Rice University

“Unconventional Wisdom”

Rice University is a highly selective private research university located in the heart of Houston, Texas, consistently ranked among the top 20 national universities in the United States. Founded in 1912 by William Marsh Rice, the university opened its doors in 1912 and has grown into a world-class institution renowned for its rigorous academics, collaborative culture, and exceptional value. Rice occupies a 285-acre wooded campus adjacent to Hermann Park and the Texas Medical Center, one of the largest medical complexes in the world, giving students unparalleled access to research, internship, and career opportunities in medicine, energy, and technology. Rice is organized into eight schools and divisions offering more than 50 undergraduate majors and 360+ degree programs, spanning architecture, business, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences, and social sciences. The university is celebrated for its unusually low student-to-faculty ratio (approximately 6:1), its residential college system that fosters tight-knit community living, and its commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students. The Rice Investment program provides full tuition, fees, and living expenses to qualifying domestic families earning up to $75,000 annually, making Rice one of the most financially accessible elite universities in the nation. Rice's research enterprise is extensive, with particular strengths in nanotechnology, computational science, energy, bioengineering, and architecture. The university is home to the Smalley-Curl Institute for nanoscience, and its proximity to NASA's Johnson Space Center and the Texas Medical Center drives interdisciplinary collaboration. Rice students benefit from a vibrant Houston metropolitan area of over 7 million people, offering rich cultural diversity, a booming tech and energy sector, and a cost of living significantly lower than peer university cities like New York, Boston, or San Francisco.