Rice University has a beautiful Mediterranean-style campus located in the cultural epicenter of southern Texas, Houston’s Museum District. The elite research university has been ranked number one in the world for the study of materials science, and has a historic affinity for space research bolstered by a strong relationship with nearby NASA. In 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivered his “We choose to go to the Moon” speech at Rice’s stadium to great historical significance. 14 NASA Astronauts are Rice alumni, along with many CEOs, Rhodes Scholars, political leaders, and artists. To top it all off, five Nobel laureates have been Rice alumni. 

Students admitted to Rice access a world-renowned academic program that is unique in its lack of core curriculum and its honor code system that creates a culture of mutual trust. The university’s 4,800 undergraduates do, however, have to take four classes each in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, as well completing a physical education requirement and a first-year writing requirement. With 3,900 postgraduates, Rice’s student body is quite intimate, ensuring each student will have the opportunity to form close-knit bonds with classmates.

Prospective students are admitted through a centralized process to the Rice University School of Architecture, the George R. Brown School of Engineering, the School of Humanities, the Shepherd School of Music, the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, and the Rice University School of Social Sciences. If you’re worried that the compartmentalization of Rice’s 50 majors into distinct schools would stress you out, fear not! Undergrads do not have to choose a major until the spring semester of their sophomore year, and switching around between schools is very common.

Rice was established in 1912, and was named for industrialist William Marsh Rice, whose immense estate provided the university with its initial endowment. These funds were only secured following the discovery of a conspiracy to create a fake will that would squander Rice’s fortune. Scandals aside, the first years at Rice were marked by a rigorous curriculum that failed most of its students. With a student body vote to adopt the Honor System in 1916, getting a bachelor’s at Rice became much more viable. By the mid-twentieth century, Rice was defined by a residential college system which fostered campus community and an institutional shift toward space research. By the end of the century, Rice became known as a diplomatic meeting point for world powers, hosting the Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations in 1990.

Today, the research university has dozens of research institutes and resources for its highly motivated students, as well as a lively communal lifestyle punctuated by traditions and diverse student organizations. When they’re not exploring the cultural offerings of the Museum District, students can be found hanging out at Rice Coffeehouse or The Pub, writing for one of many campus publications, or taking part in rowdy celebrations like the Beer Bike Race or Baker 13, which consist of the sort of revelry that only college students would participate in! The Rice Owls play in NCAA’s Division I. Recently, Rice has spearheaded the creation of the Ion Innovation District, which houses business incubators, labs, restaurants, and an outdoor plaza. 

Rice’s highly-competitive admissions process implemented a “Committee-based Evaluation process (CBE)” in 2017, which exposes an application to a variety of officers who evaluate it with holistic criteria. For admission to the Class of 2029, 36,777 prospective students applied to 2,852 spots, for an overall admission rate of 7.75%. The most competitive applicants demonstrated that they had a thorough understanding of all that Rice has to offer in their supplemental writing. In order to show why you want to matriculate to Rice, in particular, requires research and finesse into the specifics of the university.

What are Rice University looking for?

We’re looking for voracious lovers of life, diverse thinkers with an unquenchable curiosity about the world— students who will bring different life experiences and unique perspectives to our campus.

Admissions Statistics

ADMISSION INFORMATION

APPLICATION DATES & DEADLINES

Additional essay questions of the application.

Essay Prompts (2025-2026)

1. Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected. 150 word limit.

2. Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you? 150 word limit.

3. Please respond to one of the following prompts to explore how you will contribute to the Rice community:

• The Residential College System is at the heart of Rice student life and is heavily influenced by the particular cultural traditions and unique life experiences each student brings. What life experiences and/or unique perspectives are you looking forward to sharing with fellow Owls in the residential college system? 500 word limit.
  
• Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or cultural identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice? 500 word limit.

Rice Box

One of Rice's long-standing traditions is “The Box,” a question on our application where we ask all of our applicants to share an image of something that appeals to them. The Box gives you the opportunity to present us with an image that shares something about yourself, your interests or what is meaningful to you. This image is not used for evaluative purposes in the application, but allows you to put your stamp on the application about who you are aside from what you have achieved. Be sure to choose an image that speaks for itself and does not need an explanation. The Box must be a two-dimensional image that is uploaded in the Common Application or uploaded in the Rice Admission Student Portal.