Rice ranks first quality of life, student happiness

President David Leebron said that he was pleased with both rankings and cited a general attitude on campus of how we can all contribute to making life better.

"You know, there are a lot of great facilities, new facilities, Houston's a great place to be … a lot of the rankings have to do with how people feel about living in the city," Leebron said."But I think that the bedrock on all of which this is based is how our students treat each other."

Hanszen College senior Felix Chang said that Rice's best quality of life rating is deserved.

"Being a mere 15 minutes (by car) from one of the largest Chinatowns in America and with it, delicious taro bread and shaved ice, is definitely a huge, huge plus … the surrounding West U neighborhood and campus in general has a very safe feeling," Chang said. "Additionally, the lack of snow and sunny winters certainly are a bright spot and contrast to the frozen wasteland that I deal with during winter break at home."

Sid Richardson College junior Allison Wang noted that Rice really has so much to offer.

"I love the different courses, free food, and [that] we also get to go to our sport events for free," Wang said, "On top of that we are a tightly knitted community."

Will Rice College senior Valerie Li echoed similar opinions.

"The one thing I like about Rice is its prime location in Houston that provides easy access to many resources that the city has to offer, ranging from diverse volunteering opportunities to some top-notch museums and theaters in the country," Li said. "That makes my college experience unique, and bear a sense of social responsibility."

In regards to other categories, Rice rose from no. 19 to no. 13 for "Great Financial Aid," and rose from no. 11 to number six for "Lots of Race/Class Interaction."