Rochester Institute of Technology
NY · AI Readiness #102 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 7.3 /10
RIT launched a hands-on Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence in fall 2026, pairing core coursework in large language models, AI security, and optimization algorithms with two mandatory paid co-op semesters at employers including Google, Apple, IBM, and Microsoft.
RIT undergrads can also add a six-course AI minor launching fall 2026, and first-year AI majors begin with an AI Explorations course covering history, ethics, and foundational algorithms. On-campus compute access through the new TIGRIS cluster (128 GH200 GPUs installed in June 2026) gives students real infrastructure for hands-on projects. A $24 million philanthropic commitment will fund a formal AI Institute expected to open in early 2027, though a university-wide academic integrity policy for generative AI has yet to be finalized, a gap that peer institutions have already closed.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: B-
- Curriculum: B-
- Partnerships: C
- Research: A+
A(I)ttitude™: neutral
Selected Highlights
- Separate AI Institute announced with $5M endowed Harris-Pratt Directorship, early-2027 launch, founding director search underway summer 2026.
- BS in Artificial Intelligence launched fall 2026 as standalone 122-credit-hour degree with mandatory co-op.
- Google Gemini, Google NotebookLM, and university-built RIT AI Foundry confirmed as three qualifying non-Microsoft tools.
- AI integration confirmed in Saunders College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, and arts/design -- three qualifying non-STEM departments.
- Six-course undergraduate AI minor launching fall 2026, explicitly open to students outside CS/engineering.