In the news
· Announced
Rice makes tuition free for families earning up to $200,000, starting fall 2027Rice raised the income line for free tuition from $140,000 to $200,000, starting with this fall's applicants.
Getting in
For Fall 2025, 36,791 first-year students applied to Rice, 2,948 were admitted and 1,263 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 8%.
Source: Rice Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 10,610 | 847 | 8% |
| Out-of-state | 17,390 | 1,769 | 10.2% |
| International | 8,791 | 332 | 3.8% |
Source: Rice Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Rice's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by school or major.
Source: Rice Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. The Common Data Set reports Early Decision I and II together for fall 2025.
Early decision, Fall 2025
| Plan | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I and II | 5,748 | 647 | 11.3% |
Source: Rice Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C21. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Some Rice programs ask for more than the Common App:
- Shepherd School of Music. Extra materials by area of study, with every part complete by December 1. Music applicants cannot apply Early Decision or through QuestBridge, and admitted students stay in the music program for at least one year.
- Rice School of Architecture. A portfolio of creative work, uploaded to the Rice Admission Student Portal, plus two architecture essays.
- Department of Art. An optional portfolio of creative work, uploaded to the Rice Admission Student Portal.
- Natural sciences and engineering. At a minimum, trigonometry or precalculus, and both chemistry and physics (a second year of chemistry or biology can replace physics).
Source: Rice Office of Admission, First-Year Domestic Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
81 majors across 7 schools. Every undergraduate major in Rice's official General Announcements 2026-2027, grouped by the school that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Minors, certificates and graduate-only programs are left out.
School of Architecture3
Architecture applicants submit a portfolio of creative work.
Source: Rice Office of Admission, First-Year Domestic Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Architectural Studies (BA)
- Architecture (BA)
- Architecture and Building Science (BArch)
Source: Rice General Announcements 2026-2027, Departments and Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing13
- Artificial Intelligence (BS)
- Bioengineering (BSBE)
- Chemical Engineering (BA, BSChE)
- Civil and Environmental Engineering (BA)
- Civil Engineering (BSCE)
- Computational and Applied Mathematics (BA)
- Computer Science (BA, BSCS)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (BA, BSECE)
- Environmental Engineering (BSEnvE)
- Materials Science and NanoEngineering (BA, BSMSNE)
- Mechanical Engineering (BA, BSME)
- Operations Research (BA, BS)
- Statistics (BA, BS)
Source: Rice General Announcements 2026-2027, Departments and Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Humanities and Arts17
- Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations (BA)
- Art (BA)
- Art History (BA)
- Asian Studies (BA)
- Classical Studies (BA)
- English (BA)
- European Studies (BA)
- French Studies (BA)
- German Studies (BA)
- History (BA)
- Latin American and Latinx Studies (BA)
- Media Studies (BA)
- Medieval and Early Modern Studies (BA)
- Philosophy (BA)
- Religion (BA)
- Spanish and Portuguese (BA)
- Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality (BA)
Source: Rice General Announcements 2026-2027, Departments and Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Business1
- Business (BA)
Source: Rice General Announcements 2026-2027, Departments and Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Shepherd School of Music22
Music applicants send extra materials by December 1 and cannot apply Early Decision or through QuestBridge.
Source: Rice Office of Admission, First-Year Domestic Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Bassoon Performance (BMus)
- Cello Performance (BMus)
- Clarinet Performance (BMus)
- Composition (BMus)
- Double Bass Performance (BMus)
- Flute Performance (BMus)
- Harp Performance (BMus)
- Horn Performance (BMus)
- Music (BA)
- Music History (BMus)
- Music Theory (BMus)
- Oboe Performance (BMus)
- Orchestral Conducting (BMus)
- Organ Performance (BMus)
- Percussion Performance (BMus)
- Piano Performance (BMus)
- Trombone Performance (BMus)
- Trumpet Performance (BMus)
- Tuba Performance (BMus)
- Viola Performance (BMus)
- Violin Performance (BMus)
- Vocal Performance (BMus)
Source: Rice General Announcements 2026-2027, Departments and Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Wiess School of Natural Sciences12
- Astronomy (BA)
- Astrophysics (BS)
- Biosciences (BA, BS)
- Chemical Physics (BS)
- Chemistry (BA, BS)
- Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (BA, BS)
- Environmental Science (BA, BS)
- Mathematics (BA, BS)
- Neuroscience (BA, BS)
- Physics (BA, BS)
- Public Health Sciences (BA)
- Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology (BA, BS)
Source: Rice General Announcements 2026-2027, Departments and Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Social Sciences13
- Anthropology (BA)
- Cognitive Sciences (BA)
- Economics (BA)
- Global Affairs (BA)
- Linguistics (BA)
- Managerial Economics and Organizational Sciences (BA)
- Mathematical Economic Analysis (BA)
- Political Science (BA)
- Psychology (BA)
- Social Policy Analysis (BA)
- Sociology (BA)
- Sport Analytics (BA)
- Sport Management (BA)
Source: Rice General Announcements 2026-2027, Departments and Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 1 | Mid-December | Yes |
| Early Decision II | January 4 | Late January | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4 | By April 1 | No |
Shepherd School of Music applicants apply by December 1. Admitted students deposit by January 4 (Early Decision I), mid-February (Early Decision II) or May 1 (Regular Decision).
Source: Rice Office of Admission, First-Year Domestic Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding, for students who have picked Rice first. You may start applications elsewhere under nonbinding plans, but if Rice admits you, you withdraw them, send no new ones, and accept Rice's offer with an enrollment deposit.
Source: Rice Office of Admission, First-Year Domestic Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Rice recommends that you send SAT or ACT scores if you have them, but does not require them. If you apply without scores, you still get full consideration. If you send scores, Rice superscores them. Students at U.S. high schools can type their scores into the application instead of sending official reports.
Source: Rice Office of Admission, First-Year Domestic Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set marks the SAT or ACT as recommended, in a table labeled for students applying for fall 2026.
Source: Rice Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Rice's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Rice Office of Admission, First-Year Domestic Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Rice, 2026-2027:
| Tuition (students who entered in 2024 or later) | $71,140 |
|---|---|
| Mandatory fees | $984 |
| Food and housing (on campus) | $20,530 |
| Books and supplies | $1,540 |
| Personal expenses | $3,115 |
| Total | $97,309 |
Undergraduates living on campus. First-years are also billed a one-time $370 orientation fee.
Source: Rice Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 11, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $5,827 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $563 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $3,217 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,755 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,466 |
| All incomes | $13,370 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Rice's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Rice University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · Private8.4% admitted$28,690 average net price
Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · Private7.5% admitted$29,167 average net price
Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA · Private7.7% admitted$23,367 average net price
Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA · Private7.5% admitted$23,149 average net price
Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA · Private8.6% admitted$17,716 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.