Rice vs Brandeis - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Rice admits 8%, Brandeis admits 40.5%.
The larger international cohort belongs to Brandeis: 19.3% of students against 13% (Rice).
Real money goes to international students at Rice ($76,332 on average), while Brandeis stops at $56,730.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Rice: $90K against $77K.
The indicators describe a university as a whole, and your own course can sit a long way from that average.
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 40.47% acceptance). Rice ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#101-150 vs #301-400). Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $77K). Rice has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,497 vs $70,957 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 Rice for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Brandeis for: lower graduate debt.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Rice is more selective (8% vs 40.47% acceptance); Rice has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1460).
Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $77K); Rice has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.6% vs 86%).
Rice has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,497 vs $70,957); Rice offers a larger average aid package ($69,040 vs $57,507).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Rice | Brandeis |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #301-400 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 8% | 40.47% |
| Yield rate | 44.2% | 17.5% |
| Median SAT | 1540 | 1460 |
| Avg. GPA | - | 3.90 |
| Number of applications | 32,473 | 10,462 |
| International students | 13% | 19.3% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $90K | $77K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $63K | $52K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $144K | $117K |
| Graduation rate | 94.6% | 86% |
| Retention rate | 97.4% | 87% |
| Median debt | $11,000 | $25,648 |
| Tuition · year | $67,497 | $70,957 |
| Avg. aid package | $69,040 | $57,507 |
| % of need met | 100% | 94.5% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $28,418 | $27,004 |
| Application fee | $75 | $80 |
| Enrollment | 8,961 | 5,205 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Rice or Brandeis?
It's harder to get into Rice. Rice accepts 8% of applicants, while Brandeis accepts 40.47%.
Do Rice or Brandeis graduates earn more?
Rice graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $90K vs $77K.
How much is tuition at Rice vs Brandeis?
Sticker-price tuition is $67,497 per year at Rice and $70,957 per year at Brandeis.
What SAT score do you need for Rice or Brandeis?
The median admitted SAT score is 1540 at Rice and 1460 at Brandeis; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Rice or Brandeis?
Rice ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #101-150 for Rice vs #301-400 for Brandeis.
Which university offers more financial aid - Rice or Brandeis?
The average aid package is $69,040 at Rice and $57,507 at Brandeis.
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