UH vs. Rice

Should I go to University of Houston or Rice University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UH 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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University of Houston vs. Rice University comparison
University of Houston Rice University College 3 College 4
University of Houston Rice University
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Overview

UH Rice
Location Houston, TX Houston, TX
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 46,676 8,556
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #468 #9
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uh.edu rice.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UH Rice
Tuition (In State) $8,685 $57,210
Tuition (Out of State) $21,165 $57,210
Room & Board $10,830 $15,900
Avg Net Price $13,738 $20,587
Avg Grant Aid $11,551 $53,526
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 57%

Admission

UH Rice
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,327 31,059
Admitted 21,087 2,447
Acceptance Rate 69.5% 7.9%
Enrolled % 26.8% 46%
Avg High School GPA 3.46 3.96
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 23/28 34/36
SAT Range 1150/1330 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 May 31, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

UH Rice
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

UH Rice
Graduation Rate 46% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $86,400
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,750 $10,227
Median Loan Payment $204 $105

Diversity

UH Rice
% Men 9% 29%
% Women 10% 18%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 26% 37%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 32% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 5% 12%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

UH Rice
% In-State 93% 35%
% Out-of-State 3% 48%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Houston is larger than than Rice based on total student enrollment (46,676 students vs. 8,556 students)

UH vs. Rice Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UH or Rice?

  • Rice University is 558.7% more expensive to attend than UH for in-state tuition ($57,210.00 vs. $8,685.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 170.3% higher at Rice than University of Houston ($57,210.00 vs. $21,165.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Houston than Rice ($13,738 vs. $20,587)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston are 46.8% lower than costs at Rice University ($10,830 vs. $15,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Houston than Rice University (74% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rice University students is 363.4% larger than aid received University of Houston ($53,526 vs. $11,551)

UH vs. Rice Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rice University (1482) is 328 points higher than at UH (1154)
  • Incoming Rice students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at UH (26)
  • Accepted freshman Rice students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at UH (3.46)
  • UH has a higher acceptance rate (69.5%) than Rice (7.9%)

UH vs. Rice Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UH 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 UH.

  • The graduation rate at Rice is higher than University of Houston (92% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from Rice University earn on average $27,400 more per year than UH graduates after ten years. ($86,400 vs. $59,000)
  • Rice University students graduate with a $9,523 lower median federal student loan debt than UH graduates. ($10,227 vs. $19,750)
  • Rice graduates are paying $99 less per month on federal student loans than UH graduates. ($105 vs. $204)
  • More Rice graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UH students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 61%)

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