Graduates of Rice University earn median earnings of $110,080 four years after enrollment, placing Rice University in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $11,720 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Rice University in the 88.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rice University #8 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Rice University's concentration in quantitative and applied fields. Engineering is the dominant program family, accounting for 16% of degrees, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 4%. Artificial Intelligence combines large cohort scale with strong pay, anchoring the institution's aggregate return story. Azimuth ranks Artificial Intelligence #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 121 graduates earning median earnings of $182,443. The Kinesiology program graduates 104 students and Azimuth ranks it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $87,404. Among the most popular programs, Economics (75 graduates) and Mechanical Engineering (60 graduates) deliver median earnings of $129,575 and $108,970 respectively, with Azimuth ranking them #21 and #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates of Rice University earn median earnings of $110,080 four years after enrollment, placing Rice University in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $11,720 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Rice University in the 88.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rice University #8 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Rice University's concentration in quantitative and applied fields. Engineering is the dominant program family, accounting for 16% of degrees, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 4%. Artificial Intelligence combines large cohort scale with strong pay, anchoring the institution's aggregate return story. Azimuth ranks Artificial Intelligence #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 121 graduates earning median earnings of $182,443. The Kinesiology program graduates 104 students and Azimuth ranks it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $87,404. Among the most popular programs, Economics (75 graduates) and Mechanical Engineering (60 graduates) deliver median earnings of $129,575 and $108,970 respectively, with Azimuth ranking them #21 and #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Rice University earn median earnings of $110,080 four years after enrollment, placing Rice University in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $11,720 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Rice University in the 88.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rice University #8 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Rice University's concentration in quantitative and applied fields. Engineering is the dominant program family, accounting for 16% of degrees, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 4%. Artificial Intelligence combines large cohort scale with strong pay, anchoring the institution's aggregate return story. Azimuth ranks Artificial Intelligence #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 121 graduates earning median earnings of $182,443. The Kinesiology program graduates 104 students and Azimuth ranks it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $87,404. Among the most popular programs, Economics (75 graduates) and Mechanical Engineering (60 graduates) deliver median earnings of $129,575 and $108,970 respectively, with Azimuth ranking them #21 and #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Rice University earn median earnings of $110,080 four years after enrollment, placing Rice University in the 99.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $11,720 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Rice University in the 88.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rice University #8 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Rice University's concentration in quantitative and applied fields. Engineering is the dominant program family, accounting for 16% of degrees, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 4%. Artificial Intelligence combines large cohort scale with strong pay, anchoring the institution's aggregate return story. Azimuth ranks Artificial Intelligence #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 121 graduates earning median earnings of $182,443. The Kinesiology program graduates 104 students and Azimuth ranks it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $87,404. Among the most popular programs, Economics (75 graduates) and Mechanical Engineering (60 graduates) deliver median earnings of $129,575 and $108,970 respectively, with Azimuth ranking them #21 and #11 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Rice University's program mix is anchored in engineering, quantitative sciences, and applied business fields. Engineering accounts for 16% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 12% and Arts at 4%. The largest programs by cohort size are Artificial Intelligence (121 graduates), Kinesiology (104 graduates), Economics (75 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (60 graduates), and Psychology, General (77 graduates). Across 38 programs serving roughly 1,209 students annually, 9 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. The earnings leaders illustrate where Rice University's strongest financial outcomes concentrate. Azimuth ranks Artificial Intelligence #7 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 121 graduates earning $182,443. Azimuth ranks Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering #8 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 49 graduates earning $136,656. Azimuth ranks Economics #21 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 75 graduates earning $129,575. Mechanical Engineering and Political Science round out the top earners, with Azimuth ranking them #11 and #31 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, respectively. Several of these programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the national labor market directly — particularly Artificial Intelligence, Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Psychology, General and Mechanical Engineering are more likely grad-school-dependent pathways, where four-year earnings undercount the lifetime trajectory of graduates who continue to medical school, doctoral programs, or professional study.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
