<p>RML, you stated that Princeton does not have strong graduate programs. That is not accurate. Princeton does not have professional graduate programs in Business, Law or Medicine, but it has VERY strong graduate programs in the traditional disciplines. Most of its graduate departments are ranked in the top 5, including Economics, English, History, Mathematics, Phsyics and Political Science. The departments that aren’t ranked in the top 5 are generally ranked among the top 10 or 15 in the nation, including Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Psychology and Sociology. Furthermore, Princeton has a top 15 school of Engineering. </p>
<p>There are four reasons why Rice does not enjoy the widespread recognition is so richly deserves:</p>
<p>1) Lack of cache graduate program(s): There aren’t many universities that has established a powerful brand name without a major graduate program. Notre Dame is quite possibly the only exception I can think of.</p>
<p>2) Location, location, location! Houston, TX is not the most popular and glamorous place on Earth. </p>
<p>3) Lack of dominant athletic programs. Some schools, like Duke, Michigan, North Carolina and Notre Dame, benefit a great deal from their athletic traditions.</p>
<p>4) Size. Rice is so small, it does not have a large alumni base to further its name and reputation. </p>
<p>But I would not worry about “prestige”. Where it matters, among the educated elite, Rice is very highly regarded.</p>