Private research university in Houston with 300-acre campus, strong engineering and business programs, and residential college system.
Rice offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across seven divisions of study and highly selective graduate and professional programs. The university consists of eight constituent schools: George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, School of Architecture, School of Humanities and Arts, School of Social Sciences, Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, The Shepherd School of Music, Virani Undergraduate School of Business, and Wiess School of Natural Sciences. Rice is a leading interdisciplinary research university devoted to generating significant positive potential for society through inquiry, imagination and individual action.
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston's museum district near West University Place, Rice features distinctive Byzantine-style architecture with sand and pink-colored bricks. The campus is organized around quadrangles and includes approximately 50 buildings, the Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum with over 4,000 trees and shrubs, and Fondren Library. The residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, with students living in one of 11 residential colleges. Rice is ranked in the top 10 for best quality of life by the Princeton Review.
Rice is at the forefront of research addressing global challenges including climate change, water pollution, economic disparities, and disease. The university maintains interdisciplinary institutes and centers focused on nanoscale science, computing, quantum studies, and collaborative research across biology, chemistry, and engineering. Rice has collaborated with NASA's Johnson Space Center for more than 50 years and houses the Baker Institute for Public Policy and Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Internationally, Rice maintains the Rice Global Paris Center and Rice Global India in Bengaluru.
Rice maintains highly selective admissions for both undergraduate and graduate programs. The university offers comprehensive financial aid and graduate cost and aid information through its Office of Financial Aid. Rice accepts coeducational admissions and has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, having amended its charter in 1964 to desegregate and beginning to charge tuition in 1965.