Rice University is No. 18 in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings released today and stands out in the top 10 for both best value (No. 6) and undergraduate teaching programs (No. 7), highlighting its dedication to student success and affordability.
Now in their 40th year, the rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities on 17 measures of academic quality and place an emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students. Rice jumped a remarkable 66 spots in the social mobility ranking while coming in as the 29th most innovative school in the nation.
“These strong rankings affirm our unwavering commitment to delivering a top-tier, affordable education and advance our goal of becoming the leading institution globally in both teaching and research,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. “At Rice, everything we do is for the good and advancement of humanity, and we pride ourselves on providing exceptional value and personalized teaching to the leaders of the future.”
These latest rankings come at a momentous time for Rice with the Owls climbing 13 spots to enter the top 10 on Forbes’ list of top colleges for the first time this year. This achievement follows Forbes’ recognition of Rice as the most affordable private institution among its “New Ivies” listing. Additionally, Rice is ranked 19th for “Best Value” in the latest Wall Street Journal college rankings.
Consistently ranked among the top 10 for undergraduate teaching by U.S. News, Rice hired a record number of faculty this year with 58 new tenure-track and 44 non-tenure-track faculty joining the university. It’s that commitment to advancing both undergraduate and graduate education that positions Rice for future growth and excellence, said Amy Dittmar, Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
“The Rice educational experience is unmatched,” Dittmar said. “By offering personalized education, tailored learning and enriching experiences, we ensure our students are equipped to address the world’s complex challenges. These rankings highlight our commitment to fostering a distinctive interdisciplinary and collaborative environment that sets students up for success both during their time on campus and in their future endeavors.”
U.S. News also released its latest rankings for engineering and business programs with Rice claiming 11 top-ranked programs. The undergraduate engineering program at the George R. Brown School of Engineering is 20th in the nation with other programs at the school in high positions. Biomedical engineering is ranked ninth, and electrical engineering climbed 12 spots to 16th. Additional engineering rankings include computer (No. 19), environmental/environmental health (No. 19), chemical (No. 23) and materials (No. 26).
“We are thrilled to see our engineering programs continue to be ranked in the top 30 nationally, reflecting the exceptional quality and impact of our academic offerings,” said Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering. “This recognition underscores our commitment to excellence and innovation in engineering education alongside research, aligning with Rice’s broader achievements and expanding national and international prominence.”
The Jones Graduate School of Business has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years due to new programs, including the new undergraduate business major. Launched in 2021, the program is now ranked 27th, while the entrepreneurship program surged 17 places to achieve 14th in the nation. Additionally, the undergraduate economics program advanced seven spots to secure 30th, and the finance program is ranked 36th in this new category.
“Our world is changing in fundamental, revolutionary ways, via the energy transition and the implementation of generative AI. I can’t imagine a school better suited to prepare leaders ready to lead these transformative changes,” said Peter Rodriguez, dean of the Jones Graduate School of Business. “Our course curriculum combined with real-world global experiences ensures that our graduates are ready to meet and shape the future of business.”
In another notable ranking, Rice’s undergraduate psychology program is No. 34 in the country.
U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America’s colleges and universities. The rankings offer detailed information of the institutions and data on factors such as outcome measures — including graduation rates, graduate indebtedness and postgraduate earnings. To learn more about the rankings or the methodology, click here.