Rice University has once again earned national recognition in The Princeton Review’s annual Best Colleges rankings, placing in the top 10 in four categories for 2026, including Best College Newspaper, Great Financial Aid, Best College Dorms and Best Quality of Life.
Based entirely on surveys of students, Rice also ranked among the nation’s top 25 in seven additional categories: Best Value Colleges-private schools (No. 14), Lots of Race/Class Interaction (No. 14), Best College Radio Station (No. 17), Best Value Colleges Without Aid-private schools (No. 18), Best Science Lab Facilities (No. 19), Best Run Colleges (No. 23) and Students Study the Most (No. 25).
President Reginald DesRoches said the rankings reflect what makes Rice unique. “Our rankings speak directly to the incredible student experience at Rice — one that combines academic rigor, a collaborative culture and unmatched support,” DesRoches said. “These rankings are especially meaningful because they come from the voices of our own students.”
Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, noted that The Princeton Review results highlight more than just strong academics. “Rice is not only a place where students thrive intellectually but also where they find belonging, support and opportunity,” Dittmar said. “From our residential college system to our commitment to affordability, Rice is deeply invested in student success.”
Among the university’s standout rankings:
- No. 7 – Best College Newspaper: The Rice Thresher, founded in 1916, is a respected and award-winning student publication. Its alumni have gone on to become leading journalists across the country.
- No. 9 – Great Financial Aid: The Rice Investment offers full-tuition scholarships to students from families earning under $140,000 and at least half-tuition for those earning between $140,000 and $200,000. Students from families earning less than $75,000 receive full coverage for tuition, fees and living expenses.
- No. 10 – Best College Dorms: Rice’s distinctive residential college system fosters close-knit communities, mentorship and lasting traditions.
- No. 10 – Best Quality of Life: With a tree-lined, 300-acre campus in the heart of Houston and abundant research, internship and cultural opportunities, students thrive both academically and personally.
Student survey comments collected by The Princeton Review reinforce the university’s strengths. Students cite Rice’s “academic integrity and quality,” “very diverse” student body and a “large sense of community on all levels.” Many note the university’s “culture of care,” where peers support each other mentally, academically and socially. Others highlight immersive internships with organizations like NASA and the accessibility of faculty, who are often seen “eating among students.”
The rankings are based on data from the company’s surveys of 170,000 students at the 391 schools in “The Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition” (about 435 students per school on average). The surveys were conducted in 2024-25 and/or the previous two academic years.
“The colleges that make our ranking lists do so entirely as a result of their own students’ opinions of them,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. “We don’t rank colleges based on our opinion of them nor would we crown a school ‘best’ overall. It is what the students attending the colleges in this book tell us about their experiences at their schools that determines on which lists the schools appear in our book.”