University of Rochester

Overview

The University of Rochester is a New York-based private institution that is noted for being one of the country’s most prolific research-oriented universities as indicated by its R1: Doctoral Universities classification. Globally, the University of Rochester is ranked among the top 150 universities. Locally, it is included in the top 30 universities in the United States.

When it comes to its students’ involvement in research, approximately 77% of its undergraduate population is involved in research programs across a wide range of disciplines. Among the university’s notable academic programs is optical science, which has been offered since the Institute of Optics’ establishment in 1929, making the University of Rochester the first institution in the U.S. to have this program. The university is also known for its Medical Center, which houses the School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, and Eastman Institute for Oral Health. Other highly regarded schools are the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Eastman School of Music, Simon Business School, and others.

The university’s history goes as far back as 1817 when the First Baptist Church of Hamilton founded the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York, which was established to train clergy in the traditions of the Baptist religion. The University of Rochester was founded on this institution, along with Colgate University (formerly Madison University). The University of Rochester became an independent institution in 1850 when it was granted a new charter by the Regents of the State of New York. Starting with more or less 60 students enrolled, the University of Rochester flourished since then, eventually becoming one of the leading universities in the U.S.

The University of Rochester has approximately 60 institutes and research centers where student and faculty scientists, inventors, scholars, conservators, artists, and analysts make transformative discoveries. Among these research centers are the Alzheimer’s Disease Care, Research, and Education Program, Center for Augmented Virtual Reality, Eastman Audio Research Studio, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Wilmot Cancer Institute, and more. As a research-oriented institution, the University of Rochester utilizes advanced technology to empower new and creative ideas, such as the Blue Gene Q supercomputer, the Omega 60-laser beam, the latest technology in nanofabrication, state-of-the-art laboratories, and many others.

Adopting its motto, Meliora, a Latin word that translates to “ever better,” the university’s boundless quest for new knowledge and discoveries aims to fulfill its mission and vision for the future—to transform new ideas into valuable enterprises to make the world ever better.