The production of carotenoids by Rhodotorula glutinis NRRL Y-842, R. armeniaca NRRL Y-17201, R. mucilaginosa NRRL Y-844, R. bogoriensis NRRL Y-5980 or R. aurantiaca NRRL Y-1584 on glucose as a carbon source were investigated at different incubation periods at 30ºC in shaking incubator. Among the different yeast strains, R.glutinis NRRL Y-842 proved to be the most active producer during the fermentation period, the maximum values of carotenoids produced by Rhodotorula strains were 2328.29μg/L at 96hr., 10.99 μg/L at 96hr., 10.99 μg/L at 96hr., 71.13 μg/L at 120hr. and 62.73 μg/L at 96hr., respectively. Using sucrose, lactose, maltose or fructose as a carbon source, R. glutinis NRRL Y-842 produced 732.45μg/L at 72hr., 488.88μg/L at 72hr., 1704.97μg/L at 96hr. and 2166.01μg/L at 96hr., respectively. When agro- industrial by-products, namely,untreated sugarcane molasses, untreated beet molasses, treated sugarcane molasses, treated beet molasses, untreated vinasse, treated vinasse, glucose syrup, soy bean flour extract(SFE)and maize flour extract (MFE) were also used as a carbon source, the maximum values of carotenoids produced by R. glutinis NRRL Y-842 were 1772.19 μg/L at 120 hr., 1571.40μg/L at 144 hr., 1002.01μg/L at 120 hr., 679.00μg/L at 96 hr., 916.65μg/L at 120 hr., 452.89μg/L at 120 hr., 1831.36μg/L at 96 hr., 426.80μg/L at 48 hr. and 340.79μg/L at 48 hr., respectively. Keywords: