Rice welcomes 7.8% of applicants to class of 2029

By Abigail Chiu     3/28/25 2:44pm

Rice accepted 2,852 applicants to the class of 2029 March 26, said Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment. This represents 7.8% of 36,777, the highest acceptance rate since 2022.

Rice previously accepted 491 students from the ED I and QuestBridge cycles and 158 from the inaugural ED II cycle, with 13.2% and 6% acceptance rates respectively. 

Last year’s class of 2028 had a 7.5% rate, marking the fifth year of decreasing rates since 2020.

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This year’s admission cycle is the end of a five-year plan announced in 2021 that plans to expand the undergraduate student body to 4,800, a 20% increase. A new residential college is set to be opened in fall 2026.

Sofia Castillo, a newly admitted student from Geronimo, Texas, said she plans to major in mechanical engineering as the first in her family to attend college.

“I’m beyond honored to be accepted into Rice University—my dream school! As a first-generation student, this means everything to me and my family,” Castillo wrote in a message to the Thresher. “Thank you, Rice, for believing in me and opening the door to a future I’ve worked so hard to reach.“

Eniola Ajanaku, from Mansfield, Texas, said she was surprised when she was accepted but that it relieved some of the stress of this year’s college application cycle.

“I was actually on call with my friend, Kairon, who I met through the [Seeking Opportunities At Rice] program so it was like a full circle moment! We both received the Trustee Distinguished Scholarship so that added even more excitement,” Ajanaku wrote. “I just remember feeling so welcome and at home during SOAR and I immediately knew it would be a great fit for me.”

Kate Read of Princeton, Texas, plans to major in psychology and said she was shocked to see she got in.

“After months of waiting for the decision, it is such a relief to see the hard work paid off,” Read wrote in a message to the Thresher.

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