Rice SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 13, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
1510 to 1570
Half of enrolled students at Rice scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1570, and one quarter below 1510.
- Acceptance rate
- 8.0%
- ACT range
- 34 to 35
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Houston, TX
- Undergraduates
- 4,480
- School type
- Private nonprofit university
Rice SAT Scores and Admissions
Rice admitted about 8 percent of applicants and enrolled students whose SAT scores ran 1510 to 1570 in the middle 50 percent, one of the tightest bands of any university. Rice is small and selective, with about 4,500 undergraduates in Houston, a residential college system that anchors campus life, and particular strength in engineering, the sciences, and music. Its compact size means the class is highly curated, and a score much below the range stands out.
Rice was test optional in the most recent federal data, so its enrolled scores reflect submitters and run high. The narrow 60 point band tells you the admitted pool is packed near the top, especially in math, where the enrolled middle 50 percent reached 770 to 800. If Rice is your target and you plan to submit, a strong, balanced score with a high math subscore is the baseline. Our score plans can structure the climb toward this band.
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Rice SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Rice, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 740 | 770 |
| Math | 770 | 800 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 1510 | 1570 |
Where this sits on the 400 to 1600 scale
1510 to 1570
Rice Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Rice, measured against real enrolled student data instead of a made up percentage.
No SAT score yet? Take the diagnostic and get a real number in about 25 minutes.
How this calculator works: your SAT is compared with Rice's reported middle 50 percent range from the federal College Scorecard, your GPA is compared with the range admitted students at similarly selective schools typically present, and both are weighed against the school's real acceptance rate. We do not print a made up percent chance. No calculator can see your essays, your course rigor, or your recommendations, and at selective schools those decide close calls. Treat this as an honest read of your academic position, not a prediction.
Chances of Getting Into Rice by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Rice, based on its reported 1510 to 1570 middle 50 percent range. Find the row closest to your score, or use the calculator above for a read on your exact numbers. No made up percentages: each verdict is your real position in the enrolled class.
| SAT score | Where it lands | The honest read |
|---|---|---|
| 1360 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 1360 is well below the 1510 to 1570 range at Rice. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 1460 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 1460 falls just short of Rice's 25th percentile of 1510. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1540 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1540 sits inside the 1510 to 1570 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. At this acceptance rate the score keeps you in the pool; the rest of the application decides. |
| 1570 | At the 75th percentile | A 1570 matches the 75th percentile at Rice, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1600 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1600 beats the 75th percentile at Rice. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Rice's Range
The two targets that matter here are 1510, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1570, the score that puts you in the top quarter. Here is the size of the jump from common starting points, with the step by step plan for each one.
| Starting score | To reach 1510 | To reach 1570 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | +510 points | +570 points | All score plans |
| 1100 | +410 points | +470 points | All score plans |
| 1200 | +310 points | +370 points | All score plans |
| 1300 | +210 points | +270 points | 1300 to 1600 plan |
| 1400 | +110 points | +170 points | 1400 to 1600 plan |
| 1500 | +10 points | +70 points | 1500 to 1600 plan |
Not sure where you stand today? The diagnostic gives you a real starting score and a section breakdown in one sitting, so the gap you plan around is your actual gap.
What SAT Score Do You Need for Rice?
Rice's narrow 1510 to 1570 band leaves little room below the range. A composite under 1510 trails the enrolled 25th percentile, and at a test optional school there is little reason to send a number below the class. Inside the band your score is competitive. Above 1570 you are past the 75th percentile. Pay attention to your math subscore against the enrolled 770 to 800 range, since a strong reading score cannot fully offset a weak math one at a technically focused school.
Enrolled ACT scores ran 34 to 35, an unusually tight two point band. These figures describe enrolled students who chose to submit, so the true admitted range runs lower, especially among test optional applicants. If your total is in range but your math trails 770, that is exactly where your prep should go before you decide to submit.
Rice GPA Requirements
Rice's admitted students almost all rank at the top of their class in the most rigorous courses their school offers, with particular strength in math and science given the university's technical focus. There is no GPA cutoff, but an 8 percent admit rate means a near perfect transcript in demanding classes is the competitive norm. Rigor, more than the raw grade, is what admissions readers weigh.
In concrete terms, that usually means an unweighted GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range, with essentially no room for a slip. If your grades are already strong, the SAT is often the more moveable half of your profile, and given the high math band, the math section is where a few points matter most. The diagnostic shows you where your score really stands, section by section, before you plan your prep.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Rice typically present a GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Nearly every admitted student carries an almost unbroken A record in the hardest courses their high school offers.
If your GPA sits at or below this range, a strong SAT score is the fastest way to stay competitive, since grades are hard to move late in high school. See where your SAT score really stands and build the plan around the gap.
These are unweighted grades on a 4.0 scale. A school that weights GPA or reports a different scale will show a higher number.
Rice SAT Testing Policy
Rice considered scores without requiring them (test optional) in the most recent federal data. Testing policies change year to year, so confirm the current 2026-2027policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit scores.
Should you submit your score?
Submit your score when it is at or above 1540, the middle of Rice's range. If you are below 1510, the 25th percentile, consider holding your score and letting your grades, essays, and activities carry the application.
Last verified July 13, 2026
Should You Submit Your SAT Score to Rice?
Rice was test optional in the most recent federal data, which turns your score into a strategic choice. The folk theory that applying without scores signals weakness is overstated, but the math of what helps is simple: a score that lands inside or above the admitted range works for you, and a score well below it does not.
1540+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
1510 to 1540
Lean submit
Inside the range, most counselors say send it: you are within the profile of enrolled students, and holding it back leaves the reader guessing.
Below 1510
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Rice. Apply without it, or better, close the gap first. Scores can still matter for merit scholarships elsewhere on your list.
Policy as reported for the 2024-2025 cycle. We verified it against Rice's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Rice ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Rice scored between 34 and 35 on the ACT, alongside the 1510 to 1570 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Rice states no preference between the two tests. The right move is to take whichever test converts higher for you, using the official concordance below, and send that one.
| ACT composite | SAT equivalent |
|---|---|
| 35 | 1530 to 1560 |
| 34 | 1490 to 1520 |
| 33 | 1450 to 1480 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Rice's ACT middle 50 percent.
How Rice Reviews SAT Scores
Rice reads applications for genuine intellectual engagement and fit with its close residential community, and at an 8 percent admit rate the SAT is a prerequisite rather than the deciding factor. Essays that show real curiosity, recommendations, the rigor of your coursework, and demonstrated fit all carry the decision once your scores clear the range.
Because the enrolled band is tight and math heavy, get your SAT to a competitive level with attention to the math section, decide whether to submit, and then invest in showing why Rice specifically. The school's small size means fit matters, so applicants who convey a genuine reason for choosing Rice, backed by a strong academic profile, stand out most.
How to Get Into Rice
Aim for a math score near 790 or 800 and a composite of 1570 if you plan to submit to Rice, especially for a science or engineering path. The tight enrolled band and high math profile mean the math section is where extra points buy the most credibility. Our 1500 to 1600 score plan targets the top of the scale, and our Desmos guides drill calculator methods that make hard SAT math faster and more reliable.
Start with a full timed test so your plan rests on a real math subscore. The diagnostic gives you a real score and a section breakdown in one sitting. If your math is already near perfect, protect it and lift reading and writing to raise your composite. If math is the gap, that is where nearly all of your prep hours belong, since it is both the highest bar at Rice and the section a technically focused reader notices first.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Rice?
Rice admits about 80 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 4,480. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 920 of every 1,000 people who apply, the students who get in cluster at the top of every measurable scale.
For perspective against the country as a whole: Rice's 25th percentile score of 1510 already beats roughly 98% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1570 sits around the 99th percentile. A score that feels middling on this page is an excellent score almost anywhere else, which is worth remembering when you build the rest of your list.
Colleges Similar to Rice: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Rice, ordered by acceptance rate. Odds are compared on acceptance rate first, because a school with a lower SAT average can still be far harder to get into.
| School | SAT middle 50 percent | Acceptance rate | Odds vs Rice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1510 to 1570 | 8.0% | This page |
| Chicago | 1510 to 1580 | 4.5% | Harder to get into than Ricesimilar SAT range |
| UPenn | 1510 to 1570 | 5.4% | Harder to get into than Ricesimilar SAT range |
| Northwestern | 1510 to 1570 | 7.7% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Washington University in St Louis | 1500 to 1570 | 12.1% | Better odds than Ricesimilar SAT range |
| UT Austin | 1250 to 1510 | 26.6% | Better odds than RiceSAT about 160 lower |
| Baylor | 1200 to 1400 | 51.3% | Better odds than RiceSAT about 240 lower |
How Recent Are These Rice SAT Scores?
Every score, rate, and enrollment figure on this page comes from the US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2024-2025 release, the same federal dataset colleges report into. Testing policy reflects the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. This page was last reviewed July 13, 2026.
Score ranges quoted around the web for Rice disagree with each other more than you would expect, usually because a site is quoting an older class or an unlabeled estimate. We publish the reported number, label the vintage, and update when the source updates. We also cross checked Rice's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Rice SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Rice?
Rice's middle 50 percent SAT range is 1510 to 1570. Aim for at least 1510 to be competitive, and 1570 or higher to be a strong applicant. There is no hard cutoff, but a score in or above this range keeps your application in contention.
Is a 1510 a good SAT score for Rice?
A 1510 sits at Rice's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 1510 to 1570. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1570 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Rice?
Rice does not report a single composite average in the federal data, so the middle 50 percent range is the most precise figure available: enrolled students scored between 1510 and 1570.
Does Rice require SAT scores?
No. Rice was test optional in the most recent federal data, so you can apply without SAT scores. Confirm the current 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit.
Is Rice test optional for 2026-2027?
Rice was test optional in the most recent federal data, meaning you could apply without scores. Policies change year to year, so verify the 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site.
What ACT score do you need for Rice?
Rice's middle 50 percent ACT range is 34 to 35. Aim for at least 34 to be competitive and 35 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Rice.
What GPA do you need to get into Rice?
Admitted students at Rice typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range on the 4.0 scale, based on schools with a comparable acceptance rate. Grades earned in rigorous courses matter as much as the number itself, and a strong SAT score is the fastest way to offset a GPA at the lower edge of that range.
What is Rice's acceptance rate?
Rice admits about 8.0% of applicants, which makes it extremely selective. A strong SAT score helps your application stand out in a pool this competitive.
What are my chances of getting into Rice?
Rice admits about 8.0% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 1510 to 1570 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.9 to 4.0. A score above 1570 puts you in the strongest quarter of the class on testing. Use the admissions calculator on this page to check your own SAT and GPA against Rice's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Rice?
Focus your prep on the section costing you the most points, then follow a study plan built for your target score range. Cheetah Prep has step by step score plans for specific point jumps and unlimited practice questions with worked solutions.
Does Rice superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Rice does not report this in the federal data. Check the school's admissions site for its current superscore policy, which tells you whether it combines your best section scores across test dates.
About this page: written and reviewed by the Cheetah Prep team. Last reviewed July 13, 2026.
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