Rice University Review 2015

Rice University is a private institution that was founded in 1912. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,926, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 285 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Rice University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 18. Its tuition and fees are $42,253 (2015-16).

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 and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

As a leading research university with a distinctive commitment to undergraduate education, Rice University aspires to pathbreaking research, unsurpassed... Read More

General Information

School type	private, coed college
Year founded	1912
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	semester
Setting	urban
2014 Endowment	$5,553,717,000

Applying

When applying to Rice University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, 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 $75. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 15.1 percent.

Selectivity	most selective
Fall 2014 acceptance rate	15.1%
Application deadline	January 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	December 31

Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Rice University is 6:1, and the school has 67.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Rice University include: Biochemistry; Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Chemical Engineering; and Psychology, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 96.8 percent.

Class sizes
Classes with fewer than 20 students (67.5%) 67.5% 20-49 (24.8%) 24.8% 50 or more (7.7%) 7.7%
Student-faculty ratio	6:1
4-year graduation rate	82%
Five most popular majors for 2014 graduates
Biochemistry 9% Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 6% Mechanical Engineering 6% Chemical Engineering 5% Psychology, General 5%

Student Life

Rice University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,926, with a gender distribution of 52.1 percent male students and 47.9 percent female students. At this school, 70 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 30 percent of students live off campus. Rice University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

Total enrollment	6,621
Student gender distribution
Male (52.1%) 52.1% Female (47.9%) 47.9%
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
In fraternity (0%) 0.0% Independent (100%) 100.0%
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
In sorority (0%) 0.0% Independent (100%) 100.0%
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

Campus Services

Rice University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, 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). Of the students at Rice University, 45 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Rice University.

Students who have cars on campus	45%
Health insurance offered	Yes

Cost and Financial Aid

At Rice University, 39.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $34,954.
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, or use the U.S. News 529 Finder to choose the best tax-advantaged college investment account for you.

Tuition and fees	$42,253 (2015-16)
Room and board	$13,650 (2015-16)
Financial aid statistics
Applied for need-based aid (75.7%) 75.7% Need was fully met (99.5%) 99.5% Received need-based financial aid (39.2%) 39.2% Received need-based self-help aid (29.5%) 29.5% Average percent of need met (100%) 100.0%