Colleges › Texas › Rice University

Rice University

Rice University is a private campus in Houston proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. International students are a visible presence at Rice University — 12.8% of its 4,776 undergraduates come from outside the U.S.

Compare this school Find colleges

What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$3,221

family income
under $30k

$3,666

$30–48k

$1,348

$48–75k

$18,783

$75–110k

$39,303

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$13,3702023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Rice University fell from $17,147 (2008) to $13,370 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$17,147
2009	$16,104
2010	$18,858
2011	$18,273
2012	$16,730
2013	$16,466
2014	$21,024
2015	$19,232
2016	$20,237
2017	$20,879
2018	$16,999
2019	$16,076
2020	$17,805
2021	$15,091
2022	$12,640
2023	$13,370

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$79,7882024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Rice University rose from $43,586 (2009) to $79,788 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$43,586
2010	$45,637
2011	$47,871
2012	$50,171
2013	$52,242
2014	$54,291
2015	$56,316
2016	$58,253
2017	$60,518
2018	$63,158
2019	$65,150
2020	$67,102
2021	$69,557
2022	$71,745
2023	$74,110
2024	$79,788

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$16,444
2001	$17,135
2002	$18,317
2003	$19,670
2004	$21,206
2005	$23,746
2006	$26,974
2007	$28,905
2008	$30,486
2013	$38,941
2014	$40,566
2015	$42,253
2016	$43,918
2017	$45,608
2018	$47,350
2019	$49,112
2020	$51,107
2021	$52,895
2022	$54,960
2023	$58,128

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $64,144 before grants and other attendance costs. At Rice University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

At 4,776 undergrads, Rice University is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.

94.6% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Rice University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

94.6%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Rice University has held near 94.6% from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	88.3%
1992 cohort	91.6%
1993 cohort	88.1%
1994 cohort	89.4%
1995 cohort	89.2%
1996 cohort	91.6%
1997 cohort	90.5%
1998 cohort	91.4%
1999 cohort	89.8%
2000 cohort	93.3%
2001 cohort	90.4%
2002 cohort	93.1%
2003 cohort	93.4%
2004 cohort	91.6%
2005 cohort	91.5%
2006 cohort	92.4%
2007 cohort	91.1%
2008 cohort	92.8%
2009 cohort	90.5%
2010 cohort	93.1%
2011 cohort	91.4%
2012 cohort	94.7%
2013 cohort	92.6%
2014 cohort	94.2%
2015 cohort	92.3%
2016 cohort	93.6%
2017 cohort	95.7%
2018 cohort	94.6%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	—	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$4,850	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$4,900	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$6,625	$6,006
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$6,625	$4,917
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$7,425	$3,075
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$7,075	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$6,723	$2,750
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$8,125	$4,047
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$9,215	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$10,325	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$10,300	$5,450
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$9,000	$5,514
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$8,914	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$10,000	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$10,250	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$11,200	$6,578
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$11,989	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$11,989	$6,655
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$12,000	$7,381
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$11,000	$5,784

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$79,751

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$78,690

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$89,718

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Rice University admitted 2,597 of 32,473 applicants in Fall 2024. The 8% rate describes that application pool.

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $58,128 tuition · 2023–24 4,776 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1510–15701600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Rice University received 32,473 applications and admitted 2,597 (8%), with 1,148 enrolling.

Rice University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Rice University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 740–770 and Math was 770–800 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1510–1570 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	740	760	770
SAT Math	770	790	800
ACT Composite	34	35	35

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

Acceptance rate

8%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Rice University's admission rate fell from 23.4% to 8%. The rate alone cannot explain the change. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	23.4%
Fall 2002	23.8%
Fall 2003	24.3%
Fall 2004	22.2%
Fall 2005	25%
Fall 2006	23.7%
Fall 2007	25.1%
Fall 2008	23%
Fall 2009	22.3%
Fall 2010	21.3%
Fall 2011	18.8%
Fall 2012	16.7%
Fall 2013	16.7%
Fall 2014	15.1%
Fall 2015	16%
Fall 2016	15.3%
Fall 2017	15.9%
Fall 2018	11.1%
Fall 2019	8.7%
Fall 2020	10.9%
Fall 2021	9.5%
Fall 2022	8.7%
Fall 2023	7.9%
Fall 2024	8%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1510–1570Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	1400	1440
Fall 2002	1300	1500
Fall 2003	1310	1510
Fall 2004	1330	1540
Fall 2005	1330	1540
Fall 2006	1330	1530
Fall 2007	1310	1510
Fall 2008	1320	1530
Fall 2009	1320	1530
Fall 2010	1340	1540
Fall 2011	1330	1530
Fall 2012	1360	1530
Fall 2013	1370	1550
Fall 2014	1390	1550
Fall 2015	1390	1560
Fall 2016	1410	1570
Fall 2017	1490	1580
Fall 2018	1450	1560
Fall 2019	1470	1570
Fall 2020	1460	1570
Fall 2021	1490	1570
Fall 2022	1490	1570
Fall 2023	1500	1570
Fall 2024	1510	1570

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

34–35Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2004	30	34
Fall 2005	30	34
Fall 2006	29	33
Fall 2007	29	34
Fall 2008	30	34
Fall 2009	30	34
Fall 2010	30	34
Fall 2011	30	34
Fall 2012	30	34
Fall 2013	31	34
Fall 2014	31	34
Fall 2015	32	35
Fall 2016	32	35
Fall 2017	33	35
Fall 2018	33	35
Fall 2019	33	35
Fall 2020	34	36
Fall 2021	34	35
Fall 2022	34	36
Fall 2023	34	36
Fall 2024	34	35

IPEDS Fall 2004–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

4,776Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Rice University rose from 2,771 (Fall 2002) to 4,776 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	2,771
Fall 2003	2,857
Fall 2004	2,933
Fall 2005	2,988
Fall 2006	2,995
Fall 2007	3,001
Fall 2008	3,102
Fall 2009	3,279
Fall 2010	3,485
Fall 2011	3,708
Fall 2012	3,810
Fall 2013	3,920
Fall 2014	3,888
Fall 2015	3,879
Fall 2016	3,879
Fall 2017	3,970
Fall 2018	3,962
Fall 2019	3,978
Fall 2020	4,052
Fall 2021	4,240
Fall 2022	4,480
Fall 2023	4,562
Fall 2024	4,776

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

97%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Rice University has held near 97% from Fall 2003 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	98%
Fall 2004 cohort	96%
Fall 2005 cohort	96%
Fall 2006 cohort	97%
Fall 2007 cohort	97%
Fall 2008 cohort	97%
Fall 2009 cohort	95%
Fall 2010 cohort	97%
Fall 2011 cohort	96%
Fall 2012 cohort	98%
Fall 2013 cohort	96%
Fall 2014 cohort	97%
Fall 2015 cohort	96%
Fall 2016 cohort	97%
Fall 2017 cohort	97%
Fall 2018 cohort	98%
Fall 2019 cohort	97%
Fall 2020 cohort	97%
Fall 2021 cohort	98%
Fall 2022 cohort	98%
Fall 2023 cohort	97%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Rice University

17% of Rice University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Rice University as a primarily residential campus of 4,776 undergraduates — and 97.4% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Rice University's SAT section-percentile sums are 1510–1570 — their midpoint is above the TX four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Rice University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Rice University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Rice University8%

Texas median84.5%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Rice University$64,144

Texas median$13,498

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Rice University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Rice University$89,718

Texas median$54,132

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Rice University, Texas and national reference values
Metric & basis	Rice University	Texas median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	8%	84.5%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$64,144	$13,498	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$89,718	$54,132	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Rice University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Rice University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 9 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$182,443
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	$136,656
Economics	$129,575
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$121,099
Chemical Engineering	$113,605
Mechanical Engineering	$108,970
Political Science and Government	$87,804
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$87,404
Cognitive Science	$66,913

These 9 fields listed for Rice University measure earnings after completion. The $89,718 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 46 additional Rice University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Rice University report?

Rice University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1510–1570 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Rice University's acceptance rate?

8% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 2,597 admitted from 32,473 applicants.

How much does Rice University cost?

At Rice University, tuition is $64,144. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Rice University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $89,718. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Texas

Saint Edward's University — 81.4% admitted
University of St Thomas — 89.9% admitted
Sam Houston State University — 90.3% admitted
Prairie View A & M University — 79.3% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.