Rice University is a private research-oriented comprehensive university located in Houston, Texas, USA. The following is a detailed introduction to the school:

School Overview

Long history: Founded in 1892 by Texas cotton tycoon William Marshall Rice, it officially enrolled students in 1912.

Core values: In 1908, the first president Edgar Odell Lovett proposed that the core values ​​of the university are "high academic standards, small schools, and strict selection system". The school adheres to the small and fine school-running philosophy and is known as "a university with fewer students than trees".

Campus size: Covering an area of ​​300 acres, the campus has no walls and there are many oak trees on campus.

Excellent ranking: Ranked 141st in the 2025 QS World University Rankings; 119th in the 2024 Times Higher Education Rankings; 101-150th in the 2023 Soft Science World University Rankings; Ranked 1st in the USNews 2024 National University Rankings 17.

Academic Strength

College Settings: There are 8 colleges, including the School of Architecture, Jones School of Business, George Brown School of Engineering, School of Humanities, Shepherd School of Music, Weiss School of Natural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, and interdisciplinary courses.

Rich Majors: More than 50 undergraduate majors are offered across seven research departments, covering architecture, business, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences, and providing a variety of research and cooperation opportunities.

Strong Faculty: The student-faculty ratio is 6:1, with more than 8,600 students and more than 900 faculty and staff. As of 2023, there are 3 Nobel Prize winners, 47 members of the prestigious Academy of Sciences, including 29 from the National Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Sciences and Medicine, and 18 from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and 270 NSF Career Awards in the fields of science and engineering have been won.

Research Resources: Fondren Library is one of more than 1,000 federal depository libraries in the United States. In addition, there are research platforms such as the Baker Institute for Public Policy, the Bioscience Research Collaboration (BRC), and the Bonyuk Institute.

Campus Life

Accommodation System: The school adopts the residential college system, with a total of 8 residential colleges, each with about 225 students. The students have close relationships and a strong sense of identity with the college, but due to insufficient housing, the allocation is determined by lottery. Every year, 25% of the students solve accommodation off campus.

Social Activities: With more than 240 student clubs and sports competition teams, as well as an entertainment center, the school attaches importance to the cultivation of students' collaborative spirit, group consciousness, communication and leadership through extracurricular activities.

Practical Activities: Through the combination of the school and the community, student services and other activities are carried out to cultivate students' hands-on ability and innovative consciousness, such as the "Direct to Houston" project, which opens the favorable resources in the Houston area to students for free.

Application Requirements

Undergraduate Application: In terms of language scores, the minimum TOEFL score is 100 and the minimum IELTS score is 7.0; SAT and ACT scores need to be submitted. The ACT score is generally 32-35 points for admission, and the Common Application is also required. Submit two teacher recommendation letters and a school report written by a counselor, as well as midterm transcripts, high school transcripts, TOEFL and IELTS transcripts, standardized transcripts, international student economic reports, etc.

Graduate application: The average grade point average (GPA) for undergraduates is generally not less than 3.0, the minimum TOEFL score is 90, and the minimum IELTS score is 7.0; different colleges have special requirements, such as the School of Architecture requires additional design papers, the Business School requires a GMAT score of 700, the School of Engineering recommends submitting additional GRE subject score tests, and the School of Music requires submission of additional portfolios and professional papers.