Acceptance Rate History
Rice University Acceptance Rate: 8.0% in 2025 (2013–2025 history)
TX · Current rate: 8.0%
Rice University admits the SAT 1510–1560 range — you might be closer than you think.
This page is one school. The answer weighs it against the rest of your list, from what each school published.
What is Rice University's acceptance rate in 2025?
Rice University's acceptance rate in 2025 is 8.0%, roughly unchanged from 8.0% in 2024.
Common Data Set 2025-2026
Regular Decision acceptance rate at Rice University
Outside Early Decision, Rice University admitted 2,301 of 31,043 applicants in the 2025-2026 cycle: 7.4%. That counts everyone who did not apply Early Decision.
Rice University's Early Decision II deadline for the 2026-27 cycle is Jan 4, 2027.
Calculated from published counts · Common Data Set 2025-2026 · checked Aug 2026
How many applicants does Rice University admit, and what is its acceptance rate?
In its 2025 admissions cycle, Rice University admitted 2,948 of 36,791 applicants — an overall acceptance rate of 8.0%.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Does Rice University's 2025 acceptance rate include early-round applicants?
Yes. The 8.0% rate is one whole-cycle figure covering all 36,791 applicants Rice University received for 2025, early and regular rounds counted together; it is not the rate of any single round.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Acceptance Rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.0% | 36,791 | 2,948 |
| 2024 | 8.0% | 32,473 | 2,597 |
| 2023 | 7.9% | 31,059 | 2,447 |
| 2022 | 8.7% | 31,443 | 2,730 |
| 2021 | 9.5% | 29,544 | 2,802 |
| 2020 | 10.9% | 23,455 | 2,555 |
| 2019 | 8.7% | 27,087 | 2,361 |
| 2018 | 11.1% | 20,923 | 2,328 |
| 2017 | 15.9% | 18,063 | 2,864 |
| 2016 | 15.3% | 18,236 | 2,785 |
| 2015 | 16.0% | 17,951 | 2,865 |
| 2014 | 15.1% | 17,728 | 2,677 |
| 2013 | 16.7% | 15,415 | 2,581 |
Source: IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · College Scorecard
Cost
The same school, two different prices
Family income under $30k: $5,827/yr · Family income over $110k: $48,466/yr (AY 2023–24)
Average paid by students receiving federal aid, by family income (College Scorecard). International students are not eligible for U.S. federal aid, so they are not in this cohort and typically pay closer to the sticker price.
High-income families typically pay closer to sticker.
Aid for international students
Rice University awarded institutional aid to 164 international undergraduates, averaging $79,444 (2025-2026 Common Data Set).
These figures describe only the international students who actually received aid — not what a typical international admit can expect. International students outside this group pay the full sticker price.
Source: official Common Data Set filing
Admitted Student Profile
SAT Range · Middle 50% (25th–75th)
1510–1560
Common Data Set 2025-2026
Admitted students at Rice University scored between 1510 and 1560 on the SAT (middle 50%).
Source: College Scorecard · U.S. Dept of Education
What this school weighs — Rice University
Course rigor and GPA are not in this table. Nearly every school rates both at the top, so they tell you nothing about this one. These six are where schools differ.
| Class rank | Very important |
|---|---|
| Standardized test scores | Very important |
| Application essay | Very important |
| Recommendations | Very important |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important |
| Character / personal qualities | Very important |
Rice University Common Data Set 2025–26, section C7
How to read these numbers
- 1510–1560 is the middle half of admitted scores, not a cutoff: a quarter of admitted students scored below 1510, and a quarter scored above 1560.
- The table above holds 13 reported years, 2013 through 2025. Across them Rice University's rate ranged from 7.9% to 16.7%, so any single year is one point inside that range.
Each figure above describes a class a school already admitted in a completed cycle. It is a record of who was admitted, not a measurement of any one application.
Source: College Scorecard · IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · U.S. Dept. of Education
The rates above cover Rice University's whole applicant pool — early and regular rounds combined. For how the binding early round compares, read Rice University early decision acceptance rate.
Where do you stand?
School
Rice University
Rice University
SAT
Middle 50% of admitted students scored 1510–1560.
This is SAT only — one slice of an application, not the whole of it.
Your odds at every school on your list — $9.99 through Nov 15 →
Trend Analysis
Rice University's acceptance rate has decreased from 16.7% in 2013 to 8.0% in 2025, reflecting increased selectivity. The most notable shift occurred in 2018.
Analysis compiled from official data trends.
Similar Schools — Acceptance Rate History
Data sourced from IPEDS and College Scorecard. Does not represent endorsements or guarantee admission outcomes.