Rice vs. TCU

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

Baylor SMU Vanderbilt UT Austin Duke Texas A&M WUSTL Emory Johns Hopkins Stanford Cornell Northwestern
Rice University vs. Texas Christian University comparison
Rice University Texas Christian University College 3 College 4
Rice University Texas Christian University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Rice TCU
Location Houston, TX Fort Worth, TX
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 8,672 12,273
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #9 #107
Religious Affiliation - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rice.edu tcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Rice TCU
Tuition (In State) $54,100 $53,890
Tuition (Out of State) $54,100 $53,890
Room & Board $15,000 $14,250
Avg Net Price $19,902 $44,190
Avg Grant Aid $51,955 $28,048
% Receiving Grant Aid 56% 89%

Admission

 Rice TCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,443 16,197
Admitted 2,730 9,087
Acceptance Rate 8.7% 56.1%
Enrolled % 44.1% 27.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.96 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 34/36 26/31
SAT Range 1490/1570 1140/1360
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Rice TCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Rice TCU
Graduation Rate 92% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $86,400 $57,600
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,227 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $105 $222

Diversity

 Rice TCU
% Men 57% 39%
% Women 43% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 37% 73%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 14% 11%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 0%
% International 12% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Rice TCU
% In-State 36% 43%
% Out-of-State 47% 52%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Texas Christian University is larger than than Rice based on total student enrollment (12,273 students vs. 8,672 students)

Rice vs. TCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Rice or TCU?

  • Rice University is 0.4% more expensive to attend than TCU for in-state tuition ($54,100.00 vs. $53,890.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.4% higher at Rice than Texas Christian University ($54,100.00 vs. $53,890.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rice University than TCU ($19,902 vs. $44,190)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Texas Christian University are 5.3% lower than costs at Rice University ($14,250 vs. $15,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Texas Christian University than Rice University (89% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rice University students is 85.2% larger than aid received Texas Christian University ($51,955 vs. $28,048)

Rice vs. TCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rice University (1482) is 262 points higher than at TCU (1220)
  • Incoming Rice students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at TCU (28)
  • Accepted freshman Rice students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at TCU (3.68)
  • TCU has a higher acceptance rate (56.1%) than Rice (8.7%)

Rice vs. TCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Rice or TCU? 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 TCU and Rice.

  • The graduation rate at Rice is higher than Texas Christian University (92% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Rice University earn on average $28,800 more per year than TCU graduates after ten years. ($86,400 vs. $57,600)
  • Rice University students graduate with a $11,273 lower median federal student loan debt than TCU graduates. ($10,227 vs. $21,500)
  • Rice graduates are paying $117 less per month on federal student loans than TCU graduates. ($105 vs. $222)
  • More Rice graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former TCU students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 77%)

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