Dear bandicoot12, actually, Rice’s mathematics program is very strong. I realize there are various aspects of mathematics that may interest you more than others, and these may not be factored into various rankings, but below are a few rankings I pulled from a search.
http://college.usatoday.com/2016/04/29/top-schools-for-applied-mathematics/
http://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/rankings/mathematics/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cartercoudriet/2016/07/07/top-stem-colleges-of-2016/#5d8fecb55ba8
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/mathematics-rankings?int=9e8a08&int=a06908
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-physics-chemistry-and-maths-degrees
The last two rankings listed are the US News Grad School rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Ranking, which is also based on graduate schools. The fact that Rice is fifty in the Times World University Ranking is remarkable when one thinks how small its graduate school is when compared to the other universities on the list. Also, other rankings I came across don’t even include Chicago or Rice, so obviously one shouldn’t put too much stock in rankings. But the point is, if mathematics is a strong interest of yours, you’ll be fine at Rice; you’ll do great. The teachers at Rice are wonderful across the board and they enjoy interacting with their students in and out of the classroom, and don’t forget: classes at Rice are small. Rice has a one to six faculty/student ratio. And clearly, the opportunities for undergraduates in science, mathematics and engineering are considerable.
And yes, Chicago has superb liberal arts teachers and courses. I love the idea of its core Western civilization courses that all students are required to take, but Rice has wonderful liberal arts teachers and courses as well, everything from history to English to art history, ancient Mediterranean Civilizations (Rice’s version of classics), and many more. I should also add that Rice students are encouraged to study diverse fields of knowledge and to double major. Just about every science and engineering major I know is double majoring, often in a liberal arts discipline.
Then, too, Rice has the residential college system, which is a true gem of the university (even if you end up in Lovett College, lol). The residential colleges not only provide a close-knit social unit within the larger university, but they go a long way in making all students feel they are part of the university and something exciting.
Another thing to consider: while Chicago has a beautiful campus, so does Rice, but the big difference is that Rice is also in a beautiful part of Houston, surrounded by the museum district (one can walk to the city’s fine museums), Herman Park (a very beautiful huge park with a zoo, a golf course, a Japanese garden and many cool places to walk), the Texas Medical Center (the largest medical center in the U.S.), beautiful residential neighborhoods and Rice Village, a very cool place with fun pubs and good restaurants. And Houston’s METRORail stops right by the main entrance of Rice and takes you to downtown Houston. Houston is really an interesting city and Rice is located in a great part of the city. Yes, Chicago is a beautiful city, but I have heard students say that attending the University of Chicago is bit like residing in a green zone, as the South Side is not exactly the most desirable part of the city, especially at night.
Both are wonderful schools, but I’m very glad I chose Rice. In any event, you’ve now visited Rice and you will soon visit Chicago. After you have visited both, think about all the things you like about each (and didn’t like if that’s the case) and go with your instincts and what your heart is telling you. Good luck to you.