North Carolina vs Rice - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Rice admits 8% of applicants, while North Carolina admits 15.3%.
The share of international students differs sharply: 13% (Rice) against 6.4% (North Carolina).
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Rice reports aid for international students ($76,332 on average), North Carolina does not.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Rice starts at $92,262 against $60,888 and ends at $23,222 against $40,183 (North Carolina).
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 15.34% acceptance). North Carolina ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#35 vs #101-150). Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $72K). North Carolina has lower sticker-price tuition ($45,228 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 North Carolina 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 15.34% acceptance); Rice has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $72K); Rice has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.6% vs 91.2%).
North Carolina has lower sticker-price tuition ($45,228 vs $67,497); Rice offers a larger average aid package ($69,040 vs $20,705).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | North Carolina | Rice |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #35 | #101-150 |
| Rank · THE | #70 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 15.34% | 8% |
| Yield rate | 45.5% | 44.2% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | 4.49 | - |
| Number of applications | 66,535 | 32,473 |
| International students | 6.4% | 13% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $72K | $90K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $48K | $63K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $112K | $144K |
| Graduation rate | 91.2% | 94.6% |
| Retention rate | 96.6% | 97.4% |
| Median debt | $14,000 | $11,000 |
| Tuition · year | $45,228 | $67,497 |
| Avg. aid package | $20,705 | $69,040 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $20,382 | $28,418 |
| Application fee | $85 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 32,680 | 8,961 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into North Carolina or Rice?
It's harder to get into Rice. North Carolina accepts 15.34% of applicants, while Rice accepts 8%.
Do North Carolina or Rice graduates earn more?
Rice graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $90K vs $72K.
How much is tuition at North Carolina vs Rice?
Sticker-price tuition is $45,228 per year at North Carolina and $67,497 per year at Rice.
What SAT score do you need for North Carolina or Rice?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at North Carolina and 1540 at Rice; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - North Carolina or Rice?
North Carolina ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #35 for North Carolina vs #101-150 for Rice.
Which university offers more financial aid - North Carolina or Rice?
The average aid package is $20,705 at North Carolina and $69,040 at Rice.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern