Unlike most universities with a fraternity/sorority house system, students here are separated into eleven dorm colleges that have their own dining halls and public rooms. It's almost like the four houses from Harry Potter. The dorm colleges arrange social events and often have a friendly rivalry with each other.

Rice University is known for its science and engineering programs, including the first space science department in the U.S., which can prepare graduates to pursue jobs at NASA. With a low student-to-faculty ratio of just 6-to-1, Rice offers personalized guidance to its students.

The university was founded in 1891 and endowed by Houston businessman William Marsh Rice. The Rice Institute (as it was then named) opened its doors in 1912. It became a university in 1960. In 1963 the first space science department in the United States was established at Rice.

Overview. Rice University is a private institution that was founded in 1912. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,494 (fall 2022), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 300 acres.

Rice University is ranked #17 out of 439 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.

Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

Rice University Rankings

• National. Best Colleges for Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in America. 1 of 591. Best Colleges for Sports Management in America. 1 of 454.
• Texas. Most Diverse Colleges in Texas. 1 of 75. Best Colleges in Texas.
• Houston Area. Best Colleges in Houston Area. 1 of 8. Best Value Colleges in Houston Area.

Rice remains the highest rated university in Texas and the 15th highest rated private university in the country. Rice landed among the nation's top 10 universities in two other categories with its undergraduate teaching program tied for No. 6 and its biomedical engineering program ranked No. 9.

Rice is named after the Houston businessman William Marsh Rice who provided the money in his will to begin the university. Rice is organized into eleven residential colleges and eight schools of study, for natural sciences, engineering, humanities, business, architecture, and music.

Rice University is a small private university located on an urban campus in Houston, Texas. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,076, and admissions are extremely selective, with an acceptance rate of 11%.

Rice University is a jewel, made more perfect by the fact that it is not like most universities in this day and age. The residential college system, the intimate class size, the relentless drive to excel: all these are unparalleled.

Near the Houston Museum District is a pleasant neighborhood alongside Rice University, a great private research university. Many consider Rice to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, with lovely architecture and a park-like feel yet also an urban center.