About RIT

Founded in 1829 as the Rochester Athenaeum, RIT is a nationally respected leader in professional and career-oriented education. Talented, ambitious, and creative students of all cultures and backgrounds—and from 50 states and more than 95 countries—have chosen to attend RIT.

Few universities provide RIT’s depth and breadth of career-oriented studies. RIT's eight colleges offer more than 90 different bachelor’s degree programs in art and design, business, engineering, science and mathematics, criminal justice, photography, environmental studies, hospitality and service management, computer science, information technology, bioinformatics, and many other areas.

RIT is a world leader in graphic communications education and applied research. Through its School of Print Media, RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences offers expertise in graphic media, printing systems, and traditional and electronic publishing.

The hallmark of an RIT education is the cooperative education program. We are one of the first universities in the world to begin cooperative education back in 1912. Last year, more than 3,600 co-op students alternated periods of study on campus with paid employment at more than 1,900 firms across the U.S. and overseas. Today, experiential education includes much more than just co-op, it involves internships, study abroad, and research, and is designed to enhance academics with exciting opportunities and experiences.