I know a few students who have chosen Rice over Stanford for one of two reasons - Rice gave them a full merit ride while Stanford was full pay or Rice was more attractive due to Rice/Baylor admission.
Rice also has a great music school and architecture school.
Rice would be great for someone interested in the petrochemical industry. They are all mostly local companies.
Having said all that, I would recommend you go to Stanford if you are from Texas. You will get a much more different perspective on life when you spend 4 years in a different State.