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Rice University

Houston, Texas

https://www.rice.edu

#11 National Colleges

8.72% Admission Rate
Most Selective

3,978 Undergraduates Enrolled

  • Private nonprofit
  • Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
  • Four-year, full-time, more selective, lower transfer-in
  • Four-year, medium, highly residential


Photo by Cam on Unsplash

William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Texas. It is situated on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and is adjacent to the Texas Medical Center.

Opened in 1912 after the murder of its namesake William Marsh Rice, Rice is a research university with an undergraduate focus. Its emphasis on education is demonstrated by a small student body and 6:1 student-faculty ratio. The university has a very high level of research activity, with $156 million in sponsored research funding in 2019. Rice is noted for its applied science programs in the fields of artificial heart research, structural chemical analysis, signal processing, space science, and nanotechnology. In 2010, it was ranked first in the world in materials science research by Times Higher Education (THE). Rice has been a member of the Association of American Universities since 1985 and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".The university is organized into eleven residential colleges and eight schools of academic study, including the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, the George R. Brown School of Engineering, the School of Social Sciences, School of Architecture, Shepherd School of Music and the School of Humanities. Rice's undergraduate program offers more than fifty majors and two dozen minors, and allows a high level of flexibility in pursuing multiple degree programs. Additional graduate programs are offered through the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business and the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. Rice students are bound by the strict Honor Code, which is enforced by a student-run Honor Council.

Rice competes in 14 NCAA Division I varsity sports and is a part of Conference USA, often competing with its cross-town rival the University of Houston. Intramural and club sports are offered in a wide variety of activities such as jiu jitsu, water polo, and crew.

The university's alumni include more than two dozen Marshall Scholars and a dozen Rhodes Scholars. Given the university's close links to NASA, it has produced a significant number of astronauts and space scientists. In business, Rice graduates include CEOs, founders of Fortune 500 companies and 3 billionaires; in politics, alumni include congressmen, governors, cabinet secretaries, judges, and mayors. Two alumni have won the Nobel Prize.


"Rice University." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 February 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_University.
Location

City
Houston, Texas

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Locale
City: Large (population of 250,000 or more)

Region
Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX)

Academics

Predominant Degree Awarded
Predominantly bachelor's-degree granting

Highest Degree Awarded
Graduate degree

Most Popular Fields

Field % Students
Engineering 22.0%
Social Sciences 11.8%
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services 11.7%
Biological And Biomedical Sciences 9.8%
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies 9.2%
Mathematics And Statistics 6.3%
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 5.9%
Physical Sciences 4.6%
Psychology 3.6%
Architecture And Related Services 3.6%
Visual And Performing Arts 3.4%
English Language And Literature/Letters 2.2%
History 1.6%
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics 1.5%
Engineering Technologies And Engineering-Related Fields 0.8%
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, And Group Studies 0.7%
Philosophy And Religious Studies 0.6%
Natural Resources And Conservation 0.6%
Public Administration And Social Service Professions 0.3%
Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services 0.1%

Cost

Tuition
$49,112.00

Percentage Students Receiving Aid
12.95%

Average Net Cost After Aid
$16,999.00

Admissions

SAT Scores

1520 Composite Average
Percentile 75% 50% 25%
Math 800 775 750
Verbal 770 745 720

ACT Scores

34 Cumulative Average
Percentile 75% 50% 25%
Math 36 34 31
English 36 35 34