Cornell vs. Rice

Should I go to Cornell University or Rice University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cornell 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.

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Cornell University vs. Rice University comparison
Cornell University Rice University College 3 College 4
Cornell University Rice University
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Overview

Cornell Rice
Location Ithaca, NY Houston, TX
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 25,898 8,672
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #19 #9
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cornell.edu rice.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cornell Rice
Tuition (In State) $62,456 $54,100
Tuition (Out of State) $62,456 $54,100
Room & Board $16,988 $15,000
Avg Net Price $26,060 $19,902
Avg Grant Aid $54,219 $51,955
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 56%

Admission

Cornell Rice
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 69,195 31,443
Admitted 5,168 2,730
Acceptance Rate 7.5% 8.7%
Enrolled % 67.6% 44.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 34/36
SAT Range 1470/1570 1490/1570
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 2, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Cornell Rice
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

Cornell Rice
Graduation Rate 93% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,400 $86,400
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,000 $10,227
Median Loan Payment $124 $105

Diversity

Cornell Rice
% Men 47% 57%
% Women 53% 43%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 41% 37%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 12% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 10% 12%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

Cornell Rice
% In-State 33% 36%
% Out-of-State 55% 47%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than Rice based on total student enrollment (25,898 students vs. 8,672 students)

Cornell vs. Rice Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or Rice?

  • Cornell University is 15.4% more expensive to attend than Rice for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $54,100.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.4% higher at Cornell than Rice University ($62,456.00 vs. $54,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rice University than Cornell ($19,902 vs. $26,060)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rice University are 13.3% lower than costs at Cornell University ($15,000 vs. $16,988)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rice University than Cornell University (56% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 4.4% larger than aid received Rice University ($54,219 vs. $51,955)

Cornell vs. Rice Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rice University (1482) is 54 points higher than at Cornell (1428)
  • Incoming Rice students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Cornell (32)
  • Accepted freshman Rice students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Cornell (3.9)
  • Rice has a higher acceptance rate (8.7%) than Cornell (7.5%)

Cornell vs. Rice Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cornell 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 Cornell.

  • The graduation rate at Cornell is higher than Rice University (93% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $12,000 more per year than Rice graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $86,400)
  • Rice University students graduate with a $1,773 lower median federal student loan debt than Cornell graduates. ($10,227 vs. $12,000)
  • Rice graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Cornell graduates. ($105 vs. $124)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rice students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 87%)

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