Rice University
Rice publishes 8.0% (Fall 2025 entering class). Early Decision applicants got in at 11%; everyone else at 7.4%.
Acceptance rate
What Rice's 8.0% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Rice reports itself.
By application round
Fall 2025 entering class (Rice CDS 2025-26, Tab C1)
Read the full decomposition →Early Decision advantage
11% of 5,748 ED applicants were admitted (647), against 7.4% for everyone else.
Fall 2025 entering class (Rice CDS 2025-26, Tab C1 & C21) · as of August 2026
See where Rice ranks →Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
Rice's official first-year applicant page states Rice 'recommends' but does not require SAT/ACT submission; applicants without scores receive full consideration. No future required-testing change found.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1510–1570sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 34–35
- Average HS GPA
- Not published by the school
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 1, 2026 (ED1); Jan 4, 2027 (ED2)
- Regular decision
- Jan 4, 2027Source
- Supplemental essays
- 3 required
Three required short essays: 150 words on interest in chosen academic area(s), 150 words on what appeals about the Rice experience, and 500 words choosing one of two prompts about contributing to the Rice community (residential college system or diverse perspectives). Applicants also submit a non-evaluative visual element called 'The Box.'
- AI use in essays
No Official Policy
We reviewed Rice's admissions FAQ (which covers essays, testing, and materials), apply overview, and first-year applicant pages — no AI section anywhere.
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 4,776
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $64,144
- Category
- Elite Private
- Admissions site
- www.rice.edu
Dewey Smart
Dewey students who got into Rice
Mentors who got into Rice
Our mentors who go to Rice, or just graduated from it.
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- Rice test policy (2026-27)
- Rice admissions pages
- Rice admissions pages
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
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