Rochester, NY · private · 6,331 undergraduates
University of Rochester acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
The University of Rochester admitted 41.9% of applicants for fall 2025, and about three admits in four received a merit scholarship.
Net price per year at Rochester
$27,883
Reach · admit rate 41.9%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 41.9% (1 in 2) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,400 to 1,510 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 10% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $96,022 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $27,883 |
| Share of the sticker price | 29% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: Rochester net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: University of Rochester Common Data Set 2025-2026, C1 (Excel version) · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 41.9%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,400 to 1,510
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $96,022
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $21,087
The University of Rochester's acceptance rate for the class that entered in fall 2025 is 41.9%: 9,056 admitted out of 21,609 first-year applicants, with 1,231 enrolling, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. That is a far higher rate than most private research universities of its standing, and only about one admit in seven enrolls. Testing is optional and only 16% of the class sent an SAT, with a middle 50% of 1,400 to 1,510. The 2026-27 residential cost of attendance is $96,022, with textbooks included in tuition. Federal figures for 2023-24 put the average net price at $9,678 for families under $30,000, $21,087 between $48,001 and $75,000 and $46,801 above $110,000, a band where merit scholarships keep the average well under the sticker.
A selective school that admits four in ten
Rochester's admit rate looks generous next to universities with similar research budgets, and the reason is yield: most admitted students choose another school, so Rochester admits many more than it can seat. For an applicant this is good news, since a strong student has a realistic path in, but it also means the university competes for its admits with scholarships. The fall 2025 class enrolled 1,231 of 9,056 admits.
Merit aid is the rule, not the exception
Unlike most universities in its range, Rochester gives merit scholarships widely: about three in four admitted students received one for 2026-27, averaging around $20,000, and every admitted applicant is considered. Applying by the non-binding December 1 priority scholarship deadline gives the strongest consideration. That is why the federal net price for families above $110,000, $46,801, sits well below the $85,962 cost of attendance of 2023-24: many high-income families paid less than the sticker thanks to merit awards.
Rochester: what your grants leave to pay
Left to pay for the year
$48,022
| Cost of attendance 2026-27 | $96,022 |
| Grants entered | $48,000 |
| Share covered by grants | 50% |
Loans and work-study are not grants: they are ways of paying what is left.
The test-flexible option
Rochester lets applicants choose between test-optional and test-flexible. Test-flexible means sending any of the SAT, the ACT, or two or more results from AP, IB, A-Level or other national exams, which suits students whose strongest evidence is a set of exam grades rather than a single test. The published SAT range of 1,400 to 1,510 covers only 16% of the class, so it is a weak guide for the many who send nothing.
Rochester: where your SAT score lands
Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)
52%
| Middle 50% | 1,400 to 1,510 |
| Your score is | inside the middle 50% |
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (196 SAT submitters, 80 ACT submitters). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.
Early Decision and the budget
Almost a third of the entering class applied Early Decision, and in fall 2025 Rochester admitted 472 of 1,129 Early Decision applicants. The 2026-27 budget of $96,022 has no separate books line because textbooks and course materials are folded into tuition ($71,750). Compare with Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon, two research universities with different aid models.
From University of Rochester’s own documents
- Rochester admits a much larger share of applicants than most peers: 9,056 of 21,609 for fall 2025, with 1,231 enrolling. source
- Merit aid is common: about 75 percent of admitted students were awarded a merit scholarship for 2026-27, averaging around $20,000, and all admitted applicants are considered. source
- Applying by the non-binding December 1 priority scholarship deadline gives the highest scholarship consideration. source
- Textbooks and select course materials are included in tuition (UR Essentials), so the 2026-27 residential cost of attendance of $96,022 has no separate books line. source
- Almost one-third of the entering class applied Early Decision; for fall 2025, 472 of 1,129 ED applicants were admitted. source
- Only 15.7 percent of fall 2025 enrollees submitted SAT scores and 6.4 percent ACT scores, so the published score ranges cover a small minority. source
Net price at University of Rochester by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $9,678 | 11% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $12,185 | 14% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $21,087 | 25% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $27,883 | 32% |
| $110,001 and up | $46,801 | 54% |
| All aided students | $29,278 | 34% |
Cost of attendance at University of Rochester, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $71,750 | |
| Fees | $1,622 | |
| Housing and food | $21,328 | |
| Personal | $1,022 | |
| Travel | $300 | |
| Total | $96,022 |
University of Rochester admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 21,609 | 9,056 | 1,231 | 41.9% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 40.1% |
SAT and ACT scores at University of Rochester
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (196 SAT submitters, 80 ACT submitters)) | 1,400 | 1,450 | 1,510 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (196 SAT submitters, 80 ACT submitters))) | 31 | 33 | 34 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 680 + 730 | n/a | 750 + 790 |
Outcomes at University of Rochester
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 85% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 91% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $79,042 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $21,000 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 6,331 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 17% | 2023-24 |