Rice University
Rice University, formally William Marsh Rice University, is a private research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It sits on a 300-acre campus adjacent to the Houston Museum District and the Texas Medical Center.
William Marsh Rice University | |
Former names | William M. Rice Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art (1912–1960) |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Letters, Science, Art" |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | September 23, 1912 |
| Accreditation | SACS |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $7.814 billion (2021) |
| President | Reginald DesRoches |
Academic staff | 680 full time |
Administrative staff | 2,152 |
| Students | 8,212 (Fall 2021) |
| Undergraduates | 4,240 (Fall 2021) |
| Postgraduates | 3,972 (Fall 2021) |
| Location | , , United States 29°43′1″N 95°24′10″W |
| Campus | Large city, 300 acres (120 ha) |
| Newspaper | The Rice Thresher |
| Colors | Blue and gray |
| Nickname | Owls |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I FBS – The American |
| Mascot | Sammy the Owl |
| Website | www |
Opened in 1912 as the Rice Institute after the murder of its namesake William Marsh Rice, Rice is a research university with an undergraduate focus. It has a 6:1 student-faculty ratio. Rice has been a member of the Association of American Universities since 1985 and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The university is organized into eight schools of academic study. Rice competes in 14 NCAA Division I varsity sports and is a part of the American Athletic Conference. Its teams are the Rice Owls.
The university's alumni include 26 Marshall Scholars, 12 Rhodes Scholars, 7 Churchill Scholars, and 3 Nobel laureates. The Rice Space Institute has collaborated with the Johnson Space Center for more than 50 years. In business, Rice graduates include CEOs, founders of Fortune 500 companies and four billionaires; in politics, alumni include politicians and cabinet members.