About
William Marsh Rice University, also known as Rice University, is a private research university in Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, it spans 300 acres. The university consists of eight constituent schools in the fields of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences, and social sciences.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 134 Title IV programs, 13 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 121 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing13 · 9.7%
- No Data121 · 90.3%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Action history · 3
- Jun 2023Heightened Monitoring or Focused ReviewSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jun 2022Heightened Monitoring or Focused ReviewSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Apr 2018Approved for Distance EducationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,072 students received $6.9M in Pell grants, alongside $28.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 453 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Rice
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 9
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus112
- Non-campus1
Includes 32 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Lovett College1 fireTrash Can Fire - Unknown who set the fire or how it was caused.Damage $100-$999
Data quality: 4 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Rice vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Rice selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectRice University | 95% | — | 8,961 | $13,370 | R1 Research |
| 89% | 11.1% | 37,737 | $24,402 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 5.4% | 11,956 | $25,184 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 2.6% | 2,430 | $16,075 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 11.7% | 15,888 | $31,944 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 4.0% | 35,173 | $21,590 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 8.8% | 26,793 | $28,690 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 5.4% | 6,938 | $29,519 | R1 Research | |
| 97% | 5.7% | 17,499 | $29,612 | R1 Research | |
| 91% | 10.6% | 15,175 | $22,585 | R1 Research | |
| 98% | 3.6% | 30,259 | $19,066 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 6.4% | 30,210 | $18,809 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 4.5% | 11,886 | $20,111 | R1 Research | |
| 88% | 9.2% | 56,832 | $37,050 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 7.7% | 23,856 | $29,167 | R1 Research | |
| 98% | 4.6% | 9,137 | $6,128 | R1 Research | |
| 92% | 3.6% | 18,625 | $13,807 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 11.5% | 13,599 | $39,998 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 4.5% | 18,566 | $14,860 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 11.3% | 13,042 | $26,780 | R1 Research | |
| 97% | 5.4% | 29,109 | $28,699 | R1 Research | |
| 92% | 9.8% | 46,566 | $32,740 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 5.9% | 13,575 | $15,846 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 12.1% | 16,357 | $21,786 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 3.9% | 15,564 | $23,777 | R1 Research | |
| Peer group median | 95% | 5.8% | 16,357 | $23,777 |
Institutions like Rice
Explore the federal data for institutions in Rice's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Boston University
Grad rate89%Admit rate11.1%Enrollment37,737Net price$24,402View data - R1 ResearchRhode Island
Brown University
Grad rate96%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment11,956Net price$25,184View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
California Institute of Technology
Grad rate94%Admit rate2.6%Enrollment2,430Net price$16,075View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.7%Enrollment15,888Net price$31,944View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Columbia University in the City of New York
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.0%Enrollment35,173Net price$21,590View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Cornell University
Grad rate95%Admit rate8.8%Enrollment26,793Net price$28,690View data - R1 ResearchNew Hampshire
Dartmouth College
Grad rate96%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment6,938Net price$29,519View data - R1 ResearchNorth Carolina
Duke University
Grad rate97%Admit rate5.7%Enrollment17,499Net price$29,612View data - R1 ResearchGeorgia
Emory University
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.6%Enrollment15,175Net price$22,585View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Harvard University
Grad rate98%Admit rate3.6%Enrollment30,259Net price$19,066View data - R1 ResearchMaryland
Johns Hopkins University
Grad rate94%Admit rate6.4%Enrollment30,210Net price$18,809View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.5%Enrollment11,886Net price$20,111View data - R1 ResearchNew York
New York University
Grad rate88%Admit rate9.2%Enrollment56,832Net price$37,050View data - R1 ResearchIllinois
Northwestern University
Grad rate95%Admit rate7.7%Enrollment23,856Net price$29,167View data - R1 ResearchNew Jersey
Princeton University
Grad rate98%Admit rate4.6%Enrollment9,137Net price$6,128View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
Stanford University
Grad rate92%Admit rate3.6%Enrollment18,625Net price$13,807View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Tufts University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.5%Enrollment13,599Net price$39,998View data - R1 ResearchIllinois
University of Chicago
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.5%Enrollment18,566Net price$14,860View data - R1 ResearchIndiana
University of Notre Dame
Grad rate95%Admit rate11.3%Enrollment13,042Net price$26,780View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Grad rate97%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment29,109Net price$28,699View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of Southern California
Grad rate92%Admit rate9.8%Enrollment46,566Net price$32,740View data - R1 ResearchTennessee
Vanderbilt University
Grad rate94%Admit rate5.9%Enrollment13,575Net price$15,846View data - R1 ResearchMissouri
Washington University in St Louis
Grad rate94%Admit rate12.1%Enrollment16,357Net price$21,786View data - R1 ResearchConnecticut
Yale University
Grad rate96%Admit rate3.9%Enrollment15,564Net price$23,777View data
Rice Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Institutional Research and Analytics team is dedicated to supporting Rice University’s data needs, aiding stakeholders in strategic decision-making and providing institutional data and analyses to ensure accurate reporting to external organizations.
Visit IR office page- Arun Chandran NatarajanAssociate Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness
- Diane Waryas HugheyExecutive Director of Institutional Effectiveness
- Christy WittExecutive Director of Institutional Research and Analytics
- Joseph LynchInstitutional Research Analyst III
- Katie StephensonInstitutional Research Analyst III
- Megan YoskoInstitutional Research Analyst II
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set
Rice's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C132,473 applied → 2,597 admitted (8.0%) → 1,148 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Most selective — 8.0% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 1510–1560 (median 1540).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 34–35 (median 35).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
Waitlist outcome
C23,920 offered a waitlist spot, 2,794 accepted it, 122 admitted (4.4% of those who stayed on).
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $91,562 (2025-2026).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $91,562 → about $21,671 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($69,891); 100% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H194% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H513% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $28,418 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 95%; first-year retention 97%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 1 pts below the overall rate (93% vs 95%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I364% of classes have under 20 students; 10% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~53% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B213% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B14,789 undergraduates and 4,172 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D11,473 transfer applicants → 102 admitted (6.9%) → 60 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardideas.rice.edu
- Data definitionCommon Data SetThe Common Data Set page at Rice University is part of a collaborative initiative to enhance the accuracy and quality of higher education data for students transitioning to undergraduate programs. It provides standardized data definitions for comparable analysis across institutions, with data guided by the U.S. Department of Education’s higher education surveys. The page includes downloadable Common Data Sets from 2008 to 2024.ideas.rice.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookRice at a GlanceThis page provides a snapshot of Rice University’s institutional data highlighting key areas such as admissions, student enrollment, degrees awarded, faculty and staff, and research activity. It aims to give an overview of the university's performance and data metrics.ideas.rice.edu
Notable alumni of Rice (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Howard HughesBusiness
- Alberto GonzalesPolitics
- Josh EarnestPolitics
- John KlinePolitics
- Annise ParkerPolitics
- Tim LeagueBusiness
- Peggy WhitsonScience and Technology
- Lance BerkmanSports
- Jim BridenstinePolitics
- Glenn YoungkinPolitics
- Jo Ling KentJournalism
- Larry McMurtryLiterature
Frequently asked questions about Rice University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Rice.
What is the graduation rate at Rice University?
How many students attend Rice University?
What is the average net price at Rice University?
What is the yield rate at Rice University?
Where is Rice University located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Rice University?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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