Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Rice - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Rice: 8% against 42.4% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
For an applicant from outside the US the difference is financial: Rice awards international students $76,332 on average, Illinois Urbana-Champaign awards $5,836.
The one that looks dearer ends up cheaper: Rice lists $92,262 against $57,284 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign), but after average aid what remains is $23,222 against $34,067.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Rice: $90K against $81K.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Rice is the more selective of the two (8% vs 42.37% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #101-150). Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $67,497 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: a higher world ranking, lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Rice for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Rice is more selective (8% vs 42.37% acceptance); Rice has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $81K); Rice has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.6% vs 85.1%).
Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $67,497); Rice offers a larger average aid package ($69,040 vs $23,217).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Rice |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #55 | #101-150 |
| Rank · THE | #46 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 42.37% | 8% |
| Yield rate | 28.8% | 44.2% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 73,742 | 32,473 |
| International students | 14.9% | 13% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $81K | $90K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $55K | $63K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $117K | $144K |
| Graduation rate | 85.1% | 94.6% |
| Retention rate | 94.8% | 97.4% |
| Median debt | $19,500 | $11,000 |
| Tuition · year | $38,400 | $67,497 |
| Avg. aid package | $23,217 | $69,040 |
| % of need met | 0.8% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $22,395 | $28,418 |
| Application fee | $50 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 59,238 | 8,961 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Rice?
It's harder to get into Rice. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Rice accepts 8%.
Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Rice graduates earn more?
Rice graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $90K vs $81K.
How much is tuition at Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Rice?
Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $67,497 per year at Rice.
What SAT score do you need for Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Rice?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1540 at Rice; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Rice?
Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #101-150 for Rice.
Which university offers more financial aid - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Rice?
The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $69,040 at Rice.
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