<p>danas - The same could be said for UT-Austin. It has exactly the same peer reputation score as Rice (4.1), and many more programs ranked among the top in the country than Rice. The big issue with UT is as you stated previously - at the undergrad level, it is required by state law to be at least 90% in-state, which doesn't do much to improve selectivity (or even national stature).</p>