Rice is a private, residential research university located in Houston, Texas. The university has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a community engaged institution; it is one of only seven U.S. institutions to achieve such a designation. The university was also named a Best Buy among institutions with “high educational quality and cost effectiveness” by the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
In fact, Rice is known for its research and teaching in the fields of science, engineering, and policy; it has consistently ranked among the top five American universities in these areas. The university’s faculty includes 16 Nobel Prize winners, primarily in the sciences — including two current professors — and 38 National Medal of Science recipients. The university has produced 10 Rhodes Scholars since 1985.[5] Rice students have joined other prestigious organizations such as Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi; it’s also one of only 50 universities with membership in all three major academic honor societies: Phi Beta Kappa (founded 1776), Sigma Xi (founded 1886) and Phi Kappa Phi (founded 1918).
Moreover, Rice has produced more Nobel Laureates than any other institution in the world except for the University of Cambridge. Additionally, Rice has produced a large number of astronauts and inventors.
The university sponsors various student activities including varsity sports teams, theater groups, musical groups and religious organizations; there are also more than 120 student clubs and organizations on campus.
