History
About one year after the University was founded in 1850, Rochester adopted its beloved motto, Meliora–Latin for “ever better.” A few years later, the first campus was built on eight acres of dandelion-covered pasture. Today, our motto and our dandelion are ever present as tributes to our past and emblems of Rochester’s maverick spirit.
Education
Rochester’s undergraduate and graduate students pursue their academic goals in an environment designed to inspire, support, and empower them.
Our 200-plus programs of study run the gamut, from the traditional to the self-designed. In addition to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, we offer several dual degrees and certificates.
Research
Rochester researchers are scientists and scholars, inventors and conservators, artists and analysts. They know many of the best breakthroughs in knowledge and creativity occur by crossing boundaries.
Students and faculty collaborate using advanced technology to do leading-edge work in areas ranging from virtual reality to nanofabrication.
Career
The Greene Center provides students with the resources and tools needed to develop connections between their personal and professional aspirations, academic pursuits and co-curricular experiences including on-campus employment, research activities, and internships.
Students have access to one-on-one career exploration and industry advising appointments, peer advising through collaboration hours, graduate and professional school preparation, on and off-campus recruitment activities, internship funding for summer internships, programs and events, and alumni connections.
University of Rochester Key Statistics & Highlights
- #127 Ranking
- 1,519 Academic Staff
- 10,177 Students
- 3,664 Students (int'l)
- 4,987 Students (female)
University of Rochester Overview
University of Rochester Scholarships
University of Rochester Scholarships
Below you will find scholarships related to University of Rochester. Distinction can be made between scholarships provided by the University and those provided by independent providers.
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University of Rochester Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
World University Rankings
By Times Higher Education
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 133 | 127 | 127 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Dropped 50 places compared to 2024
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | 151 | 201 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 2 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | 199 | 201 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
By TopUniversities
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 224 | 236 | 236 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Student services
The International Services Office (ISO) provides services to international students, scholars, employees, and other visitors to the University of Rochester, as well as the departments that host and support them. We are responsible for issuing visa documents, advising on relevant immigration matters, and meeting U.S. reporting requirements.
The office also serves as an information resource to assist internationals in adjusting to the United States, the University, and the Rochester community. Explore this site for extensive resources on a wide range of topics and common questions from our international populations!
Housing services
Whether they live on campus or off, our students make Rochester their home. Campus accommodations include residence halls, sororities and fraternities, apartments, and townhouses.
Library services
The heart of any research university is its libraries. The University of Rochester’s libraries offer unique spaces and resources for inspiration, research, and collaboration.
River Campus Libraries includes six libraries and an extensive collection of online databases and journals, as well as the University Archives and the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation.
ICT services
SharePoint is a web-based tool that enables teams to collaborate using team sites, document publishing, blogs, wikis, and forums. It provides a secure place to store, organize, share, and access information from almost any device and all major web browsers.
- Computers and Technology
- Computer Labs
- Computer Sales
- Printing
- ResNet
- University IT
- Computer Music Center
- Technology and Media Production
Medical services
The health, wellness, and safety of our community members is a top priority.
- Health Service
- Counseling Center
- UHS Health Promotion Office
- Mindful University Project
- Well-U Employee Wellness
- Public Safety
Campus life
Located in western New York, Rochester is our namesake and our home. You’ll find the University’s main campus, the River Campus, and the Medical Center located about two miles south of downtown Rochester. The Eastman School of Music and the Memorial Art Gallery are pillars of the arts scene and festival circuit in the city’s East End and Neighborhood of the Arts.
The 154-acre River Campus—the University’s main academic campus and the home of the River Campus Libraries—is located about two miles south of downtown Rochester by a bend in the Genesee River.
The Eastman School’s downtown campus anchors the city’s cultural district, known as the East End.
Sports facilities
The Robert B. Goergen Athletic Center is the center piece of the River Campus Sports Complex. The extensive renovation of the Athletic Center was inspired by the vision of the Board of Trustees Chairman Robert B. Goergen '60, adviser, friend, and generous donor to the University over many decades.
The Brian F. Prince Athletic Complex was made possible by the leadership, support, and generosity of Brian F. Prince, BS '86, MBA '89Student clubs
River Campus Clubs
- Campus Community Connection
- Students’ Association
- student government
- Fraternities and sororities
- Wilson Commons Student Activities
- Eastman student ensembles
- Student Association
- Graduate Student Association
- Graduate Organizing Group
- Simon Business School student clubs
- Medical students clubs and groups
- Student Nurse Assembly
- Warner Graduate Student Association
Accreditation
The University of Rochester is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
University of Rochester Campus Locations
University of Rochester Student Reviews & Awards
Based on 6 reviews
- 5 Star 5 Reviews
- 4 Star 1 Review
- 3 Star 0 Reviews
- 2 Star 0 Reviews
- 1 Star 0 Reviews
Diverse cohort
I have really appreciated my academic achievements while attending Rochester Christian University. The students body is full of diverse students and the faculty is very supportive, welcoming and knowledgeable. As a student who is returning in my later years I've been pleased to see other students older them myself also enjoying learning and being involved in the pursuit of furthering themselves.
Fantastic education and incredibly diverse
I absolutely loved the University of Rochester. There was a mix between high-level education, an amazing teaching staff, access to top-notch research, and one of the most diverse communities imaginable. While classes were tough and plenty of hard work was needed, studying at the University of Rochester was rewarding and opened up numerous opportunities.
UR Review
I love going to school in UR because I was able to find a diverse circle of friends to connect with. Also, I was able to further explore some of my hobbies through their many clubs. The professors are generally good, but there are undergraduate professors who are used to teaching graduate students and it REALLY shows. I've also had issues with uncommunicative advisors and conflicting information about course GPAs and grades, but there's usually another person or department that can be contacted to give correct information, so this is not is not the biggest problem. However, this school is extremely expensive and I am not entirely convinced that it is worth it. My online experience was very limited, but I had a reasonably decent experience. It took some time for the teachers to adapt to the new teaching methods, but it turned out to be quite effective. So far all my teachers have been very friendly and helpful in learning the subjects as they can in smaller classes. When you have a clear plan and purpose, college can be a wonderful place. My current suite is more comfortable and welcoming than I could have ever imagined.