Rice University acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Rice University · Private nonprofit · Houston, TX · 4,574 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Rice University admitted 7.9% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 16.7% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $67,857 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 16.7% | 15,415 | 2,581 |
| 2014 | 15.1% | 17,728 | 2,677 |
| 2015 | 16.0% | 17,951 | 2,865 |
| 2016 | 15.3% | 18,236 | 2,785 |
| 2017 | 15.9% | 18,063 | 2,864 |
| 2018 | 11.1% | 20,923 | 2,328 |
| 2019 | 8.7% | 27,087 | 2,361 |
| 2020 | 10.9% | 23,455 | 2,555 |
| 2021 | 9.5% | 29,544 | 2,802 |
| 2022 | 8.7% | 31,443 | 2,730 |
| 2023 | 7.9% | 31,059 | 2,447 |
Applications went from 15,415 in fall 2013 to 31,059 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $5,707 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $1,524 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,420 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $14,522 |
| Over $110,000 | $40,188 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $67,857 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $87,824 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $11,164 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 50% submitted the SAT, 22% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
What the numbers say
Rice University in Houston admitted 7.9% of applicants for fall 2023, offering seats to 2,447 of 31,059 students who applied.1 In fall 2013 the rate was 16.7%, so it has dropped by 8.8 percentage points.1 Year over year it declined 7 times out of 10.1 Applications grew 101%, yet admitted students fell 5%, going from 2,581 to 2,447.1
Rice does not require test scores. SAT scores came from 50% of enrolled students and ACT scores from 22%.1 Reported middle 50% scores were 730 to 770 for SAT reading and writing, 770 to 800 for SAT math and 34 to 36 on the ACT.1
Every student pays the same $67,857 in tuition and fees for 2025-26.2 Private nonprofit colleges in Texas have a median price of $31,760 across 49 institutions.2 Grant aid shapes what families pay: the net price in 2024-25 was $5,707 for incomes of $0 to $30,000, $1,524 for $30,001 to $48,000, and $40,188 for incomes over $110,000.2
Of the 2019 entering class, 95% earned a degree within 6 years, while the Texas median is 45%.2 Retention reached 97%, and median earnings were $90,773 in 2022-23, compared with $56,771 for the state.2 Graduates who borrowed had a median debt of $13,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 31,059 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 2,447 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,125 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 4,574 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 730 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 800 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 36 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 50% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 22% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $67,857 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $87,824 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $11,164 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $5,707 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $1,524 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,420 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $14,522 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $40,188 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 95% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 97% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 22% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $90,773 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $13,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, Texas (N = 49) | $31,760 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, Texas (N = 89) | 45% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry, Texas (N = 93) | $56,771 | College Scorecard, median MD_EARN_WNE_P10, bachelor's institutions, 2022-232 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Rice University, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page