<p>"Rice University snagged the No. 4 spot among private universities on the Kiplinger s Personal Finance list of 100 best values in private institutions.</p>
<p>The magazine ranked 50 private liberal arts colleges and 50 private universities based on outstanding economic value with exceptional education. Edging out the Houston university were California Institute of Technology, Yale University and Princeton University.</p>
<p>Selected from a pool of more than 600 private institutions provided by Petersons, the schools in the Kiplinger 100 were ranked according to academic quality and affordability with quality accounting for two-thirds of the total. The annual private school rankings appear in Kiplinger s February 2009 issue."</p>
<ul>
<li>from Bizjournals.com</li>
</ul>
<p>Princeton Review's #4 Best Buy pic too:</p>
<p>"At Rice University—the “Ivy of the South”—you will find small classes and an array of varied and challenging academic programs. Refreshingly, however, you won’t find the intense and unpleasant academic competition that often accompanies schools of its stature. The 2,995 or so undergraduates are very smart, ultra-talented, and nerdy. Rice students are also go-getters. They spend their undergraduate careers studying relentlessly (four to five hours a day), seeking out internships and great summer jobs, and generally padding their resumes. Rice is most famous for its world-class engineering and science programs; about one-fourth of all the students major in engineering. The formidable School of Architecture is arguably one of the top five undergraduate architecture schools in the nation. And, if you can carry a tune (really, really well), the Shepherd School of Music is one of the nation’s most prestigious music programs.
All in all, Rice’s tree-lined campus is an oasis of architectural beauty. Inside the tall hedges that separate Rice’s campus from the never-ending bustling sprawl of Houston, social life is defined by a unique system of nine residential colleges. If you go to Rice, you will be randomly assigned to one of these colleges, which will serve as your dorm, your dining hall, your coed fraternity/sorority—basically, the root of your social identity for your entire undergraduate career. Virtually all first-year students and more than 70 percent of all undergraduates reside at their associated colleges. Off campus, just beyond the hedges, lies a neat little area full of stores and restaurants called the Village. Houston—the fourth largest city in the United States—offers plenty to see and do. Conveniently, a METRO light rail stop is located across the street from Rice’s main entrance, providing access to downtown within ten minutes." </p>
<p>Couldn't resist copying it all...</p>
<p>Actually, there was more ...</p>
<p>"Rice University charges the lowest annual tuition of any highly selective private college or university in the United States—thousands less than Harvard or Duke. There are no excessive fees. Room and board charges are reasonable. In fact, over the years Rice has been known for holding down student tuition and fees, which currently run about 32 percent less than Rice’s top private college competition.
But wait! There’s more! Rice graduates have far and away the lowest debt burden among graduates of highly selective schools in the United States. For the Rice class of 2008, Rice students will graduate with no more than $15,000 in need-based debt. Many students will graduate with no debt at all. And we’re not talking only about fabulously wealthy billionaire heirs and heiresses, either. Students of ordinary means can walk away from Rice virtually debt-free. There is an annual limit of $2,625 on need-based borrowing for the class of 2008. Beyond that, admission is need blind and Rice guarantees to meet 100 percent of a student’s demonstrated need for four years. For example, a member of the class of 2008 with a demonstrated need of $12,000 would be eligible for a loan of $2,625 and work-study aid of $1,700. The remaining $7,675 would be provided in grants and scholarships. How can this relatively tiny school afford to be so generous? Rice is completely loaded. The endowment-per-student ratio is about $780,000. Among undergraduate universities, only Princeton, Harvard, and Yale can top that."</p>
<p>Thanks! Great piece of info</p>
<p>Thanks for posting this! I passed it along to the grandparents who are helping us fund that bargain education. (-:</p>
<p>Great! It's really good to know that. I am a dad with my only daughter applying to Rice. It's so nice to learn more about the college she likes. Thanks!</p>
<p>hmmm.... it's out of date (it's been $1800 of workstudy for a while now.) and
[quote]
The 2,995 or so undergraduates are very smart, ultra-talented, and nerdy. Rice students are also go-getters. They spend their undergraduate careers studying relentlessly (four to five hours a day), seeking out internships and great summer jobs, and generally padding their resumes
[/quote]
Neither of mine are nerdy or study relentlessly or are serious go-getters, and certainly not into padding their resumes. They are friendly, funny, generally happy, kind and interesting people - and they met a lot of similar people at Rice :)</p>