Rice University expands free tuition program
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Lovett Hall. Photo: Courtesy of Rice University
Rice University announced Monday it will offer free tuition to students from families earning up to $200,000 annually.
Why it matters: Rice joins a growing number of prestigious universities raising income thresholds for free tuition, making the university more affordable for middle-income families and keeping that competitive advantage.
State of play: Starting fall 2027, students from families earning less than $100,000 annually will receive free tuition, mandatory fees, room and board
- Students from families earning $100,000 to $200,000 annually will receive free tuition.
- Previously, families earning $75,000 or less would get free tuition, fees and room and board, and families earning $75,000-$140,000 would qualify for free tuition.
Catch up quick: Rice launched the Rice Investment program in 2019 as one of the nation's first major free-tuition initiatives. Since then, the private university says it has awarded more than $1 billion in financial aid, a 75% increase compared with the seven years before the program began.
What they're saying: "At many universities, families with middle or upper-middle incomes often assume they will not qualify for meaningful financial aid," Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, said in the announcement.
- "We want students and families to know that cost should not discourage them from considering Rice."
Between the lines: The announcement comes as Rice continues a major expansion. Since 2020, the university has increased its undergraduate enrollment by about 25% and its faculty by about 20%, while maintaining its 6-to-1 student-faculty ratio.
- Rice plans to increase its undergraduate population from 4,800 to 5,200 by 2028.
By the numbers: Tuition for new Rice undergraduates is $71,140 for 2026-27. With mandatory fees and on-campus housing, the total annual cost of attendance rises to $92,654, per the university.
- The average freshman receives $75,643 in aid, according to the university.
The big picture: As tuition continues to rise across the country, Rice, Harvard, MIT, Yale and Emory have expanded free tuition to families earning up to about $200,000 a year.