Rice University
Rice University is a private research university on a wooded 300-acre campus in Houston, Texas, known for its intimate scale, distinctive residential-college system, and strength across engineering, the natural sciences, and the Shepherd School of Music. Admission is highly selective — about 8% of applicants are admitted — and a roughly 6-to-1 student-faculty ratio keeps classes small, with enrolled first-years posting middle-50% SAT scores of 1510–1560. Rice meets 100% of demonstrated need and, through its Rice Investment program, covers full tuition for many middle-income families. The figures below are drawn directly from Rice's official Common Data Set.
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Rice admissions statistics
Acceptance rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early decision
Rice offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~1.5× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized tests
Rice is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Rice supplemental essays — 2026-2027 cycle
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Class rank
Where Rice's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
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.
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.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Frequently asked questions about Rice admissions
Yes — Rice is highly selective, admitting about 8.0% of applicants in the most recent cycle from a pool of roughly 36,791, enrolling around 1,263 first-years. Admitted students cluster at the very top of the applicant pool: among those who reported a class rank, 90% were in the top tenth of their graduating class.
Rice's overall acceptance rate is about 8.0%. Early Decision admits at a higher rate — roughly 647 of 5,748 ED applicants were admitted, near 11% — but the commitment is binding, and Rice runs both an ED I and an ED II round. ED only makes sense if Rice is your clear first choice and cost isn't a barrier.
A 1500 is competitive but sits at the lower edge of Rice's range: the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1510–1560 on the SAT (34–36 ACT), with the 25th percentile at 1510. Over 97% of SAT submitters scored 1400 or above, so a 1500 is best paired with a standout transcript and essays.
Yes, Rice is test-optional, so you can apply without an SAT or ACT. That said, the enrolled class skews very high — the middle 50% scored 1510–1560 on the SAT and 34–36 on the ACT, and standardized test scores are rated a very important factor in Rice's review — so a strong score generally helps your case.
Rice is test-optional and no longer publishes an average GPA, but admitted students are overwhelmingly top of their class: among those who reported a rank, 90% ranked in the top tenth and 97% in the top quarter. Rigor of your high school record, academic GPA, and class rank are all weighed as very important factors.
Annual tuition and required fees are about $72,154. Rice meets 100% of demonstrated financial need; roughly 44% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, with an average aid package around $75,643, and the Rice Investment program covers full tuition for many middle-income families.
Engineering and computing make up the largest share of degrees at about 26%, followed by the natural sciences (around 24%) and the social sciences (about 17%). Rice is also distinctive for its conservatory-level Shepherd School of Music and its undergraduate architecture program, which fall under architecture and arts (about 6%).
Yes — Rice rates the application essay as a very important factor in its holistic review, on par with grades, rigor, and recommendations. With an 8.0% acceptance rate and a pool where nearly everyone has top scores and ranks, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways to stand out.
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Popular majors
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student-faculty ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by gender
Student diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
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). Cite this page as: Esslo College Explorer, “Rice University admissions statistics, transcribed from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set,” https://www.esslo.org/colleges/rice (retrieved 2026-08-20).