Rice University
Houston, Texas · Private · 4,776 undergraduates · rice.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test recommended
Scores encouraged, not required
Admit rate
8%
of 36,791 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1510 to 1560
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$101,930Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Rice University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
8% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 8% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$101,930
a year in 2027-28, from a $101,930 sticker price
What to do with your 1540
Send your score
About 22% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1470, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test recommended
Scores aren't required, but the college encourages you to send them.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
- AP, IB, or AICE scores may be self-reported optionally; not a substitute
Source: First-Year Domestic Applicants | Office of Admission | Rice University · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Decision · November 1, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Dec1Other deadline · December 1, 2026
- Jan4Early Decision II · January 4, 2027A second binding round, after Early Decision.
- Jan4Regular Decision · January 4, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
8%
of applicants were admitted: 2,948 of 36,791 for fall 2025.
Early Decision
Binding. 11% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
3,196 students were offered a spot; 66 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 59% of them sent SAT scores and 24% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1510 to 1560
Reading and Writing 740 to 770
Math 760 to 800
ACT composite 34 to 36
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160098%
- 1200 to 13992.2%
- 1000 to 11990.1%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$101,930
a year
- Tuition$73,990
- Fees$1,020
- Food and housing$21,350
- Books and supplies$1,600
- Transportation and other$3,970
Rice University published $98,009 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $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
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$73,663
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
5.9%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $34,586 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 2/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Also asks for
- Tax Return & W-2 Forms
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
33 of 33
Earn credit with a score of 3
None
You need a 4 or 5 for credit here.
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,400Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art History | 4 | 3 | HART 100 |
| Biology | 4 | 6 | BIOS 101, 102 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 3 | MATH 105 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 6 | MATH 105 & 106 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 4 | 3 | MATH 105 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8 | CHEM 111, 112, 113, & 114 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 3 | CHIN 222 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 3 | POLI 112 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 3 | COMP 105 |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 3 | COMP 105 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 3 | ENGL 121 |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | 3 | ENGL 122 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 3 | CEVE 100 |
| European History | 4 | 3 | HIST 103 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 3 | FREN 222 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 3 | GERM 222 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 3 | ITAL 222 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 3 | JAPA 222 |
| Latin | 4 | 3 | LATI 104 |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON 113 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON 111 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 3 | MUSI 107 |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 3 | PHYS 141 |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 3 | PHYS 142 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 4 | PHYS 102/104 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 | PHYS 101/103 |
| Psychology | 4 | 3 | PSYC 100 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 3 | SPAN 222 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 3 | SPAN 225 |
| Statistics | 4 | 4 | STAT 180 |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 3 | POLI 110 |
| United States History | 4 | 3 | HIST 105 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 3 | HIST 107 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
95%
Come back for a second year
97%
Typical earnings
$90,773
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Rice University$138,594
- All colleges$89,628
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 11 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Rice University. The Rice University logo is a trademark of the college; image by Thiago602, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.