Rice University is a highly selective private research university located in Houston, Texas, in the Houston metropolitan area. It is small and has roughly 4,480 full-time undergraduate students and roughly 8,556 students total (undergrad + graduate). Admissions is extremely competitive with around 7.9% acceptance rate. Social Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, and Economics are popular majors. The six-year graduation rate is 94%, and Rice alumni have a median alumni salary of approximately US$89,700 recent median earnings of alumni.
Texas A&M University is a public land-grant research university in College Station, Texas, in a midsize suburb location. It is a big institution with approximately 61,442 undergraduates (Fall 2024) and a total of around 79,114 students from all campuses. Admissions are moderately competitive, with an overall acceptance rate of around 64.0%. Some of the more popular majors are Engineering, Business, Agriculture, Biology, and Social Sciences. The six-year graduation rate is around 84%. Median alumni salary of Texas A&M graduates is around US$85,685 for a bachelor's degree 10 years after graduation.
| Rice University | Texas A&M University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 5.7 Out of 10 | 5.7 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 103 Times Higher Education 2026 # 119 QS World University 2026 # 39 Financial Times 2025 | # 144 QS World University 2026 # 151 Times Higher Education 2026 # 82 Center for World University Rankings 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 89 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 351 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 | # 15 for Engineering by US News 2025 # 191 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 22 for Law by US News 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -45 PG Programs -26 Doctorate Programs -3 | UG Programs -88 PG Programs -84 Doctorate Programs -7 |
| Acceptance Rate | 7.9 % | 57.0 % |
| Exam Score | Duolingo-130 GMAT-680 IELTS-7 SAT-1490 TOEFL-100 | IELTS-6 TOEFL-80 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 50310 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 51500 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 24200 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 45645 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 20026 [For PG Program] |
| placement (average package) | THE Global University Employability Rankings- #56; Average salary- 82,883 USD; Top recruiters: Microsoft Corp, IB Corp, Baylor College of Medicine, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Intel Corporation; Highest paying degrees- MBA (132,000 USD), Bachelor of Arts (93,000 USD), Bachelor of Science (81,000 USD). | Average Salaries are as follows:
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| application requirements | Academic transcripts; School report (counsellor recommendation); 2 teacher recommendations; 2-3 LORs; Resume; SOPs/ Essays; Proof of English language proficiency; Standardized test scores; Additional Requirements (Work experience, Interview (upon invitation), Portfolio, etc.) | Essay; 3 letters of recommendation; Statement of Purpose; CV |
| Campuses and B-Schools | NA | Mays Business School |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.3/10 Read 4 reviews | 8.0/10 Read 5 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 89 for Business by QS World University 2026 # 29 for Business by US News 2025 # 126 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 | # 43 for Business by US News 2025 # 64 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 92 for Business by QS World University 2025 |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 115/160GRE - 322/340IELTS - 7/9TOEFL - 90/120 | IELTS - 7/9TOEFL - 100/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -66000 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) - |
| application dates | Jan 8, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) Mar 24, 2025 (Round 2 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) | Jan 28, 2026 (Final Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) Oct 15, 2026 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | Rice University | Texas A&M University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1912 | 1876 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 21:1:1 |
| Male:Female | 53% Male, 47% Female | 53% Male, 47% Female |
| Location Facts | a residential college system set on a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas; Located just minutes from downtown Houston, the Museum District and the world’s largest medical center. | Texas A&M’s College Station campus is one of the largest in USA; located in Brazos Valley, also known as Aggieland; a railroad track operated by Union Pacific divides the campus into two parts: east and west side; Other campuses of university are located in Qatar, Galveston and McAllen |
| Library | Over 2.8 million print volumes; 72,000+ print & electronic serial titles; 141,000+ subscriptions; 4,000+ DVDs/CDs/VHS recordings; Library Service Center (off-site storage facility) holds over 1.1 million volumes, with a facility capacity of 1.8 million. | Ranked 1st among SEC universities and 8th among US public universities by Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in 2017-18; 11,000 databases, 114,000 e-journals, 1.8 million ebooks, 5.8 million volumes and 7 million web views; 5 libraries: Cushing Memorial, Evans Library, Medical Sciences, Policy Science and Economics , Business |
| Campus Life | 11 co-ed colleges; Dining facilities such as 4.Tac0, @Sammy’s, Whoo Deli, Valhalla, etc.; 200+ student organizations; Rice Players (Houston’s oldest student-run theatre company); Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation Center; Moody Center for the Arts (experimental space for both fabrication and exhibition); James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace (hosts musical performances and acts as a laboratory for Shepherd School of Music students). | University has over 1000 student clubs and organizations including Corps of Cadets, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Student Government, and Music Activities; has a Police and Health Service department for safety and well-being of students; Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A food court, Einstein Bros Bagels are located inside the campus |
| Hostel | #On-Campus Living Expenses - $18100 #Off-Campus Living Expenses - $6100 | - |
| Famous Alumni | several US Congressmen & Cabinet Secretaries; 9 astronauts, 9 Major League Baseball players, 2 Nobel Laureates; Lance Berkman (Baseball outfielder); Larry McMurtry (American novelist); Howard Hughes (American business magnate); Annise Parker (Former Mayor of Houston); Alberto Gonzales (US Attorney General); Peggy Whitson (American astronaut); Dave Hyatt (American software engineer). | Rick Perry (US Secretary of Energy); Robert Gates (US Secretary of Defence); Holly Ridings (first woman chief flight director at NASA); John Kimbrough (actor); Gene Stallings (3 Super Bowl title-winning coach); Robert Earl Keen (guitarist); George P. Mitchell (chairman and CEO of Saudi Aramco); Charles E. Toberman (popularly known as Father of Hollywood); |
| City Life | Houston- most populated city in Texas; recognized for its energy industry; home to the famous Space Center Houston, Livestock Show and Rodeo, Museum District, Buffalo Bayou Park, Houston Zoo, The Heights, beaches of Galveston, Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park, etc.; Houses second-most Fortune 500 headquarters in USA; Unemployment Rate- 3.6% (Dec 2019). | Texas has a deepwater port on Texas Gulf Coast and is known as petroleum refining & petrochemical manufacturing center; Unemployment rate was 2.1% in May 2019; considered as the largest producer of oil, cattle, sheep, minerals, cotton, and wool in the USA |
| Weather |
Rice University vs Texas A&M University
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
Both Rice and Texas A&M are strongly ranked research universities with good reputations. Rice is extraordinarily selective, very strong in Engineering, Computer Science, Social Sciences, and Biology, and often places very highly in national research output per student rankings. Texas A&M is also very well regarded, particularly for Engineering, Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Energy, and other applied fields, and maintains large scale research efforts. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, Rice ranks 119th whereas Texas A&M is around 144th rank. Rice tends to be ranked above Texas A&M in many of the rankings, particularly per-student, but Texas A&M surpasses in size and scope of programs.
General Information
Rice, with an enrollment of around 8,556, is considerably smaller than Texas A&M's enrollment of around 79,114. Rice's Houston campus allows for a close-knit community due to its residential college system, providing around 68 undergraduate majors and numerous graduate programs. Texas A&M's College Station campus, along with its system campuses, offers so much more with more undergraduate and graduate programs, sprawling facilities, and a vast alumni base particularly strong within Texas and national engineering/agricultural fields.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
Rice's admissions are extremely selective, with acceptance at approximately 7.9%, against Texas A&M's about 63.0%. Rice admitted applicants usually have extremely high standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) and high academic records, whereas Texas A&M has relatively less selective admissions, although still selective particularly for specific programs. Rice also boasts a high yield (percentage of enrolled admitted students). Texas A&M's test-score ranges are lower overall, and admissions standards depend heavily on test scores and GPA (although test-optional policies could change by program and year).
Research Impact & Facilities
Both Rice and Texas A&M are R1 research universities with very high research activity. Rice has the advantage of high-impact research in nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, social sciences, and energy studies and good small-scale interdisciplinary research; the facilities such as the Baker Institute and good research libraries facilitate that. Texas A&M's infrastructure is broader in scope: wide research labs, large capacity in Agricultural and Energy research, big faculty and student population, and extensive industry partnerships. Texas A&M has high research productivity in quantity; Rice frequently in per-student influence and selectivity.
Cost & Financial Aid
Rice's fees and tuition are high; net price (what students pay after aid) is much lower for most, particularly students from families with low or moderate means. Many Rice students receive generous aid. Texas A&M's in-state rate is much lower for Texas residents; out-of-state is more expensive but still usually less expensive in net price than most private schools, based on aid. Average aid packages at the two schools vary; Rice gives larger grants/scholarships to needy students, whereas Texas A&M has more students paying in-state rates, with scholarships/aid based on merit and need.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
Rice alumni have median salaries of approximately US$89,700, reflecting robust long-term outcomes. Texas A&M alumni also enjoy high return, with an approximate US$85,685 median 10-year outcome for bachelor's degree holders, according to recent ROI studies. Rice's graduation rate (94%) is a small percentage higher than that of Texas A&M (~84%), reflecting robust student retention and completion at Rice. Texas A&M enjoys scale advantage, wide alumni base, particularly engineering and agriculture, energy, and Texas- and beyond-connected industries; Rice's smaller size is countered by high prestige, good reputation, and high per-student achievements.
