History
On May 18, 1891, Massachusetts-born businessman William Marsh Rice chartered the William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Science, and Art as a gift to the city of Houston, where he made his fortune. The terms of the charter required that work on the new institute would begin only after Rice's death.
Education
The Center for Education celebrating 29 years of working for the teachers and students of HoustonThe ultimate aim of the Rice University Center for Education is to assure more equitable, more academically rich learning experiences for all children. We work directly with teachers to assure their capacity to engage children in authentic learning, and we further enrich their teaching through workshops, courses, conferences, and publications. We conduct research on key issues in urban education, teaching and learning, educational policy. Through the dissemination of our research findings, we work to assure that those teachers, and the children they serve, are surrounded by a well-informed circle of public support.
Research
Rice is home to more than 40 interdisciplinary research centers, institutes and consortia, and research is a fundamental part of the undergraduate experience. From experiments in laboratories to design projects in architecture studios to fieldwork and analyses, experiential learning opportunities are endless. Select incoming freshmen benefit from the Century Scholars Program, which matches them with faculty mentors to spend two years collaborating on one of the professor's research projects. Upperclassmen pursue research opportunities through a wide range of programs such as the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program, the Center for Civic Engagement and department-based projects.
Career
They are pleased to offer you a wide variety of resources to designed to increase your presence on campus and connect you with students, alumni, faculty and staff. They invite you to utilize our job and internship databases, host information sessions, interact with students at our Fall and Spring Career Expos, and take part in our annual Chili Cook-Off.
Student services
- Academic Advising
- Campus Store
- Career Services: the Career Channel
- College Assistance Peer Program (CAPP)
- Community Involvement Center (CIC)
- Counseling Center (RCC)
- Disability Support Services (DSS)
- International Services (OIS)
- Honor System
- Honor Council
- Student Judicial Programs
- Multicultural Affairs
- Orientation Week
- Peer Health Information and Support Hotline (PHIS)
- Student Activities
- Student Center
- Student Financial Services
- Student Health Insurance
- Student Health Service: HealthInfo
- Student Media
- Transportation (bus service)
- Wellness Center
Housing services
Housing Services at Rice University combines Undergraduate Housing, Residential Dining, Graduate Apartments and Summer Conference services in one department.
Library services
Fondren Library welcomes visitors. All visitors without a Rice University ID will need to present a government-issued ID at the East Entrance to gain access to the building.
- Computers
- Photocopiers and printers
- Scanners
- Borrowing
Medical services
The Rice Student Health Services provides preventive and outpatient clinical care for the students of Rice University. Student Health is located on-campus and is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of undergraduate and graduate students, with an emphasis on prevention.
Campus life
Rice’s residential college system forms the heart of campus life. The colleges are small communities where students live, dine and interact with faculty mentors.
Sports facilities
Men's Sports:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross-country
- Football
- Golf
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Basketball
- Cross-country
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
Student clubs
Rice academics is constantly evolving, and the Academics Committee is on the cutting edge of new developments. The SA Academics Committee is passionate about keeping Rice’s academics both globally competitive and true to voice of the student body.
The SA Academics Committee initiates, facilitates, and follows up on academic initiatives across all academic majors and departments. In the past, we have initiated an official electronic transcript system, collected student feedback on a major overhaul to the registration process and hosted an outdoor research mixer that brought together Rice’s undergraduate and graduate researchers over Thai food.Accreditation
Officially accredited/recognized by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Rice University is a small (enrollment range: 5,000-5,999 students) coeducational higher education institution.
Rice University Overview
Rice University Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 1.6% United States
Top 2.4% Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
101
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | 101 | 101 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
103
By Times Higher Education
Climbed 9 places compared to 2025
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | 112 | 103 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
119
By TopUniversities
Climbed 22 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 145 | 141 | 119 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
219
By U.S. News & World Report
Climbed 4 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 180 | 223 | 219 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Rice University Campus Locations
#1 Main Campus
United States Country
Houston City
Rice University Student Reviews & Awards
4.4
Based on 19 reviews
- 5 Star 9 Reviews
- 4 Star 8 Reviews
- 3 Star 2 Reviews
- 2 Star 0 Reviews
- 1 Star 0 Reviews
How Students Rated This University
- Student Teacher Interaction 4.2
- Student Diversity 4.1
- Quality of Student Life 4.3
- Career Development 4.2
Best School Ever (for me)
I loved the campus environment. Everyone really works together and collaborates toward the shared goal of advancing society.
Remote Riara
I think it's great, I specifically loved their response to the new normal after Covid with classes being hybrid. This and their option for online learning for working students was a game changer for me and some of my friends who couldn't manage handling both work and day classes.
Unlimited Experiences and Opportunities
This university has given me opportunities such as being able to experience the Paris 2024 Olympics, work as a sports medicine intern and be a student manager for the Rice women's D1 soccer team. The social community is vibrant and the university does its best to facilitate your social experiences here. I have very little to dislike, my only comment being the lack of competitiveness of club sports and teams such as dance, soccer, etc., since we are a very small school.
Studied here? Share your experience
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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Student Teacher InteractionHow helpful were your teachers?
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Student DiversityHow diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
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Quality of Student LifeHow was your everyday life?
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Career DevelopmentDid the university provide support for your career development?