Rice University
Houston, TX · Official website ↗
8%
Admission rate
4,776
Undergraduates
$67,857
Tuition / yr
$87,824
Cost of attendance / yr
$90,773
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
1510–1570
SAT, middle 50% (approx.)
34–35
ACT, middle 50%
International students should also budget for health insurance, visa and travel costs not shown here.
Reference only. Automatically checked against the college's official pages on 2026-11-10; maintained by Jordan Lee, editor. Colleges can change policies at any time — confirm on the official page before you apply. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Quick summary
| Cost per year | about $87,824 per year (tuition, housing, food, books — U.S. Department of Education figure) + flights and visa. Four years cost roughly four times this if prices stay the same; colleges usually raise prices every year. |
|---|---|
| Money from the college | Need-based aid: yes, but asking for it can affect the admission decision. Merit scholarships: international students can receive them. 1 named scholarship(s) confirmed open to international students; the college does not publish amounts. |
| Chances of admission | extremely selective: about 1 in 12 applicants is admitted. Middle half of admitted students scored SAT 1510–1570. English minimum: IELTS 7, TOEFL (1–6) 5, TOEFL 100, Duolingo 130. |
| Application deadlines | not yet determined |
| Where and how students live | Houston, TX · Large city · summer highs about 34°C, winter lows about 8°C · 15 km from HOU airport |
| Housing | not yet determined |
| Working while studying | not yet determined |
| After graduation | not yet determined |
Plain-language summary of the verified details below. Where it says “not yet determined”, we have not found it on an official page yet.
Financial aid & requirements for international students
| Aid & admission for international applicants | Need-aware for international applicants The college may consider an international applicant's ability to pay when deciding admission. Sources (1)“Rice considers international applicants on a need-aware basis and offers need-based financial aid to a limited number of international first-year applicants.”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
|---|---|
| Meets full financial need | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Merit scholarships | Yes — international students can receive merit scholarshipsSources (1)“There is no separate application or interview required; the Admission Committee automatically considers all admitted students, both domestic and international”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Forms for international aid applicants | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Must request aid when applying? | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| SAT / ACT policy | Test-optional (SAT/ACT may be submitted)Sources (1)“Students applying to Rice University are recommended but not required to submit SAT or ACT for admission consideration.”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| English proficiency | English test required unless an exemption applies
Sources (5)“Applicants whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate English proficiency in one of two ways: 1. Completing at least two years of full-time study in an English language curriculum prior to submitting an application.”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026, Rice requires a minimum overall score of 5.0 on the updated TOEFL iBT scale.”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“Applicants must submit a minimum score of 100 for exams taken before January 21, 2026.”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“International English Language Testing System (IELTS)** 7.0 (Academic module)”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“Duolingo English Test 130”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Conditional admission / English pathway | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Scholarships for first-year students
Rice Merit Scholarships
Amount not published
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Financial need: Not required
- How to apply: Automatic — considered with your admission application
Sources (3)
“The Office of Admission offers merit-based scholarships to incoming first-year students who distinguish themselves academically and personally within our highly competitive group of admitted students.”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“These scholarships are based solely on merit, and financial need is not taken into consideration.”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“There is no separate application or interview required; the Admission Committee automatically considers all admitted students, both domestic and international”admission.rice.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10Deadlines (fall 2027 entry)
| Application deadlines | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Financial aid deadline | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Dates as published by the college; check the official page for time zones and supporting-document deadlines.
Costs for international students
| Student health insurance | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Proof of funds for the I-20 | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Earnings by field of study
| Field | After 1 year | After 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $156,465 | $182,443 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $103,698 | $136,656 |
| Economics | $86,485 | $129,575 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | — | $121,099 |
| Chemical Engineering | $87,768 | $113,605 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $84,706 | $108,970 |
| Political Science and Government | $74,976 | $87,804 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $48,301 | $87,404 |
| Cognitive Science | — | $66,913 |
| Psychology, General | $49,861 | — |
| English Language and Literature, General | $44,410 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $37,890 | — |
Median yearly earnings of graduates of this college's bachelor's programme in each field, 1 and 4 years after finishing. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). Only graduates who received U.S. federal student aid are counted, so international students are not included.
Location
| City / state | Houston, TX |
|---|---|
| Setting | Large city |
| Nearest major airport | William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), about 15 km in a straight line |
| Map | View on OpenStreetMap ↗ |
Setting from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard); airport from OurAirports (public-domain data).
Climate
| Warmest month (Aug) | average high 34°C (94°F) |
|---|---|
| Coldest month (Jan) | average low 8°C (46°F) |
| Precipitation per year | 1,413 mm |
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 18° | 20° | 23° | 26° | 30° | 33° | 34° | 34° | 32° | 28° | 23° | 19° |
| Low °C | 8° | 10° | 13° | 17° | 21° | 24° | 25° | 25° | 23° | 18° | 12° | 9° |
| Rain mm | 104 | 72 | 83 | 104 | 138 | 155 | 117 | 138 | 146 | 147 | 99 | 110 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at the Houston Hobby Ap, Tx Us weather station, about 14 km from campus. Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals.
Cost, admission rate, test-score ranges and earnings come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). SAT range adds the 25th/75th-percentile section scores, so it is approximate. Scorecard earnings are for federal-aid recipients.