Rice University builds momentum with record demand, historic growth
Rice is entering a new era of growth, fueled by record student demand, an expanding faculty and research enterprise, major investments in campus infrastructure and a growing global presence — all while introducing new programs designed to ensure that a Rice education remains accessible and deeply personalized.
Niche ranks Rice among nation’s best across academics, research and student experience
Rice is once again among the nation’s leading universities, earning the No. 10 spot in Niche’s 2027 Best Colleges in America rankings while placing in the top 10 across 18 academic disciplines and university categories.
Rice has once again earned national recognition in The Princeton Review’s annual Best Colleges rankings, taking the No. 1 spot in the nation for Lots of Race/Class Interaction and placing among the country’s top colleges across measures of community, value and student experience.
Rice has received a $25 million gift from university trustee James “Jim” Whitehurst and his wife, Lauren Whitehurst, to establish the Sallyport Fellows Program, a comprehensive initiative supporting first-generation and limited-income undergraduate students throughout their Rice experience.
Rice has announced a major expansion of the Rice Investment, its signature financial aid program, offering free tuition to undergraduate students from families earning up to $200,000 annually.
A World Cup superfan's journey comes full circle at Rice
For Mauricio Benitez, every FIFA World Cup is about more than the soccer on the field. It’s about the people.
Rice Provost Dittmar brings economist’s lens to Borgo Dialogues at the Vatican
Amy Dittmar brought an economist’s and higher education leader’s perspective to the Vatican for a global conversation on how health systems, labor markets and communities can be designed around human dignity.
The Brain Health for Economic Resilience Commission, convened in collaboration with Nature Medicine, was announced at the Texas Brain Economy Summit June 9–10.
Celebrating our newly promoted and tenured faculty
As the academic year has drawn to a close, it is a joy to recognize the remarkable achievements of our faculty. In my message today, we are celebrating a group of exceptional colleagues who have reached pivotal career milestones through promotion to a new rank and, for some, the awarding of tenure. I am deeply grateful for their dedication to our students and their respective fields of study.
Rice, San Jacinto College renew Take Flight Scholars partnership
Rice and San Jacinto College formally renewed and expanded the Take Flight Scholars program partnership, celebrating a collaboration designed to increase educational access and create stronger transfer pathways for community college students.
Sí se puede: Ship Channel bridge named for late Rice professor Richard Tapia
Houston’s Ship Channel bridge now honors the life and contributions of late Rice professor, Richard A. Tapia. The bridge, currently under construction as a new cable-stayed structure, was officially renamed the Dr. Richard A. Tapia Bridge during a dedication ceremony held May 26.
Richard Tapia, pioneering mathematician and advocate for diversity, passes away at 88
Richard A. Tapia, a distinguished professor at Rice and a trailblazing mathematician renowned for his dedication to increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering, has passed away at age 88.
Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez named president of Wake Forest University
Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business and the Virani Undergraduate School of Business since 2016, has been named the 15th president of Wake Forest University.
From campus classrooms to commencement stage: Rice faculty, staff celebrate their own graduates
As more than 1,360 students crossed the stage at Rice during the university’s largest undergraduate commencement ceremony in history, the celebration at Rice Stadium was especially personal for a number of faculty and staff members watching from the stands — and in several cases, standing on stage to hand their own children a diploma.
Rice conferred 270 doctoral degrees during its 113th commencement May 9 at Tudor Fieldhouse. Doctoral candidates along with friends, family and loved ones gathered for the ceremony, which included the awarding of doctoral regalia and dissertation titles, congratulatory remarks, cheers and a few moments to reflect on this milestone.
