We just toured Rice in September. It appeared to be very integrated and the students were unselfconsciously comfortable. The three dining halls and eating areas we saw during peak lunch hours had large tables that seated 6-8 people and I don’t believe we saw a single table that was all one race. Nor were there obvious “clumps” of a single race of students informally gathering around campus. In other words, race seemed to be a nonissue in all the social settings we observed during our full day there. Could have been an anomaly, but if I were to guess, it wasn’t.
Of all the colleges we’ve toured in the past year, Rice was the one that impressed me the most in person. Not only were the academics and job placement first rate, every single student we met (even the ones we just randomly and casually spoke to on campus) seemed relaxed and happy. No posing, no cynical BS, no snootiness about the selectivity, just open and friendly excitement about how great the place is. Not sure how to describe it, but it seemed almost like a really awesome summer camp social atmosphere.