First-year students have high academic qualifications

RIT welcomed 3,129 first-year students last fall.

This year’s entering class contained 607 African American, Latino American, and Native American students, a record number, and about 200 more than last year’s class.

And similar to past years, the freshman class has high academic qualifications. For students seeking a bachelor’s degree, their average SAT score was just under 1300, and the average ACT score was 30. Perfect SAT math scores were achieved by 42 freshmen, and 13 had a perfect SAT or ACT score.

Sixty-three were at the top of their high school graduating class.

In addition, RIT welcomed 386 students who transferred from other colleges, 773 students who are pursuing a master’s degree or an advanced certificate, and a record 79 new Ph.D. students.

First-year students are from 49 states (all but Wyoming), with 46 percent of new students coming from New York state. The other most represented states were Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, and California. Undergraduates also came from Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

International undergraduates represent 31 countries with the largest contingents coming from China, Canada, and India. Graduate students came from 54 foreign countries, with the largest number of international students coming from India, China, Canada, Nigeria, and Taiwan.

Finally, 368 members of the freshman class were recognized as Performing Arts Scholars, more than doubling the 126 program participants of last year’s first-year students.