Rice University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

jeepers

Rice offers strong academics.

stan

It is harder than high school.

George

The academics at Rice are top-notch, as would be expected from a school of its caliber. I think it is difficult to compare the quality of teaching among top schools, though, since the faculty move around a lot among them. When professors who just arrived from Stanford and MIT teach us, their teaching does not change much. So, are we receiving an education that is better or worse than that of a student at Stanford? Probably not. In nearly every class I've taken here, the professor has learned my name. Rice students regularly chat, dine, and even hang out with our highly accomplished professors. It's also not unusual for them to exchange cell phone numbers and become friends on Facebook. More often than not, profs here have us use their first names, which was somewhat uncomfortable for me at first. But I discovered it makes for a more relaxed intellectual environment in which students are more comfortable with sharing their thoughts. Very nice.

Miri

The science and engineering courses are very challenging; organic chemistry and physics are some of the least favorite classes for many students.

Shaurya

Academics at Rice are indeed difficult but that is expected as Rice is a highly ranked university. Students range across the spectrum in terms of competitiveness but are not annoyingly so by any means. One of the best things about academics at Rice is the professors. They are always willing to spend extra time helping you out and you will often see them at events around campus so you can build a relationship with them that transcends the simple student-teacher stigma. The major departments at Rice are Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences, Architecture, and Music. Engineering and Music are considered to be the hardest while Architecture is supposed to be the most time consuming and strenuous. I am an engineer and feel that the program is challenging but fair. The requirements are more than other departments but you can clearly see the need for each and every course and it reflects the value of your degree when you graduate. The diversity and number of classes at Rice is staggering considering the comparatively small student body. One of the most unique aspects is Student Taught Courses. These are 1 credit courses are taught by a student and can be of any topic they choose. Some examples are classes on Bollywood, Harry Potter, and a class on Jeopardy! Any student can apply to teach a course and they are responsible for making the curriculum, syllabus, and giving out grades as well.

Sophie

I love the size of most of the classes, they're small and the professors take the time to get to know you and for the most part are easily accessible. The class participation for most of the social science classes at least are common, and although this may have some personal bias some of the best classes are the psychology classes. In particular the social psychology course was the most interesting in both lecture and content. All students are willing to help each other out and are not competitive against each other.

Adam

Academics are top notch at Rice. Professors teach all but a tiny handful of classes (no, these are not intro classes - those are taught by professors). Most professors on campus have their doctorate in their field. They are very enthusiastic and want to share their knowledge with undergraduates.The professors are friendly and accessible outside of class. Academics at Rice are not easy. However, there are many resources here to help you succeed. Most courses have TAs (grad students or upperclassmen) that hold weekly help sessions and office hours as well. The spirit at Rice is very collaborative, and students here are encouraged to work together on finding solutions as long as each submits their own work. (This is particularly true in math/science courses.) Students tend to work together with others in their residential college. Professors place a lot of trust in students. You will have take home exams in some classes, during which you are expected to only use the designated resources and stop working at the end of the time limit. These expectations are bounded by a campus Honor Code. The Honor Code is student enforced, and violators will have to face the Honor Council.

Max

Rice divides its classes into three basic categories: D1 (Humanities), D2 (Social Sciences), and D3 (maths and sciences). D stands for distribution. To graduate, Rice has distribution requirements to ensure that you are "well rounded" in all the subjects. For example, my major is political science, a D2. To graduate, I will have to take 12 credit hours (normally four classes) in D1 and D3 classes. The math and science majors complain a lot about distribution because their majors have harsher requirements. For comparison's sake, Political Science is very lenient about required credits and there is a lot more choice for electives than other majors allow. However classes are seriously difficult. Most students here were top of their high school class and quite a few of them are struggling to maintain even a B average. Grading is curved and it takes a bunch of work to get an A. The amount of homework assigned is sometimes unreasonable and whenever exam time comes along, students withdraw into their rooms or library to study. Again, the amount of homework is ridiculous. As a freshmen, I have classes that assign 200 pages of reading a week. Balancing homework is difficult for all majors, and many students think that in Rice's continual quest to be comparable to the Ivy League colleges, they assign more work (apparently more work = better school). There is definitely a lot of pressure to succeed here, and some students don't even eat meals in the cafeteria because they are too busy studying. Studying definitely will take up a majority of any student's time at Rice, but students are not outwardly competitive. Students are friendly and helpful, and it's definitely common to see late-night study groups cramming before the big midterm. Class size honestly depends on the major and the year you are. Engineering/science students have it the worst. My roommate is a pre-med major and his intro Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy, etc classes have over 80 students in them (he describes them as "typical lecture hall classes"). My largest class has been an Intro to Sociology course which had 80 students in it. The luxury of Rice, however, is that these large classes don't last long. Keep in mind that I'm a freshman and one of my classes has 4 people in it. You definitely wouldn't find that at a state university. Rice prides itself on its (I believe) 5:1 student faculty ratio, and it is a great way to build relationships with your professors. Even the professors of our large classes encourage the students to come to their office hours, and I've never had any difficulty talking with a professor about the class/assignments.

Sarah

I'll just answer the prompts on this question (feeling lazy). Every professor I took at Rice knew my name. Even in big intro classes, if you go to office hours or engage in discussions in class, the professor will know your name. It's a very student-oriented school. My favorite class? Impossible! I loved all my Art History courses. Least favorite? I wasn't a huge fan of the poli sci department. Rice students study...a lot. Well, most do. I had friends who studied 5-6 hours a day (and way more before exams). I studied ~2 hours a day (and way more before exams). But I also had friends who seldom studied. It all depends on your program, your desired grades, and your personality. Rice students are competitive. But you won't really see it on the surface. The sugar-coated claws are key! I did spend time with professors outside of class. I would discuss my work with them (Rice profs are very present), and I would consider a few to be friends. I even still see some socially!

Harper

The academics are really strong. Classes tend to be challenging, but it is worth it. Classes are also small, and teachers try to learn your name. Students are hard working, but always willing to help a fellow student.

Parker

There are a lot of opportunities to spend time with professors outside of class. Of course, they always have office hours and other opportunities related to their classes, but it's also possible just to get to know them a little better. Since we have the residential college system, many professor choose to be associates at a particular college. You tend to run into the ones involved with your college quite often. It's nice sometimes to sit down with them at lunch in you commons and have a conversation with them about things other than class.

Chris

A great part about Rice academics is that the students are not competitive. I never had a problem getting help or working in groups with anyone at Rice because of someone's competitive nature or trying to get ahead of the curve.

Rox

Rice students are smart and dedicated, but we're also the most helpful bunch you can find! There are students who spend as much time doing their own homework as they do helping others. Everyone is competitive with themselves, wanting to get good grades, but we don't have any cut-throat competition against each other; Rice is truly a collaborate learning experience! The classes can range from large to small, but you can definitely get into small classes even as a freshman. The professors make an effort to get to know your name in most cases (larger pre-med classes being a personal exception). Class participation is quite common with teachers posing questions that students argue and ponder about among themselves. Rice does have distribution requirements, but most people are truly grateful for them. They are not too hard a task, and they allow you the opportunity to explore different areas; even though engineers may not want to take a social science class, there are so many interesting classes in all fields that end up attracting the unlikely candidates.

Elizabeth

The academics at Rice are generally very strong. The general distribution requirements are pretty flexible, so if you want to focus on the challenging courses within your major, you can usually find "easy" classes that make the requirements less burdensome, but you can also use the requirements to expand your horizons. The quality of the classes varies by professor, but there are always plenty of people around to give you sound advice - along with your assigned advisor, there are student faculty advisors at every college, and upperclassmen are always willing to help out underclassmen. Most people at Rice are incredibly smart and interesting, yet also laid-back. A lot of people study a lot and work hard, but generally there is an atmosphere of collaboration rather than competition. As a music major, I've really appreciated the lack of hostility and cut-throat competition that can be rampant at other music schools. I really appreciate the diversity of academic interests at Rice. About half the students seem to be Pre-med, but these students major in everything from Bio-engineering to English. About half the students also seem to be either double-majoring or triple-majoring. At Rice you become friends with insightful philosophers, intelligent musicians, passionate mathematicians, talented writers, and surprisingly hip computer geniuses.

Bryce

The quality of academics at Rice is very high, but of course various by department. On average, the classes are small; we only have two or three big lecture halls and they're usually not filled. On top of that, the professors are extremely accessible. If you e-mail them, you will almost always get a reply within 24 hours, and they all have office hours in which you can visit. On top of that, most of them don't care if you stop by at any time you like. I even had one professor give us his home phone number, and just asked us not to wake up his wife. I can't tell you how invaluable it was having professors be that accessible and amenable to questions! The first thing you'll notice when you look at Rice's curriculum is that there is no core curriculum. There are literally no classes you are required to take other than the ones for your major(s). Note, there is a writing exam you have to take when you first get there that,if you don't pass, you're required to take at least one of the sundry English composition classes available. Instead of a core curriculum, you have to fulfill "distribution requirements". Basically, 3 to 4 classes in each of three areas: humanities/arts, social sciences, and math/engineering. For many students most of these will be covered by their major(s), and the huge benefit of not having a core curriculum is that you can have multiple majors without a problem. I graduated in 4 years with a double major and had extra time for lots of electives. I know several people who triple majored, and even one who graduated with 4 majors. One note of caution: Rice is not trying to prepare you for a job. I know people from virtually every department, and excluding music, Rice is not trying to provide you with what you need to go into the workforce. Instead, Rice tries to give you the concepts that will help you to understand and excel at whatever you end up doing. I did not get an education that made me good at any particular job, but because of my education I am one of the best at the job I ended up getting.

Tara

I love academics at Rice, but it is generally more difficult than people expect. Even though you may have been at the top of your class in high school, you are average at Rice. If you never had to study, you will at Rice. The classes are rewarding and you learn a lot, but it takes work. Students are not openly competitive, but everyone strives on their own. I came in as a chemical engineer, but ended up in sociology/ women's studies. My majors are very inclusive and supportive - everyone is friendly and I love all of the staff and profs. My classes mostly class participation and discussion, but a little bit of lecture. I really enjoyed my academic life and got sooo much out of my education. I wrote a thesis, got published, and got into a fellowship because of my studies.

Rick

What can I say? It's got good academics. But just like anywhere else, big classes can be boring and unparticipatory -- small ones are a crapshoot. Engineers have plenty of good company, and there's no bias against us in the curriculum or anything.

Andy

Well classes aren't huge, and are also not that easy. But with that being said, you can get as much help as you want, talk to your professors and TA's freely, and go to multiple review sessions if something isn't clicking. The student environment is competitive but not cut throat. Your student peers are usually willing to help you in the classroom as well, where as in most prestigious school systems, students may try to sabotage you to get the edge. In general, if you get through the admissions process and you have good study habits, you can survive Rice academics.

Ian

Professors definitely know your name. Outside of introductory classes, class sizes are small. Students study all the time. Class participation is very common. Students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class...people at rice are very smart. Students are competitive in classes where the curve is important, but it is not oppressive or painful. The computer science department at Rice is really great. I learned a ton and got a good job. I feel well prepared for handling changing technology...Rice is not a technical school and as such they do not teach for the purpose of getting you a job. However, everyone I know in my department got great jobs after graduating, especially since Rice has good recruiting relationships with great companies (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, etc).

Ryan

Academics: The Honor Code is great. We have lots of take-home and self-timed exams, which is less stressful. Also, the new Course Evaluation system is fantastic--you can see evaluations online for all your classes, including written comments and graphs! Plus they give away ipods and gift cards for doing them.

Jill

The largest class I've had so far at Rice has had about 50 people, and the smallest had only 6. All of my professors knew my name and were more than willing to help out during office hours and with review sessions before big tests. The distribution classes requirement is good because it forces people out of their comfort zone. Actually, some of the best classes I've taken have been for distribution. The education at Rice is definitely geared toward learning for the sake of learning. The great education I'm getting is my favorite thing about Rice! Outside of class, I feel like the majority of student conversations are not really intellectual, which is frustrating because it's obvious that everyone here is so smart. They mostly talk about parties.

Mike

Rice is hard. Plain and simple. But someone who is looking at a school like Rice wouldn't be deterred by that, because let's face it, smart kids look at Rice. Many of the classes at Rice challenge you intellectually, and really make you work hard for a good grade. Just like any university, there are relatively slack classes, and while it's nice to have them every once in a while, the challenging courses are a bit better, because they really push you to better yourself.

Jordan

"Do Rice students have intellectual conversations outside of class?" Actually, there is a huge effort by students to encourage deep conversations at the casual level. For the past couple years it was mostly spearheaded by various religious groups on campus, but last year a few students started a project called "Big Talk" with the sole purpose of getting people talking more deeply. I think it's a pretty cool deal (betweenaduck.com) and I'm proud that it came out of my school.

Dawson

Once you finish the big freshmen lecture classes, the class size tends to drop off rapidly and I know most of my professors personally. Most Rice students are busy *all* the time. Most of that might be spent studying, but people are also heavily involved in extracurriculars. People are much more collaborative than competitive, probably because you get to be friends with your potential "competition". I'll usually meet different professors socially outside the university setting (at the house, for dinner, etc.) a few times a semester. Almost all classes are taught by tenure-track professors and most really enjoy it (the few who don't usually find some bureaucratic loophole to get out of it). I engage in intellectual conversations outside class all the time. Every party I've attended has involved discussion about recent advances in nanotechnology, biotechnology, or philosophical questions.

Charlie

Every school has their introductory classes where there are about 200 kids in the lecture hall. As you take more classes towards your major, the classes get smaller and there is more interaction. I love the language classes which are usually around 20 students, and Rice has great language softwares. Being a biochemistry major, I spend alot of time in my individual research lab. We have alot of these opportunities to work closely with a research mentor and sepnd alot of time with them discussing about our research. I feel that they are geniunely interested in helping you learn more about your subject.

Aure

Education at Rice is what you want it to be. If you want small seminar classes where you go to the professor's house for dinner, you can find that- you'll just have to deal with fewer options than a larger school might have. Getting into the classes you want to register for is never a problem; I have never heard of anyone that did not get to take a class they wanted to take. The way that I've seen most classes operate, if you do all the work, you get an A, but there's a lot of work to do, so not everyone chooses to do it all. There are obviously some exceptions to this, but I find that graders are pretty understanding, and completion of assignments may matter more than getting every question right.

Courtney

The academics at Rice are amazing. I love my classes and how small they are. The professors care a lot about how much you learn and encourage participation all the time. I've learned a lot from my peers, and feel that the curriculum is preparing me well for the outside world without limiting my educational experience by forcing me to study a certain field or major too closely.

Amy

Your first year will mostly be intro classes, which (in the sciences anyways) are about 80 people. These numbers go down as you go to higher levels of science, or if you take an liberal arts class (which are hardly ever bigger than 50 students). Professors in these smaller classes often get to know your name, especially if you speak in class (which is often encouraged). The best thing about the professors is your ability to communicate with them outside of class. Many of them are what we call "associates", which belong to one of the 9 residential colleges on campus. They will be seen eating meals with you in your servery, and will always be there to offer advice. I got to know this physics professor really well this year, despite hating Physics and never having him- he just was an interesting character at the dinner table. Academically, Rice is very challenging. It's not in the Top 20 for nothing, and it doesn't inflate its grades like most upper-tier colleges do. Be prepared to work, and be prepared NOT to get straight A's. You study every day (except possibly Friday), and you work hard, play hard. At Rice, most education is geared towards increasing creativity and interest in a subject; many of the students go on to some post-grad work, and besides the motto of Rice is to increase intellectual curiosity.

Phil

Rice has the one of the best if not the best undergraduate program in the country. Class sizes are small and research opportunites for undergraduates are ample.

Brian

Academics are probably the most well-known aspect of Rice. Rice has rigorous classes but also has some that are not as hard. Students tend to study a good deal; many are found in the library. I would say that students are competitive. I'm double majoring in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Psychology. For biochemistry, the upper-level science classes are difficult, and for psychology they aren't as bad.

Tammy

Professors are generally incredibly helpful and truly want students to learn. It is easy to get extensions and you can always get guidance on assignments. Rice's academics are pretty personal and if you make any effort at all, you will get personal attention. The history department is underrated! I had no expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. I've liked every professor I've had (except for one, who was a special case). The classes are challenging and interesting, and the professors have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, because Rice isn't that big, there isn't as much variety as I'd like in class options.

Sarah

Academics at Rice are insanely hard. It is quite the difference from highschool. Most students were the best in their high school, however once they get to Rice, they become the mediocre students. However, every professor is willing to put forth the effort to help you learn the most possible. While tests are very hard, you are getting the best possible and individualized education possible.

Jo

Most professors know my name, even in larger lecture classes and even if I don't really participate. Some classes are hard, and some are just like high school. I don't feel that Rice is really that hard, but it might be harder than some public schools. We get to see certain professors around all of the time, and we can talk to them, say hi, etc. Sometimes, I even forget that they might be famous professors because they are so down-to-earth. The most unique class I will take is neurology and its applications to law. The professor is not super easy but really great. In the psychology department, all of the teachers are really excited about what they do and are all really great people to talk to. Rice students are intellectual and we can have intellectual conversations, but we work hard and play hard.

Ame

hard, but not impossible.

Liz

Rice is academically very selective, making the classwork at times very demanding. I came to Rice as the academic darling of my high school, only to realize that virtually everyone here was one of their high school's top students. At first the coursework can be very challenging; in an environment full of intelligent students, the only way to get ahead is to study a LOT, and for students who were able to coast through high school, this can be difficult to adjust to. Most classes besides the introductory science and mathematics classes are fairly small; my smallest upper-level seminars have had only 5 or so people, although my introductory physics and differential equations classes probably had over one hundred. Grad student teaching is limited mainly to labs and voluntary study sessions; professors always have office hours and are generally eager to talk to students. Research opportunities for undergraduates are easy to find, and while some of them are the typical monotonous busy-work, I have friends who serve instrumental roles as leading figures in small laboratories. In terms of general education, the requirements at Rice are relatively light, and many students already have them waived from AP; the requirements for majors vary much more, with engineering majors having their schedules almost predetermined while arts and social science majors have the freedom to take on two or three majors if they want to. Rice offers only three minors at the moment, although more have been proposed; right now those offered are mainly in business-econ-related fields.

Danielle

My professors not only knew my name at Rice, they knew my cell phone number. I actually became very friendly with a couple of them (in a professional way of course). As a creative writing student, I formed particularly close bonds with my workshop leaders. Even in the biggest classes, however, professors were really responsive and interested in my learning everything I needed (and wanted) to know. My favorite classes at Rice were those in the English department, while my least favorite were those classes I had to take to fulfill my math/science requirements, which were populated with jocks and other people who similarly didn't care. Students study a hell of a lot. I mean A LOT, especially engineering and architecture students. I on the other hand didn't really study all that much, considering, although I always had a lot of reading and writing to do. Although most students spend a lot of time in the library and in their rooms pulling all-nighters, there isn't a lot of constructive intellectual discussion happening outside of class. In fact, once studying is over, things get really un-intellectual REALLY fast. Students aren't really all that competitive with each other, except in special disciplines like the creative writing and the architecture departments where there's a lot of actual prize money and recognition being given out, the class sizes are small, and everyone sees everyone else's work. The classes at Rice are more or less geared toward learning for its own sake, at least in the liberal arts department. I really liked the flexibility of the distribution system as opposed to a traditional core curriculum requirement. I got to choose what I wanted to learn in a way that most of my friends at larger universities didn't.

chris

The introductory classes are large, like any other school, but as students move toward specialization, the classes get more intimate. Students get opportunities to do research in various fields and interests. Usually harder classes are balanced by fun classes to minimize the stress of the student, depending on what if they choose to do so. Students are the ones to take initiative towards their future.

Alex

Most classes are very small, especially in the humanities and social sciences. This makes for a more intimate environment to hold discussions. Some science professors are too arrogant and obsessed with their research to give their students due time. But overall, most professors are very open to meeting with their students.

Carol

Professors are completely personable and interested. I've met with nearly all of my professors and they make an effort to not only know your name but know a lot about you. I've been over to two of my professor's homes for class barbecues or individual dinner parties and i'm on a first-name basis with some of them. Students want to do well but are not competitive among each other. Everyone is willing to help and there are many ways to get tutored or help from peers, ta's or professors. It is easy to have intellectual conversation and the graduation requirements give you direction and broad knowledge, but are easy to meet and give you a huge range of possibilities.

Natalie

School is school. It's not a cake walk. It's hard, it's college. But it's not impossible. We come out in one piece. In my opinion, what you put into school is what you will get out of it. If you don't want to study and work hard, don't come to Rice. If you are willing to sacrifice some of the social time you might have at another school for academics, come. But again, many many students here balance social and school. Yes, there are your book worms, but for the most part Rice students know when to play and when to work. It's about balance and time management.

Brittany

Classes are fairly good. Intro classes can be large but rarely exceed 200 and are usually around 100. Other classes are generally held around 30 people, and there are many classes that have around 10 people. Students have to study a lot if they care about grades, for example if they want to go to medical school. Professors really try to get to know their students as much as possible and encourage anyone who wants to to visit them during their office hours, make appointments to meet with them, or even just stop by. I am a Biochemistry and Cell Biology major (BCB), and I have a lot of difficult classes that I need to take. However, it is one of the most popular majors here on campus because there are a lot of people interested in biology. The professors in this field are all very good, and most of them have side research projects and are always looking for undergraduates to help them in the lab.

Alison

Everyone here seems to be very intelligent and very committed to academics. People are sometimes overly ambitious (almost everyone double and triple majors) and very dedicated to their studies. Some students are really competitive but most aren't. The engineering students here often have great job offers right out of college, so I would say that they are geared more towards getting a job whereas the humanities and social sciences majors are more in it for the learning.

Jacob

Overall, good. Definitely varies by major and class. All the teachers are ready to help students and that is impressive. Class sizes, at least in my case, were larger than advertised, but still manageable. I think some learning is geared towards a job, but it doesnt feel like there is a lot of pressure. People are not outwardly competitive with one another, which is great.

Katia

Professors are pretty good with names. I took a great Sociology course from Professor Klineberg and I also enjoyed my Energy Economics course from Professor Medlock (it's kind of hard, but very interesting). Global Environmental Law with Professor Blackburn is a MUST but I recommend some background knowledge of the environment (from a policy side or an engineering-side) before taking the class. Students study, I feel like, a very good amount of the time. class participation is very common. and yes, rice students have intellectual conversations outside of class. students are very competitive. Education is definitely geared towards learning for it's own sake, not geared towards getting a job. I say that with 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} truth. that's what's so great about it (i think). It can be frustrating just around the time you're job hunting and you feel like everywhere else, students are getting better preparation for jobs, but that's only a fleeting sentiment.

Rory

yes, profs know my name favorite class: nutrition, adolescent development least favorite: physics study: everyone studies a different amount of time class participation: yes, lots outside of class: yes competitive: yes most unique: adolescent development major: kinesiology, know most people in it professors outside class: not really academic requirements: they're fine...distribution 1 classes kinda suck... geared towards both, depends on professor

Alex

Some do know our names and some don't. My favorite class as odd as this sounds was my Econ 211 class because our professor was amazing. Least favorite --- Introduction to Game Theory. Horrible Professor and just boring Students study far far too much at Rice (we still do other things and just sacrifice sleep) Saturday nights smaller numbers seem to be going out becasue they are studying either that night or all day Sunday. You have to study a lot honestly with the level of academics at Rice. Class Participation --- depends the class but I would say yes more so than most universities. Yes there are far too many intellectual conversations around Rice The students are VERY competitive Most unique class -- Criminology My major is Mathematical Economic Analysis. Lots of math and economics courses. Econ I enjoy though and find very interesting. Some of them you do and some you don't. Just depends the professor. The academic requirements are really really good at Rice. Not too many basic courses coming in. They assume if you were smart enough to get to Rice you probably shouldn't be required to take basic history or something if you don't want to. It's a mix. They expect you to learn a lot but most importantly expect you too be able to apply what you learn without telling you how to apply it. This aspect gets you ready for the real world and jobs.

Cody

Yes they know my name since classes are small. My favorite class was religion and hip hip Reli157, and my least favorite has been Statistics stat280. Students study all of the time, every waking hour. Class participation is integral in small classes. Yes they have intellectual conversations out of class all of the time. Students are very competitive. The most unique class I've taken was "mental health on film." I am a history department and it has been a pleasure dealing with all of the faculty and professors. No i don't spend time with professors outside of class. I think Rice's academic requirements are different. I enjoy that you don't have a set cirriculum, but I do think classes are difficult. The education at rice is geared towards getting a job.

Carson

Academics are top notch here. Classes are challenging and the professors all know their subjects really well. The best part is how available professors are to help you. We have an honor system that allows for take-home exams, quizzes, etc... which is a big convenience. People really respect the honor system and value it as part of the Rice experience.

Alex

Professors know my name because I am an architecture major. There aren't very many of us. Our architecture program is pragmatic enough to help you secure quality internships even while in school, and our professors embrace each student for who they are and what they can do, and actively seek to build upon each student's abilities. I really value the dedication of professors to instill upon us a desire to think, to learn more and to act.

Melissa

Education at Rice will definitely gear you towards getting a job. Some people say where you go to college isn't important, but when an employer sees Rice stamped on your diploma it's almost guaranteed that they will give your resume more consideration.