Houston, TX · private · 4,776 undergraduates
Rice University acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
Rice admitted 8.01% of applicants for fall 2025; about half of its first-year class came through Early Decision.
Net price per year at Rice
$17,755
Reach · admit rate 8.01%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 8.01% (1 in 12) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,510 to 1,560 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 1% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $97,309 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $17,755 |
| Share of the sticker price | 18% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: Rice net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: Rice University Common Data Set 2025-2026 (updated 10-7-2026), C1 · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 8.01%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,510 to 1,560
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $97,309
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $3,217
Rice University admitted 2,948 of 36,791 first-year applicants for the class that entered in fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 8.01%, and 1,263 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. Rice recommends sending the SAT or ACT without requiring it, and 59% of the class sent an SAT, with a middle 50% of 1,510 to 1,560. The 2026-27 cost of attendance is $97,309, one of the lower private budgets on this site. Under the Rice Investment, families earning under $100,000 receive a grant for full tuition, fees and living expenses, and families between $100,000 and $200,000 receive full tuition. The federal averages for 2023-24 are among the lowest anywhere for middle incomes: $563 between $30,001 and $48,000 and $3,217 between $48,001 and $75,000.
Half the class decided in December
Rice's Common Data Set shows how much of its class is filled early. It admitted 647 of 5,748 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, about one in nine, and 629 of them enrolled: close to half of the 1,263 students in the class. That leaves a smaller share of seats for the regular round on January 4, where the pool is much larger. Rice has two binding rounds, November 1 and January 4, and no Early Action. Shepherd School of Music applicants must send their materials by December 1.
Texas residents get no head start
About three applicants in ten came from Texas, and Texans were admitted at about the same rate as everyone else. At a private university that is expected, but it surprises families used to the in-state preferences of the University of Texas and Texas A&M. For a Texan, the comparison with UT Austin and Texas A&M is mostly a comparison of prices, since their public resident tuition is low and their admission rules for top graduates are automatic.
Rice: where your SAT score lands
Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)
55%
| Middle 50% | 1,510 to 1,560 |
| Your score is | inside the middle 50% |
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (745 SAT submitters, 298 ACT submitters). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.
The Rice Investment, and merit on top
Rice meets 100% of demonstrated need, international students included. The Rice Investment sets two thresholds: under $100,000, a grant covering tuition, fees and living expenses; from $100,000 to $200,000, a full-tuition grant. The 2023-24 figures show how far that reaches: $5,827 under $30,000, $17,755 between $75,001 and $110,000. About one admitted student in five is also offered a merit scholarship, awarded without regard to need. Tuition depends on the year of entry: students who entered in 2024 or later pay the current rate of $71,140.
Rice: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$3,217
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 4% |
Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.
Where Rice sits on price
With a 2026-27 budget of $97,309, Rice is several thousand dollars cheaper than most private universities of the same selectivity, and its average net prices are lower still. Families can set it against Vanderbilt, Duke and Stanford in the comparison tool.
From Rice University’s own documents
- Early Decision admitted 647 of 5,748 applicants for fall 2025 (about 11%), and 629 of them enrolled, about half of the 1,263-student class. source
- Texas residents were 10,610 of 36,791 applicants and 847 of 2,948 admits for fall 2025 (about 8% admitted, the same as the overall rate). source
- Families under $100,000 receive a grant covering full tuition, fees and living expenses; families from $100,000 to $200,000 receive full tuition. source
- Tuition depends on entry year: $71,140 for students who entered in 2024 or later versus $65,280 for those who entered earlier. source
- About 20% of admitted students are offered a merit scholarship, awarded without regard to need. source
- 3,196 applicants were offered a waitlist place for fall 2025; 66 were admitted from it. source
Net price at Rice University by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $5,827 | 7% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $563 | 1% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $3,217 | 4% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $17,755 | 22% |
| $110,001 and up | $48,466 | 61% |
| All aided students | $13,370 | 17% |
Cost of attendance at Rice University, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $71,140 | |
| Fees | $984 | |
| Housing and food | $20,530 | |
| Books and supplies | $1,540 | |
| Personal | $3,115 | |
| Total | $97,309 |
Rice University admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 36,791 | 2,948 | 1,263 | 8.01% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 8.00% |
SAT and ACT scores at Rice University
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (745 SAT submitters, 298 ACT submitters)) | 1,510 | 1,540 | 1,560 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (745 SAT submitters, 298 ACT submitters))) | 34 | 35 | 36 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 740 + 770 | n/a | 770 + 800 |
Outcomes at Rice University
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 95% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 97% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $89,718 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $11,000 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 4,776 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 17% | 2023-24 |