Rice University - Photos

Rice University - Basic Information

Houston, TX

Total undergrad enrollment: 3,319

Ranked #17 in Best Colleges (US News)

52% male/48% female

Application deadline: Jan. 2

Early decision deadline: Nov. 1

Application fee: $65

Acceptance rate: 22.3%

Early decision acceptance rate: 35%

Range SAT Critical Reading: 650-760
Range SAT Math: 680-780
Range SAT Writing: 640-740
Range ACT Composite: 30-34

Required standardized tests: either SAT or ACT

Admissions interview: recommendedSAT subject tests: required (writing plus 2 additional in subjects related to proposed area of study)

Tuition and fees: $33,771

Room and board: $11,750

No fraternities/sororities

Most popular majors: biochemistry, economics, English language and literature, political science and government, and psychology

Average freshman retention rate: 97%

NCAA I

Rice University - PROS

Academics

• Outstanding in engineering and music
• Encourages double, triple majors (nearly 40% of students earn a double major)
• Space physics program works closely with NASA
• Small classes
• Good professors
• Honor system - most exams go unsupervised
• Internships for engineering
• Study abroad programs - 34 countries
• Variety of merit and athletic scholarships available each year
• Student faculty ratio - 6:1
• 65% of classes have fewer than 20 students
• "There's very little academic competition"

Student Life

• Galveston - 45 minutes away
• New Orleans - good weekend trip
• Residential college system - placed in a dorm and live their all four years
• Everybody LOVES the residential college system
• Every student gets a pass to use the lightrail for free
• Dynamic student life
• Intramurals
• Friendly and happy students
• Spirited student body
• Good off-campus food
• Beautiful campus
• Most dorms are nice
• Ranked #15 - happiest students
• Ranked #2 - best quality of life
• There is a lot of college pride

Rice University - CONS

• Competition in the engineering and premed programs is intense
• Students can be "bumped" from the residential colleges to make room for more students
• It can be a challenge to get around unless you have a car
• Parking/tickets
• Humidity
• Food is decent, but not great