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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Rice University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/rice-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/rice-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/rice-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/rice-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/rice-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Rice University cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance is $79,788 (an average across living arrangements). Tuition and fees are $64,144 and room and board are $18,100.

At Rice University, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $13,370, which is $14,001 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Grants and scholarships lower the sticker price by $66,418 for the average aid recipient, covering about 83% of the published cost.

Azimuth ranks the university #112 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid recipients at Rice University pay $13,370 on average after grants and scholarships, $14,001 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university in the 92nd percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $11,000 in federal loans, $13,199 below the peer median of $24,199. By income band, these averages reach $5,827 for families earning under $30,000 and $48,466 for those earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $42,639.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a steeply progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $5,827; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $563; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $3,217; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $17,755; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $48,466.

Pell Grant recipients make up 17.0% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $42,639.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$5,827

**$30–48K**
$563

**$48–75K**
$3,217

**$75–110K**
$17,755

**$110K+**
$48,466

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$13,370**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The sticker-to-net gap is substantial: the published cost of $79,788 (an average across living arrangements) falls to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $13,370 for aid recipients, an offset of $66,418. Aid covers about 83% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The pricing structure across income bands shows the largest discounts concentrated on families with lower incomes. The lowest band (under $30,000) averages $5,827, while the highest band (over $110,000) averages $48,466, a spread of $42,639.

The middle-low band dips to $563, reflecting a pattern where aid nearly eliminates the net price for qualifying families before rising through the upper bands.

The published cost of attendance at Rice University is $79,788 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #112 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $5,827, for those earning $30,001 to $48,000 it is $563, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $3,217, for those earning $75,001 to $110,000 it is $17,755, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $48,466. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $42,639.

Aid covers about 83% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $13,370, which is $14,001 below the median of $27,371 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $11,000 in federal student loans. That is $13,199 below the peer median of $24,199 at comparable institutions.

About 63.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $35,338 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $125 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

The median federal student debt for Rice University completers is $11,000. This level is below the comparable-institution median of $24,199 by $13,199.

63.5% of federal aid recipients use federal loans. Parent borrowers represent a separate population; their median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan is $35,338.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported borrowing figures for graduates: 12% borrowed from any source, averaging $26,491 in cumulative principal per borrower. Of those graduates, 11% held federal loans averaging $13,368, including 2% who also carried private loans averaging $61,502.

Four years after completion, the median earnings for Rice University graduates reach $110,080, a figure in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,748 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth's earnings scenarios for the university's program mix set the typical earnings level at $110,080, with a downside scenario of $50,766 and an upside scenario of $150,199. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student debt is $11,000, a balance that is below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The resulting monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $125.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $35,338. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $125.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$35,338

**Estimated parent payment**
$449/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 26.5% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 11.9% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 5.7% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.7% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=rice-university#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$11,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$35,338

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$125/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$449/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$574/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $110,080, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**1.7%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=rice-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.