Notre Dame vs. Rice

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

 Notre Dame Rice
Location Notre Dame, IN Houston, TX
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 13,174 8,556
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #31 #9
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nd.edu rice.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Notre Dame Rice
Tuition (In State) $62,186 $57,210
Tuition (Out of State) $62,186 $57,210
Room & Board $17,378 $15,900
Avg Net Price $29,083 $20,587
Avg Grant Aid $51,128 $53,526
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 57%

Admission

 Notre Dame Rice
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,353 31,059
Admitted 3,510 2,447
Acceptance Rate 12.4% 7.9%
Enrolled % 59.1% 46%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 34/36
SAT Range 1440/1540 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, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 Notre Dame Rice
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Notre Dame Rice
Graduation Rate 96% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $86,400
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $10,227
Median Loan Payment $222 $105

Diversity

 Notre Dame Rice
% Men 18% 29%
% Women 14% 18%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 37%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 11% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 6% 12%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 Notre Dame Rice
% In-State 6% 35%
% Out-of-State 83% 48%

Campus

 Notre Dame 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

  • University of Notre Dame is larger than than Rice based on total student enrollment (13,174 students vs. 8,556 students)

Notre Dame vs. Rice Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Notre Dame or Rice?

  • University of Notre Dame is 8.7% more expensive to attend than Rice for in-state tuition ($62,186.00 vs. $57,210.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.7% higher at Notre Dame than Rice University ($62,186.00 vs. $57,210.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rice University than Notre Dame ($20,587 vs. $29,083)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rice University are 9.3% lower than costs at University of Notre Dame ($15,900 vs. $17,378)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Notre Dame than Rice University (59% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rice University students is 4.7% larger than aid received University of Notre Dame ($53,526 vs. $51,128)

Notre Dame vs. Rice Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rice University (1482) is 27 points higher than at Notre Dame (1455)
  • Incoming Rice students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Notre Dame (33)
  • Accepted freshman Rice students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Notre Dame (3.91)
  • Notre Dame has a higher acceptance rate (12.4%) than Rice (7.9%)

Notre Dame vs. Rice Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Notre Dame 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 Notre Dame .

  • The graduation rate at Notre Dame is higher than Rice University (96% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from University of Notre Dame earn on average $3,400 more per year than Rice graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $86,400)
  • Rice University students graduate with a $11,273 lower median federal student loan debt than Notre Dame graduates. ($10,227 vs. $21,500)
  • Rice graduates are paying $117 less per month on federal student loans than Notre Dame graduates. ($105 vs. $222)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rice students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 87%)

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