List of University of Rochester people

Here follows a list of notable alumni, non-graduate attendees, faculty, and presidents of the University of Rochester. The institution has more than 120,000 living alumni as of 2022.
Note: Some individuals are listed in multiple categories. In such cases, a parenthetical note identifies the second relevant category. Recipients of honorary degrees from the university are not included. All degree years are for bachelor's degrees unless otherwise noted. For a list of alumni of the Eastman School of Music, see List of Eastman School of Music people.

Notable alumni

National academy members

Alumni listed here were elected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, or national academies outside the United States.

Name	Class Year	Notability	Reference
	1969	The Royal Society, Indian National Science Academy, physicist
	1994	National Academy of Medicine, physician
	1975	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1977	National Academy of Medicine, psychiatrist
	1958	American Academy of Arts and Letters, composer, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize
	1967	National Academy of Medicine, microbiologist
	1973	The Royal Society of Canada, psychologist and sexologist
	1978	National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, psychologist
	1995	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist, 9th Chancellor of Vanderbilt University
	1957	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, geneticist
	1979	National Academy of Engineering, optical engineer
	1993	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1941	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, hematologist
	1972	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1955	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, philosopher
	1974	The Royal Society of Canada, astrophysicist
	1978, 1981, 1983	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist
	1862	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, geologist, 1st Chief Geologist of the United States Geological Survey
	1949	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, chemist and physicist
	1988, 1991	National Academy of Engineering, engineer
	1967, 1970	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist
	1972	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, anthropologist
	1977	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, literary scholar
	1973	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, neuroscientist, 16th President of MIT
	1991	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1969	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, philosopher
	1978	The Royal Society of Canada, historian
	1952	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1st U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education, Chairman and CEO of Xerox
	1990	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, physicist
	1977	National Academy of Sciences, physicist
	1949	American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, poet, MacArthur Fellow, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award
	1980	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, chemist
	1969	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, lawyer, Chair of the Legal Services Corporation
	1976	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, immunologist
	1980	National Academy of Sciences, astrophysicist
	1986	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	2000	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, biologist
	1968	National Academy of Sciences, The Royal Society, Chinese Academy of Sciences, geophysicist
	1978	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, hematologist
	1992	National Academy of Medicine, nurse
	1973	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1966	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, literary scholar
	1953	National Academy of Sciences, immunologist
	1968	National Academy of Medicine, anesthesiologist, Dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
	1982	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1961	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, psychiatrist
	1952	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, scientist and governmental advisor
	1968	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, neuroscientist
	1969	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1963	National Academy of Sciences, chemist
	1961	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, philosopher
	1867	American Academy of Arts and Letters, historian, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
	1978	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1948	National Academy of Medicine, pathologist, Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute
	1938	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, physiologist
	1977, 1980	National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, computer scientist, founder of Microsoft Research
	1971	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1973	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, legal scholar
	1968	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, biologist and ecologist
	1971	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, linguist and cognitive scientist
	1974	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist
	1945	National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, nutritionist, recipient of the World Food Prize
	1964	National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, atmospheric scientist, recipient of the Tyler Prize
	1970	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1969	Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, mathematician
	1961	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist, 11th President of the University of Chicago
	1966	National Academy of Engineering, engineer, inventor of the laser printer, elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame
	1956	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, molecular biologist, MacArthur Fellow
	1955	National Academy of Sciences, chemist
	1997	National Academy of Medicine, nurse
	1988	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, biologist and virologist
	1997	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	1992, 1999, 2001	National Academy of Medicine, public health scientist
	1956	American Academy of Arts and Letters, composer, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize
	1986	The Royal Society, optical physicist, Provost of Imperial College London
	1939	American Academy of Arts and Letters, composer, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize
	1938	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, psychologist, 8th President of Tufts University
	1957	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, historian
	1969	National Academy of Engineering, optical scientist, 1st Dean of the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences
	1942	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, nuclear physicist, 1st Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, 1st Chief Scientist at DARPA
	1978	Pakistan Academy of Sciences, optical physicist

Arts

Alumni listed here are notable for their work in the performing arts, visual arts, or arts administration.

Name	Class Year	Notability	Reference
	1985	composer, Emmy Award winner
	1985	orchestrator, Tony Award winner
	2009	singer and actor, Grammy Award winner
	1959	jazz musician, Grammy Award winner
	1941	composer, Emmy Award winner
	1954	singer
	1937, 1939	conductor
	1962	composer
	1964	actor
	1968	drummer
	2001	singer, Grammy Award winner
	1980	visual effects artist, Academy Award winner
	1990	arts administrator
	1940	composer
	1975	visual artist
	1942	composer, Pulitzer Prize winner
	1968	bass player
	1966, 2001	mastering engineer, Grammy Award winner
	1963	jazz musician, Grammy Award winner
	2002	singer, Grammy Award winner
	1994, 1999	composer, Pulitzer Prize winner
	1984	actor and musician
	1974	actress
	1985	composer and conductor, Grammy Award winner
	1947	composer, Grammy, Emmy, Tony Award winner
	1942, 1946	singer and actor, Grammy Award winner

Journalism

Alumni listed here are notable for their journalism in newspapers, television, radio, or other media.

Name	Class Year	Notability	Reference
	1938	journalist
	1889	Managing Editor of the New York Tribune
	1991	business journalist
	1952	sports journalist
	1942	sports journalist
	1981	political journalist and author
	1946	journalist
	1937, 1939	journalist
	2004	journalist
	1970	film and literary critic
	1961	journalist and newspaper publisher
	2016	science journalist
	1940	journalist

Literature

Alumni listed here are notable as authors of drama, fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.

Name	Class Year	Notability	Reference
	1966, 1975	poet
	1991	novelist
	1965	author, activist
	1969	author
	1969	author
	1876	author of the Pledge of Allegiance
	1987	novelist
	1998	novelist
	1985	novelist, Carnegie Medal winner
	1863	author and editor
	1972	author, Nebula Award winner
	1989	poet
	1973	author
	1940	author, Newbery Medal winner
	1974	novelist
	1967	author
	1891	editor, author, pioneer of urban planning
	1969	poet
	1858	author
	1976	author, National Book Critics Circle Award winner
	1857	poet and literary critic

Notable faculty

National academy members

Faculty listed here were elected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, or national academies outside the United States.

Name	Affiliation	Notability	Reference
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, molecular biologist, winner of a Lasker Award
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, molecular biologist, winner of a Lasker Award
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, psychologist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, philosopher
	Faculty	National Academy of Medicine, toxicologist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, mathematician, recipient of the Fields Medal
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, physician
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, physicist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economic historian, recipient of the Bancroft Prize
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, physiologist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	Dean, Faculty	National Academy of Medicine, nurse
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, chemist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, historian, recipient of the Bancroft Prize
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Letters, composer, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, biologist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, physicist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, classicist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, philosopher
	Dean, Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, physicist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, biochemist, recipient of the Wolf Prize in Medicine
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, physicist
	Faculty	National Academy of Medicine, pediatrician
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, mathematician
	Faculty	National Academy of Engineering, optical engineer
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, chemist and physicist
	Faculty	Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, neuroscientist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, cognitive scientist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, French Academy of Sciences, chemist, recipient of the Priestley Medal
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, optical physicist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, economist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, biologist, recipient of the Darwin–Wallace Medal
	Provost, Faculty	National Academy of Medicine, economist
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, political scientist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, psychologist
	Faculty	National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, physician
	Faculty	National Academy of Medicine, physician
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Letters, composer, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize
	Faculty	National Academy of Medicine, surgeon
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, novelist, MacArthur Fellow
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, biochemist
	Faculty	The Royal Society, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, botanist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, cognitive scientist, recipient of the Rumelhart Prize
	Faculty	National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, chemist
	Faculty	American Academy of Arts and Sciences, historian