Mission

Founded in 1891 by William Marsh Rice, Rice University is a private, independent university dedicated to the advancement of letters, science, and art. Only a few miles from downtown Houston, Rice attracts a diverse group of highly talented students with a range of academic studies that includes humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, architecture, music, and business management. The school offers students the advantage of forging close relationships with the faculty and the option of tailoring graduate and undergraduate studies to their specific interests. Students each year are drawn to this co-ed, nonsectarian university by the creative approaches Rice has taken to higher education.