Houston, Texas, is about to be full of some pretty talented students. Rice University, arguably one of the most prestigious universities in the American South, recently released admissions data on the Class of 2029, which has set a record for most applicants and the lowest acceptance rate in the private research university’s 112-year history. You’ve come to the right place to review all there is to know about this new cohort of Owls!

Rice University Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics (Classes of 2029 — 2019)

Rice University Class Year	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted	Overall Acceptance Rate
Class of 2029	36,777	2,852	7.75%
Class of 2028	32,473	2,597	8.00%
Class of 2027	31,059	2,447	7.88%
Class of 2026	31,443	2,730	8.68%
Class of 2025	29,544	2,802	9.48%
Class of 2024	23,455	2,555	10.89%
Class of 2023	27,087	2,361	8.72%
Class of 2022	20,923	2,328	11.13%
Class of 2021	18,063	2,864	15.86%
Class of 2020	18,236	2,785	15.27%
Class of 2019	17,951	2,865	15.96%

Rice University’s Class of 2029 in Historical Perspective

By all measures, this was a historic year for Rice University. A record 36,777 students tried their luck at admission this year, breaking the Class of 2028’s then-record 32,473 applicants by a matter of over 4,000 students. The same goes for the acceptance rate — a slim 7.75% of applicants were admitted this year, which represents a decrease of 0.13% from the previous record-setting admissions cycle for the Class of 2027.

But these stellar results didn’t come out of nowhere. As the chart above illustrates, Rice has accumulated larger and larger applicant pools each year, accompanied by ever-decreasing acceptance rates. While not every cycle sets a new record, the trend line over time is clear: Rice is an increasingly popular destination for the nation’s top academic talent. Not only that, but Rice’s triumphant year also marks the end of a five-year plan announced in 2021 that will expand the undergraduate student body to 4,800, a 20% increase, with a new residential college set to be opened in the fall of 2026.

In other words, Rice’s record-setting year happened even though Rice has admitted the largest cohort in nine years to expand the student body size, which speaks to just how big its applicant pool was this time around.

The Demographics of Rice’s Class of 2029

Admissions officers at Rice haven’t left us much to dissect in terms of the demographics of this incoming class. Rice hasn’t published anything on these news students — not the racial makeup, the socioeconomic breakdown, the academic profile, or the geographic origins of these soon-to-be Owls. This move comes as many elite colleges of Rice’s caliber have closed the door on admissions transparency and opted to publish demographic data instead after the new class has already enrolled. Rice appears to be no exception.

Rest assured, however, that this data will come to the surface once Rice publishes the next edition of the federally-mandated Common Data Set, a comprehensive repository of all such details on the Rice student body.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance With Rice University Waitlist Admission

If you earned admission to Rice’s Class of 2029, give yourself a pat on the back. This was the most competitive admissions cycle in the school’s history, and you still came out on top. If you were waitlisted, remember that your next moves are incredibly time-sensitive. Don’t delay in enlisting Ivy Coach’s help with our go-forward waitlist service.

If you’re a parent of a child who dreams of attending Rice’s elite campus one day, all you must do is fill out our complimentary consultation form. We’ll then be in touch with an outline of Ivy Coach’s services, whether for waitlisted or future applicants, that will help to optimize your child’s odds of admission with the help of our team of former elite college admissions officers.