For those applying as first-year applicants, Rice University has a single-digit acceptance rate. These high standards leave many aspiring Owls outside of the nest. Yet, not everyone is ready to give up on their dream of one day attending Rice. While the Rice transfer acceptance rate is often similar to the freshman figure, they do accept 50-100 transfers per year. This blog will share the Rice transfer acceptance rate as well as other essential pieces of information like the Rice transfer deadline, the requirements/checklist for applicants, the Rice University transfer decision date and much more.

Rice Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available Rice transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

In the fall of 2021, there were 1,227 transfer applicants and 46 individuals were accepted. This means that the Rice transfer acceptance rate is 3.7%. Broken down by gender, the acceptance rates are as follows:

  • Male transfer applicants: 3.9%
  • Female transfer applicants: 3.6%

When trying to get the complete picture on how difficult it is to transfer into a given school, it is important to also look at historical data. Some colleges have wild fluctuations in transfer acceptance rate from year to year. As you can see, outside of this cycle, the acceptance rate is usually around 10%.

Historical transfer rates are as follows:

Year Acceptance Rate
2020 12.4%
2019 7.0%
2018 11.4%
2017 9.7%

Rice Transfer Deadline

The university offers a fall as well as a spring transfer option. The Rice transfer deadline for fall applicants is March 15. The deadline for spring applicants is October 1.

Rice Transfer Requirements

The Rice transfer requirements are as follows:

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to Rice have done the following:

  • Earned at least 12 college credits.
  • Earned exceptional grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
  • Pursued relevant coursework for their academic major. Rice does not possess official requirements in this regard, but likes to see many relevant lower-level courses already conquered.

Rice University Transfer GPA

Straight from the Rice admissions staff, admitted students typically have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, although they set their official minimum GPA figure at 3.2. In our experience, Rice transfer hopefuls should aim for a 3.75 or above to have the strongest chance possible.

Rice Transfer Writing Supplement

All transfer applicants must respond to the following prompts.

Essay Prompts (2022-2023)

  1. How will continuing your education in the academic areas you selected help you achieve your goals? 150 words.
  2. In addition to academics, why are you interested in transferring to Rice University? 150 words.
  3. Rice is lauded for creating a collaborative atmosphere that enhances the quality of life for all members of our campus community. The Residential College System and undergraduate life are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural tradition each student brings. What life perspectives would you contribute to the Rice community? 500 words.

Rice Box

One of Rice’s long-standing traditions is “The Box,” a question on our application where we ask all of our applicants to share an image of something that appeals to them. The Box gives you the opportunity to present us with an image that shares something about yourself, your interests or what is meaningful to you. This image is not used for evaluative purposes in the application, but allows you to put your stamp on the application about who you are aside from what you have achieved. Be sure to choose an image that speaks for itself and does not need an explanation. The Box must be a two-dimensional image that is uploaded in the Common Application or Coalition through Scoir, or uploaded in the Rice Admission Student Portal.

Rice Transfer Decision Date?

The Rice transfer decision date for spring enrollment are made by December 1. Fall decisions are made on a rolling basis through May 31.

Final Thoughts – Rice University Transfer Acceptance Rate

In the words of the admissions office: “Our holistic admission process is centered on evaluating each student in the context of their background, community, and school circumstances. At Rice, we consider your entire application and all of the information contained therein helps us to understand as much as we can about you before making a decision. In addition, we evaluate applications through committee based evaluation which ensures that every application to Rice is evaluated and discussed by a minimum of two admission officers to identify the strengths and potential of each student.”

If you are looking for information on how to apply to Rice as a first-year student, you may find the following blogs to be of interest:

Those searching for application info on other institutions may wish to visit our Dataverse pages/blogs:

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).