Rice University ranks No. 18 on the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings released today, ranking in the top 10 for both Best Value (No. 6) and Undergraduate Programs (No. 7), highlighting the university’s dedication to student success and affordability.
The rankings, now in their 40th year, evaluate nearly 1,500 U.S. colleges and universities across 17 measures of academic quality, with an emphasis on social mobility and graduate outcomes. Rice University rose 66 places in the social mobility rankings and came in 29th in the nation’s most innovative universities.
“These high recognitions validate our university’s unwavering commitment to providing an affordable education of the highest standard and advance our goal of becoming a world-leading institution in both teaching and research,” said Rice University President Reginald Desroches. “At Rice, everything we do is for the benefit and advancement of humanity, and we pride ourselves on providing our future leaders with an exceptional, valued and personalized education.”
This latest ranking comes at a monumental time for Rice University, which this year for the first time rose 13 spots to enter the top 10 on Forbes’ list of top universities. The accomplishment comes on the heels of Forbes recognizing Rice as the most affordable private university in its “New Ivies” list. Additionally, Rice was ranked 19th in the “Best Value” category in the latest Wall Street Journal college rankings.
Consistently ranked in the top 10 for undergraduate education by U.S. News, Rice University hired a record number of new faculty members this year, including 58 tenured and 44 non-tenured. This commitment to advancing both undergraduate and graduate education supports Rice’s future growth and excellence, said Amy Dittmer, Howard R. Hughes Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“The Rice educational experience is unique,” Dittmer said. “By providing personalized education, customized learning and enriching experiences, we prepare students to meet the world’s complex challenges. These rankings highlight our commitment to fostering a unique interdisciplinary and collaborative environment that helps students succeed during their studies and in their future endeavors.”
U.S. News also released its latest rankings for engineering and business programs, with Rice earning top rankings in 11 programs. The George R. Brown School of Engineering’s undergraduate engineering program is 20th in the nation, with other programs at the school also ranking highly: Biomedical Engineering rose nine places, and Electrical Engineering rose 12 places to 16th. Other engineering rankings include Computer (19th), Environmental/Environmental Health (19th), Chemistry (23rd), and Materials (26th).
“We are pleased that our engineering program continues to rank among the top 30 nationally, reflecting the outstanding quality and impact of our academic offerings,” said Luai Nakreh, William and Stephanie Schick Dean of Engineering. “This recognition highlights our commitment to excellence and innovation in engineering education alongside research, and is consistent with Rice’s broader accomplishments and growing national and international profile.”
The Jones School of Management has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years thanks to new programs, including the new undergraduate business major. Launched in 2021, the program is now ranked 27th, while the entrepreneurship program rose 17 spots to claim 14th place nationally. Additionally, the undergraduate economics program rose 7 spots to claim 30th place, while the finance program is ranked 36th in this new category.
“The energy transition and the adoption of generative AI are fundamentally and revolutionarily changing our world, and I can think of no school better suited to prepare the leaders who will lead this transformation,” said Peter Rodriguez, dean of the Jones School of Management. “By combining our curriculum with real-world global experiences, our graduates will be prepared to meet and shape the future of business.”
In another notable ranking, Rice’s undergraduate psychology program was ranked 34th in the country.
Each year, U.S. News publishes its Best Colleges rankings to provide prospective students and their families with a comparative look at undergraduate programs at U.S. universities and colleges. The rankings provide detailed information about each institution and data on factors such as graduation rates, graduate debt, graduate student earnings and other outcome measures. For more information about the rankings and their methodology, click here.