Founded in 1850, the University of Rochester is a private institution located in Rochester, New York, United States. The university has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,785 and grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs in its suburban and 707 acre campus. The school uses semester-based academic calendar.

The University of Rochester offers several highly ranked graduate programs such as the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Medical Center, Department of Political Science and Department of Economics. The university is noted for its Eastman School of Music which is home to more than 20 ensembles, including the first wind ensemble in the country. The Institute of Optics is the nation's oldest educational program devoted to optics. The school's unique "Take Five Scholars" program provides students an additional tuition-free semester or year studying topics of interest outside of their major. As of March 2014, five university alumni, two faculty, and one senior research associate at Strong Memorial Hospital have been awarded a Nobel Prize; eight alumni and four faculty members have won a Pulitzer Prize, and 19 faculty members have been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. Other notable alumni include former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and visual effects artist Michael Kanfer, who won an Academy Award for his work on the film "Titanic."

A nonsectarian, research university, the University of Rochester describes itself as one of the smallest and most collegiate schools among the nation's top research institutions. The school has more than 200 student organizations, and about one quarter of students are affiliated with Greek life on campus. Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus, and two-thirds of the juniors and more than half of the seniors choose to remain on campus.

The school's Yellowjackets competes in the University Athletic Association and participate in NCAA Division III sports. Rochester's a cappella ensembles are among the country's best.