Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $46,794 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $22.5K more than the national median. The 56% who received grants paid $23,589 on average; the other 44% paid the full sticker price of $78,278.
- Full price
- $78,278 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Published data end at $110K
- use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- The college's published promise (2025–26 policy)
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $6K a year |
| $30–48K | $563 a year |
| $48–75K | $3K a year |
| $75–110K | $18K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
- Divorced or separated parents: colleges with their own formula usually ask for both parents' finances.
$46,794
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
56% got grants averaging $56,199; 44% got none.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
$92,654 before aid
Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 25% from 2023–24.
Continuing students pay $86,794 in later years.
Show the full next-year estimate
- Tuition, fees, food & housing$92,654
- Books and supplies$1,540
- Transportation$700
- Other expenses$3,115
- Total for a student living on campus$98,009
$11K
≈ $117/month for 10 years
2.1 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
6% of undergrads borrow federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full40–44%
- Paying it down25–29%
- Payments paused15–24%
- Not paying it down5–9%
- Behind or in default0–10%
- Forgiven or discharged0–5%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
GenerousGrants cover 40% of the $78,278 full price on average across all first-years (generous), more than at 50% of colleges. The sticker price overstates what most students here actually pay.
$31,484 in grants per first-year ÷ $78,278 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (1,121), 2023–24
About 1 in 2 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $78,278.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
The whole first-year class (1,121)
- Federal aid + grants257avg grant $68.7K
- Grants, no federal aid371avg grant $47.5K
- No grants493pay full price
Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.
By family income: only students who received federal aid (266 of 1,121), because income is only reported for them.
From Rice University's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2024–25.
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 45%571 students | 45%2,145 students |
| Need met, on average | 100% | 100% |
| Need fully met | 100% | 100% |
| Average aid package | $75,643 | $73,489 |
| Average need-based grant | $73,663 | $69,521 |
| Average need-based loan | $3,015 | $4,099 |
| Merit aid without need | – | 5%average $27,293 |
| Athletic scholarships | – | 249average $67,976 |
7% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
If your parents are divorced or separated, the other parent also files the .
Also: Tax Return & W-2 Forms
Priority date: February 1 · Deadline: none · Aid offers: about April 1 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Art | ✓ | not marked |
| Athletics | ✓ | ✓ |
| ROTC | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music or drama | ✓ | ✓ |
| State or district residency | not marked | ✓ |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
In the college's words:
“The Rice Investment - Grants to cover tuition, fees, room, and board for families with incomes less than 75K; Grants to cover tuition for families with incomes between 75 - 140K; Grants to cover half-tuition for families with incomes between 140 - 200K AND typical assets.”Rice University Common Data Set
International students
Need-based and merit aid offered.
International applicants file: the CSS Profile, Foreign Tax Return ().
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Rice University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Rice University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25;Rice University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Rice University (2025–26), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)