Rice University admission is quite selective with an overall acceptance rate of 9.48%. For the class of 2025, a total of 29,544 students applied to Rice University out of which only 2,802 students were accepted. Out of this, 26.7% are international students from 150 countries. Rice University reviews applications holistically with the goal of enrolling a diverse class of students from around the world Also Check: Student Reviews of Rice University.

  • Admission Requirements: Applicants should have at least a GPA of 3.0 (~86%)to apply for Rice University. However, the average GPA of the admitted students at Rice University is usually 3.96 on the 4.0 scale which is almost 92%.
  • Eligibility Criteria for MBA: To get into MBA at Rice, 2 Letters of Recommendation and a personal essay are required and these can be responsible for making or breaking the applications.
  • Decision Date: Regular Decision applicants who submitted their materials by January 4th will find out their admissions choices on April 1st.
  • Most Enrolled Programs: The most enrolled majors at the university are Mechanical Engineering, Cognitive Science, Computer and Information Sciences, Economics, and Biochemistry.

Rice University Class Profile

The class profile of Rice University for the class of 2025 is given below.

Total Application Received 29,635
Number of Applications Accepted 2,802
Acceptance Rate 9%
Number Of Students Enrolled 1,226
Number of Female Students 630
Number of Male Students 596
Percentage of International Students 13%

Rice University Admission Deadlines

What are the application deadlines for international students? Admission to international undergraduates is offered in only the fall semester whereas graduate international students have different admission deadlines for the respective programs.

Applicants Deadlines
UG Early Decisions November 1
Undergraduate January 4
Graduate October 1

Rice University Undergraduate Admission

Admission at the university is competitive hence applications need to be submitted duly completing all the requirements and carefully written SOPs and LORs. An applicant should have at least a 3.5 GPA (~89-93%) in High school and 3.0 (~83-86%) in Bachelors depending on the level of the degree.

University offers more than 50 undergraduate programs in the field of architecture, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences, and social sciences. In addition to that minors, interdisciplinary and pre-professional programs are also offered.

How to apply: Interested applicants can apply for admission at Rice University through the university’s official admission portal, Common Application or Coalition application along with an application fee of 75 USD for both UG and PG programs.

Application Portal: Coalition application or the common application or online application, Application Fee: 75 USD (~5,850 INR)

Documents Required:

  • A completed application
  • Payment of 75 USD non-refundable application fee
  • Official high school transcripts
  • Letter of recommendation
  • English proficiency test score
  • International student financial statement
  • Rice supplement (Essay and Rice Box)
  • Letter of recommendation (3: one from counselor, two from teachers)

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Rice University Graduate Admission

University offers two types of graduate studies; research-based programs and professional master’s programs. Programs are offered in the field of architecture, education, continuing studies, engineering, applied physics, computer science, statistics, etc.

Application Portal: Rice University Graduate ApplicationApplication Fee: 85 USD (~6,625 INR)

Documents Required: The basic eligibility criteria for admission are discussed as follows:

  • A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (~83-86%) or the equivalent in their undergraduate
  • GRE or GMAT scores can be submitted, if available.
  • English proficiency test scores

Course-specific admission to PG programs at Rice University is discussed below:

Program Master of Computer Science Master of Statistics Master of Accounting Maters in Chemical Engineering Master of Business administration
Official transcripts Required Required Required Required Required
GRE scores Not Required Required Not Required Not Required Required
Letters of recommendation 3 3 3 3 1 to 2
Resume Required Required Required Not Required Yes
Essay/SOP Required Not Required Required Required Essay

English Proficiency Test Score Requirements

What are the language proficiency exams accepted by Rice University? Mentioned below are the exams accepted by Rice University along with the minimum required scores:

Exam Minimum Test Scores
TOEFL iBT 90-100
TOEFL PBT 575
IELTS 7.0
Duolingo 120

US Visa Application Process

After completing the application process, international students receive I-20, on the basis of which they need to apply for a US student Visa. The following documents are required to be submitted with the visa application form at the US Embassy:

Required documents :

  • Copy of Passport
  • Acceptance letter from the university
  • I-20 form
  • Financial documentation as proof
  • Fees of 200 USD
  • Any other document needed to support the application

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Rice University Admission Decision

The decisions at Rice University are made in two intakes. Below are decision Decision that applicant mat receive after apply through Early Decision or Regular Decision

Early Decision: students whose applications have been accepted by the university and selected Rice University as their first choice for admission will be required to withdraw all the other applications. Also, such candidates will be required to submit all of their documents by November 1, 2022 and the admission decision will be notified by mid-December. Below are the likely outcomes after applying to Rice University via Early Decision:

  • Admitted to the University
  • Will be deferred to Regular Decision intake
  • Application denied for admission

Regular Decision: To those applying through Regular Decision are advised to submit their required documents by January 4. Such will be notified about their admission decision latest by April 1. Below are the likely outcome via Regular Decision:

  • Admitted to the university
  • Will be put under waiting list and may be accepted to the university based on availability
  • Admission denied

Note: Submission of GMAT or GRE scores is considered. However, GRE/GMAT requirement has been waived for the 2021 academic session.

The university takes 4-6 weeks for the decision and status of the application. Keeping the standard of the university and the selectivity in taking admissions, a strategically prepared SOP and exceptional LORs may prove an asset to the academically talented applicants

FAQs

Ques. How to apply at Rice University, USA?

Ans. You can apply through UG - Apply online or Coalition application or the common application and Graduate online application.

Ques. Is it easy to get into Rice University, USA?

Ans. No, Rice university is most selective with an acceptance rate of 9.48%.

Ques. What are the English requirements for international students at Rice University, USA?

Ans. The required minimum score to prove proficiency for an international applicant is: 

Exam Minimum Test Scores
TOEFL iBT 90-100
IELTS 7.0
Duolingo 120

Ques. What are the admission requirements for international students at Rice University?

Ans. Interested applicants can apply for admission at Rice University through the university’s Common Application by fulfilling the mentioned below admission requirements: 

  • Transcripts
  • Early Decision agreement
  • International student financial statement
  • Letter of Recommendation
  • Architecture portfolio
  • Standardized exam scores
  • Resume
  • Essays
  • Work experience
  • Extracurricular activities
  • English Proficiency Test scores

Ques. What are the top master's programs at Rice University?

Ans. The university offers 20 master's programs including architecture, business, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences, and social sciences, with multiple opportunities for research and collaboration. Some of the top programs are mentioned below with their annual tuition fees: 

Ques. Is there a compulsory interview requirement for admission to Rice University, USA?

Ans. No, There’s no interview requirement, but it is recommended.