University of Houston vs. Rice University

A side-by-side comparison of Houston and Rice — acceptance rates (75.8% vs. 8.0%), SAT scores (1140–1310 vs. 1510–1560), tuition, financial aid, and majors, drawn from each school's official Common Data Set.

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HoustonHouston, TX

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Houston CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Houston CDS (Fall 2025).
75.8%acceptance rate
Applied
34,728
Admitted
26,312
Enrolled
6,669

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state77.5%
21,788 admitted of 28,115 applicants
Out-of-state62.3%
3,033 admitted of 4,866 applicants
International85.3%
1,491 admitted of 1,747 applicants

Early admissions

Houston does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Houston is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1140
50th Percentile
1220
75th Percentile
1310

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
22
50th Percentile
25
75th Percentile
28

Class rank

Where Houston's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class25.43%
Top quarter of class59.06%
Top half of class89.47%

Based on the 71.3% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Houston does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Houston weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Houston's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$29,932
In-State
$45,820
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$11,888$27,776
Room & Board
$11,286$11,286
Other Expenses
$6,758$6,758
Total
$29,932$45,820

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$11k
$30–48k~$10k
$48–75k~$13k
$75–110k~$19k
$110k+~$24k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants41.7%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
63%
Avg. Package
$16,161
Avg. Need Met
57%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Engineering
Computer & Information Sciences
Psychology
Biological & Life Sciences
Health Professions
Social Sciences
Communication & Journalism
Interdisciplinary Studies
Other
Business
29%
Engineering
11%
Computing
10%
Psychology
9%
Life Sci
6%
Health
5%
Social Sci
5%
Comm
4%
Interdisc.
4%
Other
17%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

23:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return86%
Graduate within six years66%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$68k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$18k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Houston’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Psychology

    718 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$53kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt
  • Business Administration & Management

    536 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$73kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Computer & Information Sciences

    430 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$99kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Finance

    381 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$78kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$16k median debt
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    366 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$53kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
Show all 34 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
36%
In Fraternities
2%
In Sororities
2%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Houston, TX

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6344J
6749F
7354M
7961A
8669M
9175J
9377J
9477A
9072S
8263O
7253N
6546D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
54 in
Days at 90°F or above
109
Days below 32°F
5

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, HOUSTON-PORT, TX US station, 4.2 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

49%
51%
Male
19,588
Female
20,778

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

Hispanic37.5%
Asian and Pacific Islander22.4%
White15.7%
Black13.2%
Other11.1%
Native American<1%
RiceHouston, TX

Acceptance rate

Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.

8.0%acceptance rate
Applied
36,791
Admitted
2,948
Enrolled
1,263

Early decision

Rice offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.

Early Decision
Binding · I & II
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Admit rate by application plan

% admitted
Early Decision11.3%
Regular Decision7.4%

~1.5× higher admit rate applying early.

ED Applications
5,748
ED Admitted
647

Standardized tests

Rice is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1510
50th Percentile
1540
75th Percentile
1560

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
34
50th Percentile
35
75th Percentile
36

Class rank

Where Rice's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class90%
Top quarter of class97%
Top half of class99.6%

Based on the 40% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Rice does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Rice weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Rice's Common Data Set.

$98,039
Tuition & Fees
$72,154
Room & Board
$20,530
Other Expenses
$5,355
Total
$98,039

Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$6k
$30–48k~$1k
$48–75k~$3k
$75–110k~$18k
$110k+~$48k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid.

% of undergrads with Pell grants17%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
44%
Avg. Package
$75,643
Avg. Need Met
100%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Engineering & Computing
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Business & Other
Humanities
Architecture & Arts
Eng. & Comp.
26%
Sciences
24%
Social Sci.
17%
Business/Other
16%
Humanities
10%
Arch. & Arts
6%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

6:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return97%
Graduate within six years95%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$110k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$11k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Rice’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

Show all 28 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
99%
In Fraternities
0%
In Sororities
0%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Houston, TX

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6344J
6749F
7354M
7961A
8669M
9175J
9377J
9477A
9072S
8263O
7253N
6546D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
54 in
Days at 90°F or above
109
Days below 32°F
5

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, HOUSTON-PORT, TX US station, 7.6 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

50.5%
49.5%
Male
2,420
Female
2,372

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

Asian and Pacific Islander30.2%
White24.2%
Other21.7%
Hispanic16.2%
Black7.5%
Native American<1%

Writing your Houston or Rice application essay?

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Houston vs. Rice: frequently asked questions

Rice is more selective: it admits about 8.0% of applicants, compared with 75.8% at Houston. Both are competitive, and your odds depend on far more than the overall rate.

The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1140–1310 at Houston and 1510–1560 at Rice on the SAT. Treat the ranges as a benchmark — a score inside or above a school's range keeps you competitive there.

Houston has the lower published price for out-of-state students — $27,776 in tuition and fees versus $72,154 at Rice, a gap of about $44,378 a year before financial aid.

Rice graduates a higher share of its students within six years — 95% versus 66% at Houston.

Rice. Its Common Data Set rates the application essay very important, against considered at Houston, so the same draft carries more weight at Rice. Both still read essays as part of a full application review.

Source: University of Houston Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-11. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Houston. Banner photo by Brian Reading, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Source: Rice University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-08-20. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Rice. Banner photo by Claudia Paine22, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).