Northwestern University and Rice University are about equally selective, admitting 7.7% and 7.8% of applicants respectively. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $14,792 per year at Northwestern University versus $10,283 at Rice University. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1510–1560 at Northwestern University and 1510–1560 at Rice University.
| Metric | Northwestern University | Rice University |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 7.7% | 7.8% |
| Early acceptance rate | 20.0% | 13.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1510–1560 | 1510–1560 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.92 | 3.96 |
| Yield rate | 58.0% | 43.0% |
| Class size | 2,100 | 1,148 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $14,792 | $10,283 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $41,673 | $37,756 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
The two are about equally selective: Northwestern University admits 7.7% of applicants and Rice University admits 7.8%, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $14,792 per year at Northwestern University and $10,283 at Rice University, so Rice University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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