Financial Support
Application Fee Waivers
Rice waives application fees for doctoral applicants who are graduates of institutions in Texas and bordering states Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico or who have a permanent address in these states. Other fee waivers granted can be found here.
Fellowships and Assistantships
Incoming graduate students are eligible for a variety of fellowships and other forms of financial assistance. Over 90% of newly enrolled graduate students are provided with a financial incentive package that includes a Graduate Fellowship and a tuition waiver, and many departments offer multi-year financial assistance to students who are making normal progress towards a graduate degree.
Graduate students are encouraged to compete for National Fellowships that support their graduate work at Rice. Fellowships from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Fullbright Foundation, the Ford Foundation and GEM are examples of such awards. The University provides advice and assistance to graduate students applying to such programs.
Rice is the recipient of NIH, NSF and NASA sponsored Federal Training Grant Programs. These provide stipend traineeships and tuition to graduate students studying in research areas supported by these programs. In some programs, internships in industrial laboratories are available.
Tuition & Fees
The tuition for full-time graduate students entering in the 2021-2022 academic year is $26,035 per term. Students that receive departmental stipends or secure a competitive external fellowship are typically offered full-tuition support. For students enrolling in Architecture, Shepherd School of Music, and Professional Master's programs, tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year is $10,000 - $29,500 per term.
After ten semesters of full-time study in one degree program (excluding the summer semesters), continuing students are eligible for a reduced tuition rate. The reduced rate, like standard rate, varies by department/program. Please see the Cashier’s website for tuition rate in specific degree programs.
Annual fees are $315.50 for 2020-2021. Additional information regarding fees, including a breakdown of what your fees support, can be found on the Cashier's website. For traditional master's and doctoral students, the majority of this fee goes to support health and wellness support services, and the Graduate Student Association.
Tuition Waivers
Students that receive departmental stipends or secure a competitive external fellowship are typically offered full-tuition support. Tuition at Rice is low compared to most private major research universities. All doctoral students completing ten semesters of full-time graduate study receive a major reduction in tuition and are charged tuition at the reduced rate. Students in the Shepherd School of Music and in the School of Architecture receive a reduction in tuition after six semesters of full-time study.
Stipends
Qualified doctoral and thesis master’s students often receive departmental stipends of $32,000-$40,000 per year to cover living expenses. That means you can earn your Ph.D. and get paid for it. Stipend and/or tuition support is also available in some master’s programs.
Financial Aid & Loans
Rice participates in all federal student loan programs, and the Rice University Financial Aid Office can assist graduate students in the preparation of applications. Both the Rice Graduate Student Association and the Graduate Studies Office provide loans to graduate students who require emergency assistance. These loans are low-interest. In addition to the merit-based aid described above, the Office of Financial Aid offers need-based aid in the form of loans to graduate students who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or refugees.