For the fourth consecutive year, Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf is welcoming a record number of enrolled students.
This year, 1,547 students are enrolled at RIT through NTID. There were 1,521 students last year, 1,474 in 2009, and 1,450 in 2008. The record prior to that was 1,358 students set in 1984, when a large number of students whose mothers contracted measles during pregnancy - which caused deafness in their babies - came to college.
NTID President Gerry Buckley attributed the recent increases to applicants' interest in the employment success of RIT/NTID graduates, recruitment and marketing efforts, outreach initiatives and higher retention rates among existing students.
"Today, more than ever before, deaf and hard-of-hearing students recognize the importance of an education that will lead them to a successful career," Buckley says. "We are proud to provide the education and experience that lead to career opportunities."
Historically, more than 90 percent of RIT/NTID graduates who seek careers find a job within a year upon graduation.
NTID, one of nine colleges of RIT, was created by Congress in 1965 because there were so few options in technical secondary education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Since then, more than 7,000 students have graduated from RIT/NTID and found successful careers across the country in a wide range of fields.
The federal government's investment in NTID pays off. Studies have shown RIT/NTID graduates earn more than their peers who did not receive a college degree and in turn, pay more taxes and rely less on government aid.
"The success of our students and graduates and the contributions they make in their workplaces and communities are a testament to the value of the quality technological education we provide," Buckley says.
Of the students this year:
- 404 are new students.
- 160 are enrolled in NTID's American Sign Language-English Interpretation program.
- 59 are enrolled in NTID's master's program in Deaf Education.
- 557 are enrolled in classes in other RIT colleges, including 42 students in graduate programs.
- NTID students come from 49 states (no students from Montana this year), Washington, D.C. and beyond.
RIT is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, sustainability and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. RIT enrolls 17,000 full- and part-time students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Visit: www.rit.edu/NTID.
