Rice is now GRE-optional, will grant fee waivers to graduates of Texas schools

Rice Graduate Studies is not requiring the GRE for 2023 admission, but will provide students with the option of submitting those scores

A sunset over Lovett Hall and the Texas Medical Center at Rice University

Rice is eliminating the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) standardized test requirement for its 2023 graduate applications, excluding programs in the Jones School of Business, which will require either a GRE or GMAT score to be submitted. Waivers are available for those with appropriate qualifications as described at the Jones School’s application site.

"While Rice Graduate Studies is not requiring the GRE for 2023 admission, we will provide students with the option of submitting those scores," said Seiichi Matsuda, Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Each degree program at Rice can choose to be GRE optional, GRE optional but recommended, or GRE optional, but strongly recommended. Prospective students should check with their program of application for details.

Rice will also waive 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, excluding programs in the Jones School of Business.

“People who are applying to graduate school have worked hard and we want to make applying a little easier,” Matsuda said. “Rice attracts applications from around the country and around the world. We’ve decided to eliminate the application fee for the immediate region as a way to encourage people in the local community to continue with their education.”

Rice graduate applications will open soon, and prospective students can apply by visiting gradapply.rice.edu. Graduate degrees at Rice are offered in the following programs:

  • Accounting

  • Anthropology

  • Applied Chemical Sciences

  • Applied Physics

  • Architecture

  • Art History

  • Biochemistry and Cell Biology

  • Bioengineering

  • Bioscience and Health Policy

  • Biosciences

  • Business

  • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

  • Chemistry

  • Civil and Environmental Engineering

  • Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research

  • Computational Science and Engineering

  • Computer Science

  • Data Science

  • Dual Credit Teaching Credentialing

  • Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences

  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

  • Economics

  • Education

  • Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • Energy Economics

  • Energy Geoscience

  • Engineering Management and Leadership

  • English

  • Environmental Analysis

  • Global Affairs

  • History

  • Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors

  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology

  • Industrial Engineering

  • Liberal Studies

  • Materials Science and NanoEngineering

  • Mathematics

  • Mechanical Engineering

  • Music

  • Philosophy

  • Physics

  • Political Science

  • Psychological Sciences

  • Religion

  • Science Teaching

  • Social Policy Evaluation

  • Sociology

  • Space Studies

  • Statistics

  • Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology

  • Teaching