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Acceptance Rate History

Rice University Acceptance Rate (2013–2025)

TX · Current rate: 8.0%

College Scorecard · IPEDSU.S. Dept. of Education

Rice University admits the SAT 1510–1570 range — you might be closer than you think.

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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

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

YearAcceptance RateApplicantsAdmitted
20258.0%36,7912,948
20248.0%32,4732,597
20237.9%31,0592,447
20228.7%31,4432,730
20219.5%29,5442,802
202010.9%23,4552,555
20198.7%27,0872,361
201811.1%20,9232,328
201715.9%18,0632,864
201615.3%18,2362,785
201516.0%17,9512,865
201415.1%17,7282,677
201316.7%15,4152,581

Source: IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · College Scorecard

Cost

Sticker pricePublished cost of attendance — tuition, fees, housing and food. (AY 2023–24)
$79,788/yr
What families actually payAvg. for families receiving federal aid (AY 2023–24)
$13,370/yr
4-year totalSticker cost of attendance × 4 years. (AY 2023–24)
$319,152
Tuition(AY 2024–25)
$64,144/yr
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entryFormer students, federal earnings records. (measured 2020–21, entry cohort 2009–11)
$89,718/yr

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)

15101570

College Scorecard 2024

Admitted students at Rice University scored between 1510 and 1570 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.

Common Data Set 2025–26
Class rankVery important
Standardized test scoresVery important
Application essayVery important
RecommendationsVery important
Extracurricular activitiesVery important
Character / personal qualitiesVery important

Rice University Common Data Set 2025–26, section C7

How to read these numbers

  • 1510–1570 is the middle half of admitted scores, not a cutoff: a quarter of admitted students scored below 1510, and a quarter scored above 1570.
  • 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

40015101570

Middle 50% of admitted students scored 1510–1570.

This is SAT only. Your free full score also weighs your GPA, activities, and awards.

Enter your SAT above to see where you stand. Or get your free full score →

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.

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Data sourced from IPEDS and College Scorecard. Does not represent endorsements or guarantee admission outcomes.