Rice University

Rice University, located in Houston, Texas, is a distinguished private research institution known for its academic excellence and innovative spirit. The university offers a wide range of programs across undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels, with strengths in fields such as engineering, natural sciences, humanities, and business. Rice is celebrated for its close-knit community and personalized approach to education, boasting one of the lowest student-to-faculty ratios among top universities. Its campus spans 300 acres, featuring tree-lined pathways and state-of-the-art facilities that create an inspiring environment for learning and discovery. With a strong emphasis on research, Rice has made significant contributions to fields like nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and space science. Its collaborations with institutions like NASA further highlight its commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation. Rice's diverse community of students and faculty fosters cultural exchange and intellectual growth. Its alumni network includes Nobel laureates, leaders in various industries, and pioneers in science and technology, reflecting the university's global impact and legacy.

What a wonderful experience! The campus is the ideal place to take a stroll along the trees and appreciate the architecture. The arches were among my favorite! The university has a lot of places to explore like the Chapel, the library, the gardens and the many sitting areas to just enjoy the view! I Highly recommend it whether you are a local or someone visiting Houston!

Quad looks amazing. Well done!! Feel bad for William Marsh to placed in a corner, but maybe he deserved it for previous mistakes.

The beautiful campus is a nice place to take a stroll in the early morning or late afternoon. In the evening, the water fountains are beautifully illuminated, and so is the interesting installation "Twilight Epiphany" Skyspace by James Turrell.

Great place to snag a four year undergraduate degree…if you can gain admission.

Very professional and architecturally exquisite campus. Wouldn't mind learning some etymology there.

Awesome campus in the heart of Houston. Easy access to great food in Houston and short drives to downtown and other key areas in town.

It is nice university, i got studio photography education. The campus is very nice especially I like the library. The ranking is good too in the world.

Beautiful campus and plenty of spots that you can Instagram and take photos at. Was hoping to check out the James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany Skyspace but alas it's under construction. Great during the day since at night they don't have that many lights. Overall a recommended spot to check out if you are in Houston!

Within the hedges of Rice University, you'll find incredibly gifted students, unconventionally interesting activities or art pieces and bold projects seeking the improvement of the world. I may be somewhat biased due to the fact that this location is my workspace, but I've got to say... it's one of the most beautiful, inspiring and friendly campuses I've been on.

When I found out that my eldest niece was going to attend Rice University in Houston, Texas, I was really sad. Why? Because Houston is so far from Honolulu! Why can't she go to college in California? Haha! Anyway, my niece is a brilliant young woman. She's Salutatorian of her High School class, so - I'm sure that she has made a wise choice. At her graduation drive-by party, my niece, her parents, and her sister were wearing Rice University t-shirts. I thought that I could easily find the bookstore and buy a shirt. Not so. I found the campus alright - even though there are many entrances (some with no access to the school). There were paid Visitor Parking Lots, but they seemed far from buildings. I just drove along and stopped here and there when a photo opp appeared. I went in the late afternoon when it wasn't too crowded. The air was thick and heavy - like it was about to rain. Houston is quite humid in August. I decided to go to an air conditioned Walmart to look for a t-shirt... Or order one online... LOL! I'm glad that I visited Rice University. The campus is gigantic! I saw a football stadium, some artsy sculptures, a squirrel, and some hammocks by the library! I think students are able to use the school's bus system to get around the beautiful campus! Directional signs are really helpful!

Our family had a chance to visit Rice University for Family Day to see our nephew. We partook of various activities on Friday and Saturday, including eating at the dorm mess hall and pre-game tail-gating. We got to experience quite a bit of rain (which I've come to realize I missed), as well as sunshine and breezy ocean weather while staying in Galveston. Hope to be back soon!

Not rating it for the actually education but it's a nice area for outdoorsy people with a shaded road on the interior and a nice gravel running trail.

A prospective college for my child 1 who wants to pursue medicine. We did a mother/ son trip from Chicago . It's a smaller campus but more like a family in embracing newcomers. Definitely a good place for solid education!!

Rice University was one of the graduate schools I applied to for a PhD program in Geophysics starting in Fall 2015. I was accepted, flown out for a multi-day visit all expenses paid, and given an additional stipend offer on top of the standard full-tuition and stipend offer. The professors I met with on my visit were all kind and had interest-piquing research projects, which can be both good and bad for a PhD. The campus was beautiful, on-campus dining good, and student housing was amazing for the price. I chose to go to the University of California, Berkeley instead but never got over Rice University. To this day I stand by my choice to say choosing Berkeley was a mistake. I should have come to Rice.

I used to like this institution, or rather, that I respected them due to their emphasis on research output and interesting lectures. I mean, I'm a pretty nerdy person myself, and though I'd fit right in. Not to mention that I like to give credit where it's due. But apart from research capabilities, I care a lot about the people at an institution, namely, one's personality, morals, and ethics. Nowadays, definitely not, especially after my experience here for qbio 2019. I experienced professors being condescending to me, asking if I really belonged there, because of my ethnicity, and apparently, how I presented myself, especially in the math, chemistry, and statistics departments. Not to mention a weird obsession on trying to gauge my home institution and how prestigious it was, as if the reputation of the school has anything to do with my intellectual capabilities or how I see the world. Not to mention I had that a similar issue happen with a grad student from Rice that I had met at a science organization. Apparently the guy who ran qbio 2019 thought it appropriate to make assumptions about certain things I had disclosed related to economic status, related to my former living situation, and mocked me for saying that I didn't need to disclose that if I was worried about a negative reaction. Well as a former educator, I want and encourage people to bring their authentic selves to school and to educational institutions as a whole. Or at least that was my way of seeing it. That, and trying to downplay the struggles that led me to where I was today saying he had is tough as me. Now, I'm not one to play oppression olympics, but you have no right to say who has it worse or better than someone else, but such comparisons do nothing to improve the quality of life of people. It's not useful in the long run. It's actually harmful and prejudiced to just about everyone to put that way, honestly. Also, this same professor tried to mock my alma mater, saying that the courses there aren't as good as the ones here, and things like that. I pointed out that they do a lot for social mobility despite not being perfect and not having the same resources as this one. I tried to reach out to another guy who deals with the q-bio conferences and apparently didn't care much about my micro (and macro aggressions), because I had written him too late. Yeah, well, prejudice doesn't go away just because "too much time had passed." I also pointed out needing specific accommodations (related, but not limited to disability) and assistance to get through the conference and admitted that they didn't care too much about that, so I said, I'd prefer going to workshops institution that at least has non-exclusion based on ethnicity and strive to be better on things like improving social mobility and ableism.

Peaceful and elegant university. We walked through the whole campus with the breeze and sun. You can totally relax lying on the grass. Hope my kids can have the opportunity to study's here in the future.

Friend recommended me to check out this world class famous private university. Yes the Rice University. Well I took the bus over here. It was very convenient to get to since its located in the museum district. First off, I am not a student here. But I was recommended by friend to check out the architectural building. It was very nice. I mean great for pictures. Also its like walking in the park but this is a university. The university is very big and I did spend over an hour walking here. There are a few really nice architecture / building that are quite interesting. There are also couple of interesting fountains inside. Since I came on a weekend, the university is not busy at all. Great place to visit if you are in Houston

Pretty cool campus. I was here this week for the UCLA football game. The atmosphere and people reminded me of Stanford in California. More nerds than jocks, you know? The Rice Band was eerily similar to the Stanford Band, too. Come on, guys, who copied who? The Stadium is vey old and dated. Like Fenway Park, Churchill Downs and my home town Rose Bowl, first time visitors will say, "What a dump". Those who know history say, "What a gem". ....perspective..... Free parking, free beer and sausage in the Bud Lite tent. What a treat! Terrible concessions inside, outdated bathrooms. The fans were nice. Only 20,000 for a major conference? What is this? Just like the Rose Bowl, too.

I was in town for a business trip, so I wanted to check this place out. I drove to look for a visitor parking which they do charge without a permit. I noticed the large stadium on the parking lot. I entered one of the buildings and noticed how beautiful they look. Truly looked like you're walking into a museum. I walked around and saw the gorgeous Sky space. It would looked a lot better at night with all the colors. The campus was very clean and peaceful. Definitely would be a great college to attend. Rice University have the art gallery, Skyspace, Brochstein Pavilion and all the beautiful architecture! This would be a great place to go on a tour!

Very nice campus, well maintained and students have the ability to do a lot between classes

As someone working as a potential vendor with Rice Jones Business School, I was surprised and disheartened by the associate dean's (Michael Koenig) lack of respectfulness to the vendor community. I would certainly avoid if his management style reflects the culture of the graduate business program. Unfortunate as the dean was extremely responsive and seemed great.

I dont remember why i did not apply. Oh i remember now, i can not afford the tuition. LOL But as a visitor...I totally love Rice. I could understand why the tuition is so high but the programs, the people, the equipment, even the campus signs are all "Creme de le Creme!" Sign...I wish i know then what i know now...Should have been an Owl...

I too am a grad student here, and am laughing that there's space on here for me to review Rice! What could I possibly write? The academics here are phenomenal, both for undergraduates and grad students. This seems to be an amazing place to go to college as an undergrad- as the school is one of a select few in the country that uses a residential college system (Yale also does this), to break what is already an intimate college down into smaller enclaves. The undergrads here are smart, clearly motivated, and very diverse. I didn't expect to love Rice as much as I do- I'm a total East Coast academic elitist. I followed a faculty member from Cornell to Rice, and honestly, Rice deserves every accolade it gets. The collection of creative, inspiring, and PLEASANT people assembled here makes it a huge asset to Houston. I am humbled in my snobbery and now seek to convert others. If you aren't thinking of school here, then let me invite you to roam the campus. The library is open to everyone in the community, and the coffee pavilion has an amazing view of the gorgeous campus, some seriously hot students, and actually makes great coffee. Rice also offers open wireless, so there's no reason for Houstonians not to visit. This is the fourth institution (!) I have attended for a degree, and the seventh I have been affiliated with (!) and it's by far the friendliest. The Rice shuttle, which goes from the free parking lot way back by the stadium, to the loop, does NOT require the showing of Rice ID, so hop on board! Check out the photo I'll upload of the coffee pavilion so you know what to look for. p.s. Beware the squirrels. They fear you not, and they may just be more aggressive than your pasty white butt.

It's a spacious campus that is nearly immaculate in its upkeep and decorations. It's such a pleasure to just walk through.

I never attended Rice as an undergrad or graduate student; other institutions have had the pleasure and privilege or my money and attendance. So, what's my connection with Rice? Well, it's extensive. I have attended many summers of the AP summer institute at Rice as well as some other specialized summer trainings for teachers. I have been a leader in programs aimed at students at Rice, the most memorable being a summer program for Nanoscience education. I've also helped facilitate evening programs for teachers in partnership with Rice faculty. I've even attended classes for school leadership at the Jones School of Business. So, that's just a few of the things I've been involved in with Rice. With my varied experience with Rice, I have always been impressed with my experience from start to finish. The facilities are wonderful, the faculty and staff are top notch, and the ease of the physical plant makes everything smooth. I have found the faculty to be amazing. I know Rice has a reputation, but I can say that my first hand experience has proven that reputation to be true and earned. The buildings look beautiful and some have been around for quite a while, but the technology has been updated in the older buildings. I love the Rice buses that travel the loops all day and into the evening to pick up people who just need a ride. There is a Rice iPhone app that allows you to track where the buses are, which makes things just that much easier. There are several places to eat on campus as well as Valhalla, where you can get a sandwich and a beer. The environment of Rice is just beautiful. The large trees are lovely and provide some shade on those hot summer days. The different buildings are amazingly different. I love some of the more modern building like Brockman and Brochstein. Some of the older buildings are lovely and classic in their architecture. The university is scattered with installation pieces of art (http://publicart.rice.edu/), both created for the university as well as historic pieces. There is the large Skyspace installation piece near the Shepherd school of music. There are smaller pieces like the piece of the Berlin wall or Plensa's mirror sculpture that you can literally walk inside. If you are lucky enough to be able to attend Rice, work at Rice, or participate in anything at Rice, don't hesitate. Everything I have experienced at Rice has been fantastic.

This is a hard university. I was very challenged. But I am happy I went here. My sisters are here too. Life can feel down sometimes but it's important to remember that the slope is always positive. Go owls.

A very nice university! Very peaceful area and lot of space to relax and walk around! The architect of the buildings are very unique and elegant.

As a Rice grad student, there is absolutely nothing bad I can say about the school. Great campus, beautiful architecture and lots of trees, not too crowded but busy enough to have a sense of community. What really amazes me is that it's both a small university in terms of overall student body, and a big university in terms of research and publications. Normally, a small university suffers from the problem of not having as much research going on as a larger university, but Rice has the best of both worlds. Check out my Rice photos on flickr: http://tinyurl.com/37xc7o

I never had the pleasure of attending this university but I have been able to visit and explore the campus a many times. And I must say based on pure looks this place is worth 5 stars. I have always driven by it but not until I had actually driven through, parked, and walked around that I was able to truly grasp it's beauty. What makes this university so attractive? The HUGE TRESS, these trees have history and there are not just a couple here and there, the whole campus is filled with a forest of greenery. Their main courtyard is spectacular. It looks like something out of a Harry Potter Novel. But the reason for this review is their newest piece of art the Twilight Epiphany Skyspace, by James Turrell. This giant piece of art looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. There are LED lights that change colors at night. Cool little area to bring the kids during the summer.

The other day, I performed a Filipino dance at Rice university,I am a member of Cultural Ambassadors of Filipino Young Professional(FYP).We danced at Tudor field house before a basketball game. Tudor Fieldhouse are very beautiful.I met a lot of nice people.People loved our dance.Rice gave us an opportunity to practice our dance. Thank you so much.I really enjoyed our performance.

It feels odd to look back and review my undergrad alma mater, but I am happy to do so. I honestly can I say I don't think I would have been as satisfied with my college experience had I gone anywhere else. Rice often tops the list for happiest students, best quality of life and lots of race/class interaction. As silly as those rankings are, there is a real reason Rice does well and it is deservedly so. All students at Rice are placed in a student-ran residential college, a home that you will be at for all four years. You hang out together, eat meals together, party together. It creates an unparalleled welcoming environment and makes it absurdly easy to find great a social circle. There is no cliquey greek system, no division between freshmen and upperclassmen, the students and the social life are all contained together in a welcoming environment on one walkable campus. All of these elite universities will offer you a great education, incredibly intelligent peers, great resources, a "prestigious" name on your resume for those in the know. It is the Rice experience that makes it unique and a fantastic place to go to undergrad. If I compare it to my PhD institution, Duke, where different undergraduate years are separated on completely different campuses that you take buses in between, and the social life is dominated by frats...it makes me appreciate my Rice experience all the more. Yes it is a great school, yes it is a beautiful campus, but just as importantly it helped build who I am as a person and gave me some life-long friends.

Is it true that Rice University is an Ivy League of Houston? From the looks of it, it certainly does. The classic architecture and nicely manicured quads seemed so romantic. I also liked their Parisian cafe, FLO (?), across from the library. We walked from the admission building, across the center if campus, saw the James Turrell's installation and ended up at the Moody Art Center. It's certainly a very nice campus. We are glad we didn't bring the kids because they would have been bit bored, however. Had a little trouble getting into the visitor's lot. The machine only takes credit card and it wouldn't take ours. Also the skylight installation is not impressive during the day without changing lights. The sign said no taking pictures when the light show was in session though. The Moody Art Center had my favorite video installation-- it was a dark room full of projected blossoming animated flowers and tranquil music. the experience was slightly marred by two gabbying girls sitting in the corner talking very loudly. IDK why they chose to sit there and talk, when the cafe was just upstairs with plenty of seating and space.

This review is based upon the teacher development courses they offer. It seems apt to review it from this point of view as Rice makes a lot of money upon their Rice Institute event each year. Positives: They offer a four day course throughout various weeks in June and July for either new or experienced Pre-AP/AP teachers. If you sign in the morning and afternoon you will get credit for the 30 hours. The sessions are for every course imaginable from Pre AP Middle School English for Experienced teachers to AP Art History for New Teachers. (Note the new and experienced teachers moniker is in reference to how long you've taught AP, not your overall teaching years experience.) The lunch is free (relatively speaking as you or your school dropped over $500) and a nice highlight at the North Servery. It's buffett style and it's pretty tasty. They have everything from fast food like items, such as pizza and hamburgers, to healthy lunch menu items that rotate, to salads. There really is something for everyone. In past years they had an afternoon break where you could get free ice cream. I'm not certain if they are not doing it this year, but it's nice none the less. Parking is free and only in the West Lot, but you want to get their early, just so you can get a prime spot you prefer. As for what they go over, the material is usually in depth and worth the investment. When the other teachers begin to share their ideas, along with your instructor's guidance, there are a plethora of ideas that you can choose from. Cons: Some instructors build reputations. You may want to do your research before going. Ask a colleague what they think. I've been to several, but occassionaly you hear of an instructor that generally wasn't very good. Those instructors aren't invited back usually and if they are you know to avoid them. No breakfast and one of the coffee places opens at 8 a.m. which isn't much help as classes start at 8 a.m. There is another little place called Salento too, but if it's not close to where your class is located with five minutes then it's not worth it. Sometimes you may not have enough breaks and it feels like the afternoon drags as Rice swears you must leave at 4:30 and not a second sooner. Sitting down all day, with maybe 2 breaks, and being told not to look at your phone at all? That's not the best thing for your patience even if you are professional. Classes also tend to fill up quickly, despite the hefty price tags. They do have update classes in the Fall/Spring for a Saturday, but I have found that they are generally okay and if you haven't gone to the Institute you'll end up hearing mixed reviews. Also, at times the Rice instructors and even other teachers tend to forget that not all students have the same access and background knowledge. That can be a bit of a drag if you serve underserved student populations and your questions or concerns are dismissed. Modify what you can and use these days to make contacts as for the most part you're bound to find a great teacher you can network with, that I promise as long you make the effort to be friendly or whatever your usual charming self tends to be. It's a great experience. It's not perfect, but it's worth a week of your summer as your bound to get something out of it.

Warning: I realize this is really long - you'll have to forgive me. It's what I learned from personal experience and observing friends and students around me, but it's putting a lot of amorphous matter into words. It's not a lot of black and white, but a lot of gray-toned things that made my experience so negative. ----- I came here and graduated in 2009, right when all the changes were underway and being completed. The new colleges, the bigger classes, etc. I'm not complaining about the construction though, and things may have changed a little since I left, but here's my opinion: I just had such a lackluster experience here - as a humanities major, I felt that Rice didn't offer much at all, in terms of choices, stimulation or support. Going in as undecided, I initially chose Rice because I thought its resources and curricula would be solidly well rounded. Not so!!! Rice is REALLY weak in the humanities - its strong spots are here and there, but nothing you can build your college career on: I did fine in my classes, some better than others, but overall I didn't feel challenged by the material, my professors or even other students, and therefore feel like I didn't grow in any aspect during my near four years at Rice. It's also obvious that most of the funding goes to the sciences, or certain "star programs" of the university, such as Shepherd School of Music or the architecture program, but I think they get a lot of alumni support and do their own fundraisers. Not being in any of those fields, I felt like I was handed a bum deal. I remember that the art department got cut either 50% or 75% during my last few years. Honestly, I should have transferred, but I made the wrong decision to stick it out, only finishing a little early so I wouldn't have to pay the last semester. I didn't realize how disappointing I found the Rice experience until my senior year. Yes, I admit there are things I could have done better, and wish I did, such as getting more involved in various activities, getting closer to professors, getting to know other students better - but I wasn't a recluse, and in terms of participation, I was probably an average student. For my interests, there was just so little there. Student life, class material/depth, the environment. It kind of felt like nothing much ever went on aside from Beer Bike, and I'm not a big sports person, I'll admit that. Also, the city makes a big difference. Houston is so widespread, it's not really integrated with the school, and it's expensive to keep a car on campus. I didn't have one, which I'm sure didn't help, but the public transportation's not that great, and I was for the most part pretty much stuck on a campus that I didn't enjoy and didn't have a lot of interesting things going on. Of course, the people are nice in general, students and faculty alike. I've made a few very close friends that are very dear to me, and we visit each other. But after graduating, I realized attending Rice was one of my biggest regrets, because for all the time and money spent, I came out of it feeling like I had learned very little academically or experientially, and thus little about myself; I actually felt like I had regressed. Not to name call, but I REALLY wish I had gone to the other school I was pondering when deciding where to attend undergrad. Now I basically have a piece of paper signifying my degree, and that's it. Outside of TX and with my humanities degree, it doesn't do much. Alumni services and other things after graduation are pretty slummy, so network and look as hard as you can for your jobs and connections while you're still on campus. I'm not in Texas, and repeatedly when I've tried to contact a Rice office, I get no response. Yes, I potentially could have done more to get more out of Rice. But honestly, when you're a freshman plunged into the strange world of college and that college you're attending is a small, expensive private school, you shouldn't have to pull teeth, swim rivers and climb Everest to get something out of it. You should at least be met halfway. In the end, I didn't feel Rice did that, but I didn't realize it until it was all over and done with. It's a personal regret that has weighed on me a lot, but I've shed my tears and have done my best to move on :P Basically, be warned if you are not a science, music or architect major, or with related aspirations. I would say while a good number of people are happy at Rice, just as many are dissatisfied or not that happy. I knew a few who ended up getting severely depressed and had to leave. Pretty much all of my friends, though they don't regret it near as much as I do, agree that Rice really didn't offer much and things kind of just went along and we were able to slide by. Great friendships with each other, but regarding Rice, nothing remarkable. For the increasing prices you're paying and getting stung all the time by those killer mosquitoes, I don't think "nothing remarkable" cuts it.

For those of you graduating from Rice next year and wondering whether or not to brave the 4-hour, hot-sun graduation, this review's for you! Yesterday was Hubby's PhD hooding ceremony-- indoors and fairly brief. Excellent. (Star added for the indoor ceremony). Today was the outdoor, wake-up-at-6am, sit-in-the-sun-for-4-hours graduation for everyone. I didn't go to my own graduation. Not because I wasn't happy that I had finally jumped through enough hoops to get my requisit piece of paper, but I really didn't want to sit there for 4 hours while the names of people I didn't know were called off, but this wasn't my graduation, so off I went. All I can say is that Rice's graduation is worse-- it's in the sun. Thankfully, Hubby and his friends were called on stage first (go advanced degrees!) and tactlessly left before the Bachelor's peeps started their roll call. Whew! I realize it might not be the politest thing in the world to cut and run, but I would have died of heat stroke before that whole thing was over. So here are a few tips if you happen to be stuck there for the whole thing: Wear sunscreen. Bring a hat and water bottle. Better yet, bring a blanket and a cooler with drinks and snacks and stake yourselves out under some trees in the back. I swear the view won't be any worse. Bring a book. Bring a sun blinder for your camera or all your photos will be washed out. Bring a telephoto lens or your washed out photos won't matter because everyone will be ants anyway. Wear loose, light colored clothing. If you're graduating, wear a bathing suit underneath. Did I mention the water bottles? Okay, bring two. Hope this helps!

After attending graduation at Rice University on Saturday May 9th... I then became Thankful that every single penny I paid in tuition, student loans and interest to Baylor University... made it possible for my college graduation to be INSIDE! Hello? Houston? May? Outdoors? No Air Conditioning? Seriously? And, yes, while you will see on my profile that I am a Dallas Yelper, I am a native Houstonian and lived there for 21 years. The ceremony started at 830am. As soon as the guest speaker was finished speaking, I moved my chair under a tree. I still ended up getting sunburned (yes, I had on sunscreen). And by the time I got back to my car in the Stadium parking lot I realized why I needed another bath so bad...my thermostat said it was 95 degrees. Praise the Lord and Pass The Air Conditioning.

It's funny. If you asked me where I would go to college two years ago, William Marsh Rice University in Houston Texas wouldn't even have crossed my mind. Now two years later, an inch taller and a little wiser, I'm starting to realize how lucky I am to be here. Rice occupies a modest 295 acres in the heart of the Houston Downtown Medical Center. It's quite a good looking campus and thus a popular site for wedding pictures in the spring. Rice boasts a tree for every student (and two squirrels for every tree), a mix of classic and modern architecture and plenty of open green space. One of the most distinguishing aspects of Rice is the utter absence of greek life. No silly frats or fraternities here. Instead, Rice has a residential college system. Inspired by the quaint housing setup of places like Oxford and Cambridge, Rice is divided into 11 (sorry 10, Martel is not a college) residential colleges. Students are randomly assigned to a college after arriving freshmen year and tend to form strong bonds with their respective college. Each college has around three to four hundred students and unique rites and traditions that set them apart. The best part about Rice is the people. People here are incredibly intelligent yet down to earth and genuinely interesting in so many ways. No matter what sort of person you are or where you're from, chances are that you'll find a niche at Rice.

Although I did not go to school at Rice University, it is an absolutely beautiful campus. Last night I was here for a formal event hosted by the Rice Iranian Society. It was excellently organized and the food/ambiance was absolutely perfect. Before arriving to the Grand Hall I got lost from the parking lot to wander around campus and see all the beautiful campus has to offer. I absolutely love the Venetian architecture and the campus grounds. I am not a frequent runner at Rice but I have done some running before and I would say that this is the second best place in my opinion after memorial park. From time to time they have great art installations and their art gallery is always free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted). I am not sure how you can rate a university on Yelp if you did not attend it, so this review covers everything that you can visually observe and experience just by being on campus. A note to visitors: Please drop a pin where you park because being lost on a big campus at night is not a fun experience!

For the community at large: Rice is the place where you go running/walking/chatting along the three-mile gravel trail that circles the campus. It's also where you can see great concerts (at the Shepherd school of music) and world leaders (Baker Institute) and, until the recent changes, a thoughtfully-curated mix of films (Rice Cinema). You can also take classes through the extension school (non-degree credit, but they offer everything from art classes to group travel). Rice is also the place where you seem to get all of your special event photos taken, especially for brides-to-be. While you're doing all these things, you should check out the installations in the first-rate gallery. For students: Ok, I went here, but I was a transfer student who didn't participate in a lot of Rice traditions. I didn't have a bad time, and I enjoyed that the classes were generally small and professors were generally genuine in their passionate pursuit of truth/knowledge. It was well-worth the relatively low tuition. I don't have a ton to say about it otherwise...I mean, it was college.

I can't believe: A. You can Yelp a college B. I'm the first person to Yelp my alma mater Am I supposed to discuss the efforts of the dining staff or evaluate the nightlife?

I have been a Rice graduate student since 2014 and overall the experience has been pretty good but the CWOVC people are so rude and snobby. Elizabeth and Jae-Hwok were extremely unprofessional and so shocking to me. As someone with a PhD (I am on their level already and they treated me very badly) and working on my second Master's degree (yes I am a nerd, welcome to Rice), these 2 folks were very rude and unprofessional to me. They kept asking me why I had decided to come back and do a second master's degree; no one else in over a year at Rice ever asked me that. I come from 3 generations of teachers and professors; duh why would I not get another degree? And btw- isn't my tuition money paying your salaries snobby people of CWOVC?

Rice University is quite beautiful! Definitely worth a walk around campus on a pretty day (aka between November and February).

Rice has some of the most beautiful architecture you will find in Houston! Along with having beautiful buildinga, it has pristine grounds, a campus shuttle and a beautiful library. Stepping on campus gives you an East coast feel without having to leave the city.

RICE FIGHT NEVER DIE Okay, so maybe I'm biased. But I think Rice is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Even if I didn't come here, I would recommend a campus tour! There is tons of stuff to see: the art gallery, Skyspace, Brochstein Pavilion and all the beautiful architecture!

One of my favorite places to go in Houston I love this campus! As a kid I remember my dad taking me here and walking around the campus with me. Since then I have taken my kids here and one of our favorite things to do is visit the Shepherd School of Music and attend their free concerts during the year. Rice is located close to the museum district and the Village so along with enjoying this beautiful campus you can also spend time enjoying the shops and restaurants in the area! My 9 year old son wants to go here one day! I told him to study hard! ;)

I've heard and read great things about this campus and I don't doubt at all that this school is one of the top in Houston and United States in general. Afterall, it is a private research university that was ranked #17 in US News and World Report among national universities... From what I know, the university is organized into eleven residential colleges that are named for university historical figures and benefactors. Once students are matriculated, they get randomly assigned to one of eleven colleges. They also don't endorse a Greek system so you won't find any sorority or frat houses here. Rice is also chartered as a Non-profit organization and is owned and governed by a privately appointed board of trustees. It is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools so you can easily transfer your credits earned here to another college if you choose to transfer. As for tuition, I do know that for undergrads for the 2011-2012 school year is $34,900. $651 is charged for fees and projects an $800 budget for books and $1550 for personal expenses. Rice students are also charged $12,270 for room and board. Per year, the total cost of a Rice University education is $50,171. Wowza! That's a lot of money! If you're looking to attend this school, I suggest doing some homework beforehand to see if this is the kind of academic and social environment that would fit your needs to continue your education.

I'm like Elizabeth M., I'm also just surprised that there is space to review Rice. But the academics here is just as explained by other ppl. One thing I will add is that if the "college experience" is a deciding factor for you then Rice is definitely not the place for you. I mean, no great parties, no Greek organizations, and Rice has a lot of students who were sheltered so not many actually know how to have fun. Lucky for them that they party with other people who don't know anything different so they have fun I guess. lol The students at Rice are sometimes really weird, not to be mean. Just imagine a bunch of sheltered nerds in one place...I know right! lol All four stars are because of academics. If they were even similar to a public university then they could have gotten five stars. I actually took some classes at University of Houston and been to some of their parties. The parties were really great, but academics was almost a joke, for Undergrads (The classes I took anyway).

One sentence review: RICE FIGHT NEVER DIE, BLUE, GREY IN THE SKY, STAND CHEER DRINK MORE BEER, GO, GO, GOOOOO RICE! One of the greatest things about Rice is that four years ago, I didn't have to make it home. It already was. The architecture is awesome, the people are awesome, the stuff that goes on inside the hedges is awesome. To be honest, it's impossible to fully convey how great my experiences at this university have been in a Yelp review. If you're from the Houston area and haven't visited Rice, do yourself a favor and come on over. If you're thinking of studying here, visit. We're all more than happy to show you why we love being Owls. Rice fight.

What a surprise that you can review a school on Yelp. Well, I got my Master's degree at Rice. It's a great school academically: top of the rank, excellent professors, loads of cash to invest in students and research, state-of-the-art facilities. The campus is a serene island in a sea of ugly houstonness. The canopies of live oaks filter the sun, and you can seat on the green grass watching squirrels chase each other. Architecture is very nice. The college system is close to my idea of university, since I grew up in Europe. It's fun to see all the undergrads have a sense of belonging. There's no Greeks at Rice. Medical center is very good and fast with appointments and lab results. There is a free nutritionist on campus, and a very inexpensive wellness center (acupuncture and massage). Gym was so-so when I went there, but I hear the new gym is great. Rice is just a lovely school. Major drawback - Houston. It's cheep to live in, but its... well... bad for you.

Awesome I love this University. It can't get any better! Sammy the owl is soooooo cute!!!!!!!

All I have to say is that it's such a pretty campus and totally gives you that old academic feel... parking prices keep inching up, and the lack of free weekend parking (starting this year) seems to be a slap in the face since the parking lot is nearly empty. I've got nothing to say about the students or the education aspect, I don't go here... just came by for a conference. Conference facilities were okay... no better than those at UH and in some ways worse. But that could have just been this one event.

Pretty campus. I was visiting, and drove around the campus. It has all the classic red brink buildings and many trees. It's a nice campus to live on and all the houses in the surrounding neighbor hood are also pretty nice. Love it!

Wow so we can review our university now... One star off for not enough food choices on campus lol.

I like rice university. I love their baseball field. I like how the campus is so pretty. I like holler mascot is an Owl.

Despite the emails I get from the Prez updating me on Rice happenings I sort of don't care about but am still mildly interested in because I'm interested in things related to me and some student loans, I'm giving Rice the honor of being my 200th review. Celebrate! *cue balloons, flashing lights, and fireworks* (Apparently, my idea of a celebration is an election victory in a club on the Fourth of July.) I had a hard time deciding how many stars to give Rice. I still haven't decided as I write this. I told one of my best friends, a fellow Rice grad, about my dilemma, and he was horrified that I was considering three stars. Three stars, because I feel as though you'd get a similar experience at another small private decently ranked college. It could get five stars, because I went there, and I'm clearly "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" material. Four stars if I average the two. A definite minus is the weather. Good god I hate the weather. I grew up in Houston, but spent four years in Seattle before coming back here to go to Rice. When I was at Rice, people would tell me that Rice was gorgeous, but I couldn't quite understand them through the haze of September memories of hopping out of my jeans soaked in sweat from the ten-minute walk from the library. The grass, it is not a verdant green. The scorching sun gives it yellow tones. If you're unlike me, and don't hate the heat with a burning passion (the irony), you'd probably find the campus beautiful, so that's not quite a negative. A positive, or unique thing, is that there are no fraternities and sororities. Instead, there's the residential college system, so you do things with your residential college. O-week (orientation) was a ton of fun, and you get to bond with your college. Beer Bike, with the jacks (pranking), early morning water balloon fights, each college's quirks and college pride, and boozing, is a blast. The college system does mean that you have certain subsets. There are the rah-rah college types, who are very social and active in college activities (usually the "popular" kids); the jocks, who just hang out with themselves; the theater types who engage in each residential college's productions (they're not limited to their own college); the MOB (band types), who are, ah, sometimes quirky; the uber-gaming types; and the rest, which includes those who are somewhat visible in their college and those who don't do much with their college. It's somewhat clique-ish, and most people's friends are within their college. You have a lot of good professors, a few great professors, and a few not-so-great ones. However, as a History major, once I was out of the intro classes, the classes, mostly seminars, are much smaller and we had great readings and discussions. Commencement was not that fun, since it was outside, and, in an effort to get content over glitz, someone...Houston-related was chosen. Lame sauce! As proof of the failure of that method, not only do I have no recollection of what was said in the speech, I don't remember the name of the speech-giver either. It was probably a male name. Back to the heat, though we were given mini-fans and I had dressed smartly and worn a t-shirt and mini-skirt underneath my gown, I spent most of graduation with my head between my knees, trying to capture the shade and fielding calls from my roommate. Rice has changed a bit with President Leebron. More residential colleges are being built to accommodate the larger class sizes. I last heard this class has 950 students, which boggles the mind, because, when I was an undergrad, my class numbered 700. There's a lot of renovation (goodbye, crappy gym). A negative is that the lax residential college drinking policies in place when I was there, which I didn't take advantage of (I drank like a camel whose humps are already full of water, except--fun fact alert--camels don't store water in their humps; point is, I did a minimal of drinking, and when I did drink, I took dainty sips, like the Queen Mother), are no longer so lax. Note: Though Rice was named the coolest school by "Seventeen" magazine and Playboy once named Rice a top party school (?!), Rice is no Florida or Arizona school in terms of hotness quotient or wild partying. The kids do try, but the primary focus of most is on their academics. It always drove me nuts to hear people say that Rice is the Harvard of the South. Harvard is Harvard. Rice is one of the best schools in the South, but let's not make it something it's not. On the whole, though, the people were pretty cool, I liked my classes, and, it's "good value" (I love how that's advertised, like we're some bag of chips that has 20% extra chips and calories for the same price). Four stars.

Ok... So being a person who transferred from Rice to UH (Transferred to UH b/c as a military vet the new GI bill covers all of my tuition at a state school) I guess I can talk a little about the academics before moving onto the rest of the campus. The academics at Rice are great. The classes are rigorous and relevant. The professors are all very established in their respective fields, which translates into more interesting lectures. Although class work takes up most of the students time, there is still a good amount of fun to be had at and around Rice. The Campus- I love the buildings at Rice, they are all very unique. Ever thing about the campus has been kept up throughout the years. The gym sucked while I was there, but they are building a huge new one that is supposed to be open by Fall 09. The Brochstein Pavilion coffee shop offers what I consider to be the best coffee in all of H-town. Go and try the caramel mocha with whip and you will agree. The Running Trail- Ok so after finding out that running on the trail around Rice is not healthy for you, I never really bothered giving it a try more than a few times. The levels of pollution given of by cars that is inhaled by runners is supposedly somewhere around the same as smoking a couple packs of cigs. Bike Riders- On the back end of the football stadium there is a flaged off loop that allows for bike riders to circle endlessly. In the evenings it really is never that crowed. Plus if you pop a tire tube you are not miles out from your car or house. You can also drive right into the village and hit up Bike Barn for another spare tube when your done. The bike loop is not really all that far from the running trail but because there is a good breeze across the loop I feel better about riding my bike than running.