Virginia vs Rice - 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%, Virginia admits 16.8%.
The larger international cohort belongs to Rice: 13% of students against 4.9% (Virginia).
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), Virginia does not.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Rice starts at $92,262 against $80,859 and ends at $23,222 against $43,736 (Virginia).
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 16.81% acceptance). Rice ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#201-300 vs #101-150). Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $87K). Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($62,923 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 Virginia for: a higher graduation rate, higher retention, lower tuition.
Choose Rice for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Rice is more selective (8% vs 16.81% acceptance); Rice has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $87K); Virginia has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.6% vs 94.6%).
Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($62,923 vs $67,497); Rice offers a larger average aid package ($69,040 vs $37,123).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Virginia | Rice |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #201-300 | #101-150 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 16.81% | 8% |
| Yield rate | 40% | 44.2% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 58,951 | 32,473 |
| International students | 4.9% | 13% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $87K | $90K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $59K | $63K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $130K | $144K |
| Graduation rate | 95.6% | 94.6% |
| Retention rate | 97.9% | 97.4% |
| Median debt | $17,500 | $11,000 |
| Tuition · year | $62,923 | $67,497 |
| Avg. aid package | $37,123 | $69,040 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $25,137 | $28,418 |
| Application fee | $75 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 26,470 | 8,961 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Virginia or Rice?
It's harder to get into Rice. Virginia accepts 16.81% of applicants, while Rice accepts 8%.
Do Virginia or Rice graduates earn more?
Rice graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $90K vs $87K.
How much is tuition at Virginia vs Rice?
Sticker-price tuition is $62,923 per year at Virginia and $67,497 per year at Rice.
What SAT score do you need for Virginia or Rice?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Virginia and 1540 at Rice; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Virginia or Rice?
Rice ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #201-300 for Virginia vs #101-150 for Rice.
Which university offers more financial aid - Virginia or Rice?
The average aid package is $37,123 at Virginia and $69,040 at Rice.
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