How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
Rice University admits about 8.0% of applicants. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,510 and 1,570 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 34 and 35 on the ACT. Among enrolled undergraduates, 17.0% receive Pell Grants and 14.5% are first-generation college students — cohorts that are comparatively small relative to broad-access institutions. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 4.9%. Azimuth ranks Rice University #335 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. That ranking reflects the structural reality of a highly selective institution: the admission funnel is narrow, and the number of Pell-eligible and first-generation students who enroll is constrained by the volume of students admitted in the first place. The six-year graduation rate is 94.6%, with a freshman retention rate of 97.4% and a Pell completion rate of 89.4% — figures that reflect strong student support once students are enrolled. Azimuth ranks Rice University #340 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $86,100 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 98.9 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The pattern here mirrors what Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes describes for selective institutions: low-income students who gain admission complete at high rates and achieve among the strongest post-graduation earnings in the country — but the institution's admission scale limits how many students benefit from that pathway.
Rice University admits about 8.0% of applicants. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,510 and 1,570 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 34 and 35 on the ACT. Among enrolled undergraduates, 17.0% receive Pell Grants and 14.5% are first-generation college students — cohorts that are comparatively small relative to broad-access institutions. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 4.9%. Azimuth ranks Rice University #335 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. That ranking reflects the structural reality of a highly selective institution: the admission funnel is narrow, and the number of Pell-eligible and first-generation students who enroll is constrained by the volume of students admitted in the first place. The six-year graduation rate is 94.6%, with a freshman retention rate of 97.4% and a Pell completion rate of 89.4% — figures that reflect strong student support once students are enrolled. Azimuth ranks Rice University #340 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $86,100 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 98.9 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The pattern here mirrors what Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes describes for selective institutions: low-income students who gain admission complete at high rates and achieve among the strongest post-graduation earnings in the country — but the institution's admission scale limits how many students benefit from that pathway.
Rice University admits about 8.0% of applicants. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,510 and 1,570 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 34 and 35 on the ACT. Among enrolled undergraduates, 17.0% receive Pell Grants and 14.5% are first-generation college students — cohorts that are comparatively small relative to broad-access institutions. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 4.9%. Azimuth ranks Rice University #335 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. That ranking reflects the structural reality of a highly selective institution: the admission funnel is narrow, and the number of Pell-eligible and first-generation students who enroll is constrained by the volume of students admitted in the first place. The six-year graduation rate is 94.6%, with a freshman retention rate of 97.4% and a Pell completion rate of 89.4% — figures that reflect strong student support once students are enrolled. Azimuth ranks Rice University #340 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $86,100 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 98.9 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The pattern here mirrors what Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes describes for selective institutions: low-income students who gain admission complete at high rates and achieve among the strongest post-graduation earnings in the country — but the institution's admission scale limits how many students benefit from that pathway.
