RIT marks highest enrollment with freshman class

Rochester Institute of Technology is set to mark its highest enrollment in history at more than 19,000, with its most academically qualified class of freshmen.

Although official enrollment figures won’t be determined until mid-September, about 2,900 new students are expected, from 48 states and Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and 43 countries, with the most international undergraduate students coming from China, India and Canada, officials said.

Of those new students, 53 were ranked first in their high school graduating class; 56 students had a perfect SAT math score; and six new students had a perfect ACT score. Among the new students are 67 Ph.D. students and 12 Fulbright scholars.

In addition, approximately 500 students are transferring to RIT from other colleges and universities, and approximately 1,000 new graduate students have enrolled this year, said Ian Mortimer, senior vice president for Enrollment Management. Graduate students represent 48 countries including India, China, Saudi Arabia, the Dominican Republic and Iran.

Mortimer said the number of new students enrolled shows a momentum of controlled growth at RIT.

“Over the past decade, RIT has grown, become more selective and focused on providing access to one of the most high-quality and relevant educations in the world,” Mortimer said. “This year’s entering cohort exemplifies the balance of all these measures. The decision on where to invest valuable family resources requires evidence of quality, community, outcomes and value, and because of the commitment by our faculty and staff, momentum is only getting stronger.”