Rice lands high on Niche, Forbes college ranking lists

By Abigail Chiu     9/2/25 9:29pm

Rice recently ranked No. 10 on Niche’s Best Colleges in America list and No. 12 on Forbes’ annual America’s Top Colleges list in 2026. It was also recognized in several categories by the Princeton Review, placing in the top 10 in four categories.

Last year, Rice reached No. 8 in Niche and No. 9 in Forbes’ rankings. The current lists represent a slight dip in Rice’s position.

The ranking methodology of Forbes prioritizes how many students have to take on debt to attend and how much debt students graduate with. The most heavily weighted category is graduates’ median earnings, followed by education outcomes, federal loan debt, return on investment and leadership by alumni.

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Niche uses both factual data — such as acceptance rate — and user-submitted data — such as student-submitted surveys — to produce its list. Unlike Forbes or U.S. News & World Report, Niche considers more subjective factors like student life, campus food and party scene. 

In recent years, the methodology used by systems such as Forbes has seen a shift from the perceived prestige and other factors that traditionally favor elite schools to metrics such as outcomes, economic returns and social contributions.

President Reggie DesRoches said in a Rice News article that Rice’s position in the rankings demonstrates how the university sets students up for success.

“Rankings like these are a reflection of our outstanding students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as the unique, personalized experience Rice offers,” DesRoches said. “We are proud to be recognized among the nation’s best universities, but even more proud of the success of our students, both while they’re on campus and long after they graduate.”

Rice was also included in a March 2025 Forbes article about the “New Ivies,” or what they said were universities in heightened regard by employers, as the traditional eight Ivy League ranking powerhouses come under increasing criticism from the general public and pressure from the federal government.

U.S. News, which also releases an annual ranking of colleges, does not release their list until Sept. 23. Last year, Rice tied for No. 18 with Notre Dame and Vanderbilt in its national ranking with methodology that favored peer assessment, graduation rates and graduation rate performance.

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