after enrollment — 1.45x the national benchmark for the field — and Azimuth ranks it #23 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.