Carnegie Mellon vs. Rice

Should I go to Carnegie Mellon University or Rice University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Carnegie Mellon or Rice is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Vanderbilt UT Austin Duke NYU Johns Hopkins Case Western WUSTL Cornell Emory Baylor SMU Stanford
Carnegie Mellon University vs. Rice University comparison
Carnegie Mellon University Rice University College 3 College 4
Carnegie Mellon University Rice University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Carnegie Mellon Rice
Location Pittsburgh, PA Houston, TX
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 15,596 8,556
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #43 #9
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cmu.edu rice.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Carnegie Mellon Rice
Tuition (In State) $62,260 $57,210
Tuition (Out of State) $62,260 $57,210
Room & Board $17,468 $15,900
Avg Net Price $32,964 $20,587
Avg Grant Aid $47,550 $53,526
% Receiving Grant Aid 49% 57%

Admission

Carnegie Mellon Rice
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 33,707 31,059
Admitted 3,843 2,447
Acceptance Rate 11.4% 7.9%
Enrolled % 44.4% 46%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 34/36
SAT Range 1500/1570 1500/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Carnegie Mellon Rice
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (26%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

Carnegie Mellon Rice
Graduation Rate 87% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $102,700 $86,400
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,250 $10,227
Median Loan Payment $271 $105

Diversity

Carnegie Mellon Rice
% Men 32% 29%
% Women 21% 18%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 32% 37%
% Black 5% 7%
% Hispanic 8% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 18% 12%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

Carnegie Mellon Rice
% In-State 9% 35%
% Out-of-State 71% 48%

Campus

Carnegie Mellon Rice
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Carnegie Mellon University is larger than than Rice based on total student enrollment (15,596 students vs. 8,556 students)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Rice Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Carnegie Mellon or Rice?

  • Carnegie Mellon University is 8.8% more expensive to attend than Rice for in-state tuition ($62,260.00 vs. $57,210.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.8% higher at Carnegie Mellon than Rice University ($62,260.00 vs. $57,210.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rice University than Carnegie Mellon ($20,587 vs. $32,964)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rice University are 9.9% lower than costs at Carnegie Mellon University ($15,900 vs. $17,468)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rice University than Carnegie Mellon University (57% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rice University students is 12.6% larger than aid received Carnegie Mellon University ($53,526 vs. $47,550)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Rice Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Carnegie Mellon or Rice? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Rice or Carnegie Mellon .

  • The average SAT score at Rice University (1482) is 34 points higher than at Carnegie Mellon (1448)
  • Incoming Rice students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Carnegie Mellon (33)
  • Accepted freshman Rice students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Carnegie Mellon (3.89)
  • Carnegie Mellon has a higher acceptance rate (11.4%) than Rice (7.9%)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Rice Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Carnegie Mellon or Rice? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Rice and Carnegie Mellon.

  • The graduation rate at Rice is higher than Carnegie Mellon University (92% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $16,300 more per year than Rice graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $86,400)
  • Rice University students graduate with a $16,023 lower median federal student loan debt than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($10,227 vs. $26,250)
  • Rice graduates are paying $166 less per month on federal student loans than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($105 vs. $271)
  • More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rice students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 87%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/