If you are applying to Rice, the regular decision application deadline is January 1 and the fee for the application is $75.
Students who apply to Rice for the fall semester should hear back from Rice by April 1.
The following is an overiew of some of Rice's admissions stats.
Rice 2022 | Admissions Statistics |
---|---|
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class | 92% |
Admissions Test Policy | Test Optional |
Applicants Who Submit SATs | 46% |
Applicants Who Submit ACTs | 29% |
Waitlist | Yes |
These are the application deadlines for Rice University.
Application Type | Offered | Application Deadline | Notification Deadline |
---|---|---|---|
Early Decision I | Info Not Available | –– | –– |
Early Decision II | –– | –– | –– |
Early Action | No | –– | –– |
Regular Decision | Yes | January 15 | April 1 |
Rice University may or may not offer early admission, however the school has not provided any application information. Check with Rice directly for more information about early applications.
The early decision acceptance rate at Rice is 18%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 9%. In 2022, Rice admitted 478 of the 2635 students who applied early decision.
➡️ Explore a list of some competetive colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.
It is extremely difficult to get into Rice.
In 2021, Rice accepted 9% of students, around 2,802 from 29,544 applicants.
Schools that are extremely difficult to get into, like Rice, accept fewer than 30% of all applicants. At least 75% of admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1310 on the SAT or over 29 on the ACT.
Transfer student admissions is extremely difficult.
In 2022, Rice waitlisted 3,016 students and 2,118 accepted a place on the waitlist. Of those, 2 eventually were offered a spot.
Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college determines which factors are are most important in the admissions process. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that put the most emphasis on the areas where you shine.
What does Rice consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.
Admissions Factor | Level |
---|---|
Academic GPA | Very Important |
Character/Personal Qualities | Very Important |
Class Rank | Very Important |
Extracurricular Activities | Very Important |
Application Essay | Very Important |
Recommendation(s) | Very Important |
Rigor of Secondary School Record | Very Important |
Talent/Ability | Very Important |
Standardized Test Scores | Very Important |
Alumni/ae Relations | Considered |
Geographical Residence | Considered |
Work Experience | Considered |
Level of Applicant's Interest | Considered |
First Generation | Considered |
Interview | Considered |
Racial/Ethnic Status | Considered |
State Residency | Considered |
Volunteer Work | Considered |
Make sure to check with Rice for more information on admission factors.
To apply to Rice, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with Rice's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.
Area | Required | Recommended | Required for Some | Details (If Any) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Interview | √ | |||
Other Requirements | √ | portfolio for architecture, audition for music | ||
Transcript(S) of College Record | ||||
Standardized Test Scores | ||||
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S) | ||||
Letter(s) of Recommendation | 2 | |||
Written Essay or Personal Statement | √ | |||
Transcript of High School Record | √ |
Rice has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.
Out of all students that were admitted, 44% submitted a class rank. At Rice 92% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 97% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.
At Rice University, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.
GPA | Percent of Students |
---|---|
4.0 GPA | –– |
3.75 and 3.99 | –– |
3.50 and 3.74 | –– |
3.25 and 3.49 | –– |
3.00 and 3.24 | –– |
2.50 and 2.9 | –– |
2.00 and 2.49 | –– |
This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.
Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Rice directly.
About GPAs
Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.
An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.
Rice looks at standardized tests scores during the admissions process.
Rice is a test optional school. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.
In 2022, 46% of Rice's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 29% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.
To be competitive with other Rice applicants, you should aim to score between 720 and 770 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Rice 25% of admitted students scored higher than 770 and 25% of scored lower than 720, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.
On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Rice students scored 35 or higher and 75% of students scored 770 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Rice students scored 800 or higher, and 75% scored a 770 or higher.
To be most competitive at Rice, you should strive to earn between 32 and 35 on the ACT.
An ACT score of 35 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Rice's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 35, and three out of four students scored lower than 35 on the ACT.
A 32 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Rice students. Only one out of every four students scored below 32.
Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.
For transfer students, it is extremely difficult to get admitted to Rice.
For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 15. Applicants should hear back by May 1.
Transfer students can enroll in Rice during the following terms:
• Fall Term
• Spring Term
Can I defer my acceptance to Rice?
✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Rice.
Does Rice accept transfer credits?
✅ Rice accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.
Does Rice accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?
✅ Rice accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.
Do I have to submit test scores to Rice?
❌ No, Rice is test optional, so you can decide whether to submit your standardized test scores. If your scores are higher than the school's average, you may want to send them. If you scored lower than a school's average, you may want not want to include them in your application.
What is Rice's acceptance rate?
✅ Rice's acceptance rate is 9%.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Rice?
✅ Rice's early decision acceptance rate was 18% in 2021.
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Admission Difficulty
How hard is it to get into Rice? Rice is a selective institution. The Rice acceptance rate is 9%. This means that the institution accepts 9 out of every 100 applicants.
First-Year Applications are Due
Transfer Applications are Due
The deadline for Fall first-year applications to Rice is Jan 1.
The deadline for Fall transfer applications to Rice is Mar 15.
Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs
ACT Range
ACT Score
Estimated Chance
35 and Above
32 to 35
32 and Less
Composite SAT Range
Math SAT Range
Reading SAT Range
Avg. High School GPA (non-weighted)
Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved
Total Enrollment
Campus Setting
Acceptance Rate
Tuition and Fees
In State
Out-of-State
Fall Freshmen
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