Rice University

Summary

Rice University is a private institution that was founded in 1912. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,319, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 285 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Rice University's ranking in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 17. Its tuition and fees are $33,771 (2010-11).

Rice University, located in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, offers a dynamic student life in the nation’s fourth-largest city. The Rice Coffeehouse, Valhalla Pub, and Willy’s Pub are all student-run institutions offering on-campus food and drink. Before stepping foot on campus, all students are assigned to one of 11 residential colleges, of which they remain members even if they decide to move off campus. The residential colleges provide housing, dining, and academic and social events. The Rice Owls boast 14 varsity NCAA Division I athletic teams and are well known for their strong baseball program. Students receive free tickets to all varsity athletic events.

Rice is comprised of eight schools, including the School of Social Sciences, School of Humanities, and Wiess School of Natural Sciences. Its graduate schools include the highly ranked Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business and George R. Brown School of Engineering. Rice also has a well-regarded School of Architecture and the Shepherd School of Music. Rice is home to the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan think tank, which offers coursework, internships, and lectures. When a private detective found Rice’s stolen owl mascot at rival school Texas A&M in 1917, he sent a coded message back to Rice students letting them know that "Sammy" was OK, thus bestowing a name on the school’s mascot.

School mission (as provided by the school):

Undergraduate education has remained at the center of Rice University's mission since its founding nearly 100 years ago. Our students have unparalleled... Read More

Applying

When applying to Rice University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 2, and the early decision deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due December 31. The application fee at Rice University is $65. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 22.3 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	most selective
Fall 2009 acceptance rate	22%
Application deadline	January 2
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	December 31

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Rice University is 6:1, and the school has 65.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Rice University include: Biochemistry; Economics; English language and literature; Political science and government; and Psychology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 97.0 percent.

Class sizes
Student-faculty ratio	6:1
4-year graduation rate	83% - High
Five most popular majors for 2009 graduates
Biochemistry 5% Economics 5% English language and literature 6% Political science and government 6% Psychology 6%

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Student Life

Rice University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,319, with a gender distribution of 51.9 percent male students and 48.1 percent female students. 83.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 30.0 percent of students live off campus. Rice University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at Rice University.

Total enrollment	5,663
Student gender distribution
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

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Campus Info & Services

Rice University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Rice University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). 50 percent of students have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Rice University.

Students who have cars on campus	50% - Medium
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At Rice University, 40.6 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $23,558.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

Tuition and fees	$33,771 (2010-11)
Room and board	$11,750 (2010-11) - High
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

Rice is a great university to go to if you want to be thoroughly educated in an environment full of very bright, very dedicated students. The university is small-sized (for the most part this is a good thing, although occasionally I've felt trapped upon realizing that I recognize the faces, if not the names, of most of the 3000 people on campus). Rice is divided into nine residential colleges where students spend the entirety of their four years here; the college system is great in that it helps you find your social niche and serves as a nexus for activities spanning from matriculation to the... Read More

Liz Junior

Rice is an all around great school with a gorgeous campus.

Ame Junior

First of all, as a recent graduate, I can tell you that at least in my limited experience, every time I tell someone I'm a Rice graduate, they're impressed. Rice has a strong reputation as "the Ivy League of the south". Personally, I don't think that does justice to the quality of Rice's education or experience, but then again I will openly admit that I loved virtually every aspect of my time there, so I'm probably biased. The school is both big and small. In that I mean that the undergraduate population is in the low thousands, but we have a Residential College system that makes it so that,... Read More

Bryce Alum