About the University

Rice University or William Marsh Rice University, founded in 1891, is a private research university in Houston, Texas, USA with a 300-acre beautiful campus. William Marsh Rice established the university on May 18, 1891, as a gift to the city of Houston to promote literature, science, and art. In 1912, the Rice Institute (as it was then known) opened its doors. In 1960, it was designated as a university. Rice University launched the first space-science department in the United States in 1963. Rice's programs have all been accredited by prestigious organizations such as the National Architectural Accrediting Board, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and others. Additionally, the university is affiliated with the Association of American Universities, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Universities Research Association, Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration, Southeastern Universities Research Association and National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. Rice University ranks #94 in the latest QS World University Rankings 2022 and #136 in the World University Rankings 2022 by Times Higher Education. Furthermore, the institution is ranked #167 in the world according to the U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings 2022. 

The university includes the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, Shepherd School of Music, Wiess School of Natural Sciences, and George R. Brown School of Engineering as well as schools of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Architecture. The institution provides a variety of masters and doctorate degree programmes in addition to undergraduate study. It is most recognized for its science and engineering programmes. Also, the university offers more than 50 undergraduate majors in a plethora of fields of study which are divided into six streams. Rice has 11 residential colleges on campus, each with its dining halls, public rooms, and dorms; most first-year students and over 75% of all undergraduates live in their affiliated colleges. There are around 250 student-led clubs on campus. Having said that, The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, the Rice Quantum Institute, and the Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology are all research centers that are housed by Rice University.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first people to walk on the moon, carried out a lunar dust detector experiment created by Rice professor Brian O'Brien. NASA astronauts transported a bigger self-contained ion detection experiment built by Rice professor John Freeman to the moon on one of the Apollo missions. That equipment is still on the surface of the moon. On the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Rice University received the "NASA Ambassador of Exploration Award," which was given posthumously to President John F. Kennedy. Lance Berkman, Howard Hughes, John Kline, Alberto Gonzales, Peggy Whitson, Caroline Shaw, Brian Armstrong, Fred C. Coach, and David Rhodes are among the famous graduates.

Rice has established a Diversity and Inclusion Office to promote and uphold the university's inclusive education ethos. It is ensured by the office hosting a conclave of small groups of students from various backgrounds and viewpoints, as well as aggressively promoting student-sponsored activities. Undergraduate students at Rice University have a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1. Around 49% of the student population is from other states and minorities outside of Texas, and 25% is international, making it a popular choice with students from other states and countries. Capital One, Dell, Deloitte Consulting, CenterPoint Energy, Chevron, ExxonMobil, EY, KPMG, The Boeing Company, T Mobile, Google, Cisco, Morgan Stanley, Dell, and others are among the top firms.