University of Rochester

The University of Rochester is a private school founded in 1850. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,764 (Fall 2023) and a 707-acre campus in an urban area. The University operates on a semester-based academic calendar. The University of Rochester is ranked 44th among national universities in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges. Tuition and fees are $67,124.

The University of Rochester describes itself as one of the smallest and most collegiate of the nation's top research universities. The Yellowjackets compete primarily in the University Athletic Association and NCAA Division III games. The school also offers more than 250 student organizations, and a quarter of the student body participates in Greek life on campus. Rochester's a cappella groups are ranked among the best in the country. Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus, while two-thirds of juniors and more than half of seniors choose to live on campus. The University of Rochester's main campus is located at the mouth of the Genesee River, two miles south of downtown Rochester, NY.

Graduate programs at the University of Rochester include the highly ranked William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration, the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Medical Center, the Department of Political Science, and the Department of Economics. Applied Sciences, the Medical Center, and the Departments of Political Science and Economics. The highly acclaimed Eastman School of Music boasts more than 20 ensembles, including the nation's first wind ensemble. The Institute of Optics is the oldest optics education program in the United States. The school's unique Take Five Scholars program offers students an additional tuition-free semester or academic year to study topics of interest beyond their major. Notable alumni include former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and visual effects artist Michael Kanfer, who won an Oscar for the movie Titanic.