Study abroad at Rochester

Rochester (globally celebrated as 'The Flower City' and 'The Optics and Imaging Capital of the World') is an innovative, culturally rich, and historic technology and university metropolis situated along the Genesee River and the southern shores of Lake Ontario in western New York State, located just 70 miles east of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, home to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC). Famed for the dramatic 96-foot High Falls in the heart of downtown, Highland Park (home of the world-famous annual Lilac Festival with over 1,200 lilac bushes), the George Eastman Museum (the world's oldest photography museum), the National Museum of Play at The Strong (the world's largest collection of toys, games, and video games), and its legendary industrial legacy as the birthplace of Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb (anchoring the world's leading photonics and optical science corporate corridor). Rochester is home to two world-renowned research universities: University of Rochester (UR / U of R - established in 1850, elite private research powerhouse designated Carnegie R1 Very High Research Activity ranked in the US Top 35 by US News & World Report with over 12,000 students on the stunning River Campus along the Genesee River, boasting 13 Nobel laureates, the Institute of Optics - America's first optics education program, Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Simon Business School AACSB-accredited, School of Medicine and Dentistry / Strong Memorial Hospital, and Eastman School of Music - consistently ranked the #1 music school in the world), and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT - internationally renowned private university enrolling over 19,000 students on a 1,300-acre campus, globally famous for the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences ranked among the US Top 10 for Video Game Design and Cybersecurity, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, and National Technical Institute for the Deaf NTID). Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from an exceptionally affordable cost of living compared to NYC, generous UR/RIT International Academic Merit Scholarships ($10,000 to $25,000/year), extensive co-op work placements, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Rochester for international undergraduate students at the University of Rochester (Top 35 US News) and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) range between $54,500 and $63,500 per academic year for Institute of Optics, Engineering, Computer Science, and Simon/Saunders Business (with UR and RIT awarding generous automatic International Presidential and Academic Merit Scholarships discounting $10,000 to $25,000/year from tuition for qualified applicants with strong academic credentials, bringing net tuition down to approx. $29,500–$39,500/year). Postgraduate Master's degrees range from $22,000 to $38,000 per year. Modern on-campus university student residences (UR: Susan B. Anthony Hall, Genesee Hall, Jackson Court; RIT: University Commons, Global Village, Ellingson Hall) cost between $800 and $1,350 per month (inclusive of meal plans, utilities, and high-speed Wi-Fi), while off-campus student apartments in Park Avenue, South Wedge, and 19th Ward range from $550 to $950 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $750 and $1,250 (substantially more economical than New York City).

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship awards approx. $30,000), the International Services Office (UR ISO / RIT ISS) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization across New York and nationwide).