Rice University
Rice University is a small, private, four-year institution of higher education located in Houston, Texas, a city of approximately 2.39 million people and the fourth most populous city in the United States. Comprising 8 academic schools – Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering and Computing, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences – Rice aspires to conduct groundbreaking research, offer unsurpassed teaching, and make valuable contributions to the betterment of our world. We seek to fulfill this mission by fostering a collaborative culture that encourages investigators to work across disciplinary boundaries to create an environment of discovery, catalyze innovative research and teaching, and, in turn, produce leaders across the spectrum of human endeavor.
Faculty members
Contributing to this effort are 912 full-time faculty members, each of whom sparks the intellectual excitement of a major research university. The quantity, quality, and impact of their scholarly publications have resulted in Rice being ranked 17th among the best universities in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2026 edition. This productivity has translated into significant research dollars; in fiscal year 2024, Rice faculty generated $192,424,000 in annual sponsored program revenues. Because of factors such as these, the Carnegie Foundation recognized Rice as a “Research One” university with a classification of “Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production.”
Faculty recognition
Rice’s faculty members have distinguished themselves among their peers for their dedication to research, and have received numerous honors and awards, among which are the following: Nobel Laureates (3), National Academy of Sciences (14), National Academy of Engineering (19), National Academy of Medicine (4), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (23), National Humanities Center (8), Guggenheim (3), and the Pulitzer Prize (3). National Medal of Science (1).
Student population
Even as Rice’s faculty members dedicate themselves to scholarship and research, they at the same time demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching. They have maintained a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1 to provide their highly gifted students an exceptional education. Indeed, Rice’s small size—the university has 4,793 undergraduate students and 4,185 graduate students—allows its students to participate in innovative research alongside world-class faculty and to become actively engaged in the creation of new knowledge and technology. Rice encourages undergraduate and graduate students to become engaged in the creation of new knowledge and technology, and more than 70% of our undergraduates participate in research during their time at Rice. By providing personal attention and offering excellent programs, Rice ensures that its graduates are well prepared for an ever-changing world.
Webpages:
https://ideas.rice.edu/reporting-analytics/rice-glance/, Rice at a Glance; Rice University Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges, U.S. News and World Report, Best Colleges, 2025.
Source: Phyllis McBride, Executive Director, Office of Research Development Services
Last Updated: December 2025.