<p>Actually I've heard Rice being called the "harvard of the south"</p>
<p>well, depends on what you define the south to be. i would say "ivy of the SW", but Texas is a diverse state, with East Texas being a lot more like the traditional South (Southeast) with the pine trees and humidity, and West and Central Texas being more like New Mexico and Arizona with the short brush and cactus. but i digress, i think rice is the 2nd best school south of the mason-dixon line, with duke being first, mainly because it attracts more northeastern and east coast students than rice.</p>