Rice University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Rice University, a private college in Texas, reports a 8% acceptance rate and sits in the most selective band. In practice that means it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Rice University weighs, where it ranks among Texas schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1560, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What is Rice University's acceptance rate?
Rice University admitted 2,447 of 31,059 first-year applicants for fall 2023, an acceptance rate of 8%. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1510 to 1570 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT.
Source: IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 29, 2026.
Rice University application deadlines, 2026-27 · Rice University supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at Rice University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Rice University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Rice University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Rice University?
Your odds at Rice University are not the same as its 8% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Rice University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Rice University hard to get into?
Rice University is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 8% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Rice University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Rice University, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. Rice University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Rice University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Rice University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Rice University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1540 SAT?
About 15% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1540 SAT, the middle of Rice University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1570 SAT comes out near 17%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/rice-university.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Rice University
From Rice University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
How many students get off the waitlist at Rice University?
66 for fall 2025. Rice University offered 3,196 applicants a waitlist spot, 2,204 accepted one, and 66 were admitted from it: 3% of those who stayed on (Rice University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: Rice University Common Data Set 2025-26. Every figure appears verbatim in the document. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Rice University
Built from Rice University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Rice University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Rice University carries about a 3.91 core GPA and a 1520 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1510 to 1570 SAT (34 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1540 or higher; below 1510, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Rice University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Rice University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Rice University's exact dates at www.rice.edu.
How many students apply to Rice University, and how many get in?
Rice University admitted 2,447 of the 31,059 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 7.9%. 1,125 enrolled. Roughly 46% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Rice University enrolls about 4,776 undergraduates in total, 50% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Rice University?
Admitted students at Rice University post SAT scores of 1510 to 1570 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1553. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 34 to 35. A score above 1570 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1510 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Rice University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Rice University looks for
What Rice University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Rice University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Rice University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Rice University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Rice University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Rice University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $79,788 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $64,144. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,370 a year, and it ranges from $5,827 for families earning under $30,000 to $48,466 for families earning over $110,000. 17% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Rice University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Rice University students ten years after entry are $89,718 ($79,751 at the six-year mark). 95% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 97% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $11,000; 6% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Rice University compares in Texas
Rice University ranks #1 most selective of 53 schools in Texas in our database.
Among the 53 Texas schools we track, Rice University ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes Trinity University (TX) at 26%.
Similar to Rice University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Rice University often weigh Northwestern University, Williams College, and Cornell University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rice University's acceptance rate?
Rice University admitted 2,447 of 31,059 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 7.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 46% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Rice University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1510 to 1570 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1570 is in the top quarter of admits. Rice University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Rice University test-optional?
Yes. Rice University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Rice University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Rice University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $13,370 a year against a sticker price of about $79,788. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $5,827 on average.
What do Rice University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Rice University are $89,718 a year among students who received federal aid, and 95% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Rice University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Rice University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Rice University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Rice University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Rice University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Rice University specifically.
Can I get into Rice University with a perfect GPA and test scores?
Top grades and scores are necessary but not sufficient at Rice University. At this selectivity most applicants are already academically qualified, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.