The Rice Jones MBA, the full-time MBA at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business in Houston, is ranked No. 29 by U.S. News (2026 edition), is STEM-certified, and admitted 34.2% of its 1,315 applicants in the 2025 cycle according to Poets&Quants. About 41% of students are international, and Houston’s energy industry gives Rice a recruiting base few other schools have.
Round 1 closed on 16 October 2026, so your Deadline is Round 2 on 6 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Round 3 on 31 March 2027 is the last round open to international applicants, because Round 4 is for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. Tuition was $79,116 for 2026. This guide covers the Rice MBA requirements for international students, the essays and video option, the interview, costs, scholarships and outcomes.
Rice Jones MBA at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Programme | Full-Time MBA, two years, Houston |
| U.S. News rank | No. 29, 2026 Best Business Schools (released April 2026) |
| Acceptance rate (2025 cycle) | 34.2% of 1,315 applicants (Poets&Quants, from U.S. News data) |
| International students | 41% |
| Average GMAT Focus (Class of 2027) | 625 (middle 50%: 595 to 655) |
| Average GRE | 156 Verbal, 160 Quant |
| Average GPA | 3.44 |
| Average work experience | 5 years |
| Application fee | $200 |
| Tuition (2026) | $79,116 a year |
| STEM | All Rice MBA programmes are STEM-certified |
| Average starting salary (Class of 2025) | $146,000 |
Rice Jones MBA ranking
U.S. News ranked Rice No. 29 among full-time MBA programmes in its 2026 Best Business Schools list, released on 7 April 2026, tied with ASU W. P. Carey. Poets&Quants’ own 2026 ranking puts Rice at No. 27.
Rice Jones MBA acceptance rate and class profile
Rice does not print an acceptance rate in its admissions guide. Poets&Quants, using data reported to U.S. News, gives 1,315 applications, a 34.2% acceptance rate and a 30.44% yield for the fall 2025 intake. That is one of the higher admit rates among top-30 schools, which makes Rice a realistic target if your scores sit near its averages.
| Rice full-time MBA profile | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average GMAT Focus (Class of 2027) | 625 |
| GMAT Focus middle 50% | 595 to 655 |
| Three-year average GMAT (older scale) | 698 |
| Average GRE | 156 Verbal, 160 Quant |
| Average GPA | 3.44 (middle 50%: 3.20 to 3.74) |
| Average work experience | 5 years |
| International | 41% |
| Women | 39% |
| First generation | 27% |
These figures are from Rice’s full-time MBA programme card, published in August 2025. Rice’s class profile web page was not available when I checked, so confirm the newest numbers there.
Rice Jones MBA requirements for international students
- A four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent. After you enrol, your non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by The Evaluation Company or World Education Services, and Rice may withdraw the offer if the degree is not equivalent.
- Unofficial transcripts for each degree, showing the degree name and conferral date. Non-English transcripts need a certified translation plus the original.
- A professional resume, ideally one page.
- One recommendation, two at most, preferably from a supervisor, using the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation.
- GMAT, GMAT Focus, GRE or Executive Assessment. A test is required, but full-time candidates may request a waiver.
- Two 100-word goal statements, a 500-word essay or one to three-minute video, and an optional essay.
- The $200 application fee, unless you qualify for a waiver.
- Only one Rice Business programme application per cycle.
Rice’s full-time MBA is the only Rice Business programme that sponsors an I-20, so international students who need an F-1 visa must apply to this programme.
English requirements
Rice’s 2026-27 admissions guide and its MBA FAQ do not list a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo requirement or minimum score. Ask Rice admissions in writing whether you need a test, and keep the reply. If your degree was taught in English, request an English-medium letter from your university anyway, because it can help with the evaluation and the visa.
Test waivers and the application fee
You must start an application to see the waiver form, and Rice asks for the request 10 days before you submit. Only your highest score counts, and retakes are not held against you, though retaking after applying may move you to a later round. Codes: GMAT 3WS-WD-92, GRE 7502. The $200 fee is waived for several groups, including candidates who attended a Rice recruiting and admissions event.
Rice Jones MBA deadlines 2026-2027
| Round | Deadline (11:59 p.m. CT) | Decisions |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 (closed) | 16 October 2026 | From 10 December 2026 |
| Round 2 | 6 January 2027 | From 10 March 2027 |
| Round 3 | 31 March 2027 | From 5 May 2027 |
| Round 4 (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only) | 1 June 2027 | Rolling, space available |
Consortium applicants have slightly earlier dates: 15 October 2026 for Round 1 and 5 January 2027 for Round 2.
International applicants
Round 3 (31 March 2027) is your last chance, but merit scholarships give priority to complete applications in Round 1 or Round 2. Apply by 6 January 2027 if you need funding.
How to apply, step by step
- Check degree equivalence: Make sure your degree will pass a WES or The Evaluation Company review as equal to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s.
- Take the GMAT, GRE or EA, or start an application and request a waiver at least 10 days before submitting.
- Ask Rice about English testing and book a test if required.
- Brief one supervisor for the Common Letter of Recommendation.
- Write the two 100-word goals and the photo essay, or record the video.
- Pay the $200 fee or claim a waiver, and submit by 6 January 2027.
- Complete the Rice Video Interview and the Zoom interview if invited.
- After admission: Get your transcripts evaluated and prepare financial documents for the I-20.
Rice Jones MBA essays 2026-2027
| Essay | Prompt (summary) | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term goals | Your short-term career goals | 100 words |
| Long-term goals | Your long-term career goals | 100 words |
| Creative essay | Tell the story of a photo of your choosing, in writing or on video | 500 words, or a 1 to 3 minute video |
| Optional | Clarify anything in your application | 500 words |
| Reapplicant | What you have done to improve your candidacy | 500 words |
Short-term and long-term goals
A hundred words each means one paragraph. For the short-term goal, give a role, an industry and the kind of employer, ideally one that hires from Houston. For the long-term goal, show a step that grows logically out of the first job. Keep the two consistent.
For illustration: “After Rice, I plan to join an energy transition advisory team at a Houston consulting firm, working with oil and gas clients on decarbonisation projects.”
The photo essay or video
Pick a real photo that leads to a story about your values or character. Describe the moment briefly, then spend most of the essay on what it shows about you and what you would bring to Rice. Choose video only if you are comfortable on camera; a clear, honest two-minute recording beats a scripted three-minute one.
For illustration: “The photo shows my grandmother’s shop in Kumasi on the day I rebuilt its stock records in an exercise book, the first business system I ever designed.”
Optional essay
Use it to explain a low grade, a gap, a test waiver request or a degree structure the committee may not know. Do not use it for a second personal story.
The Rice interview
Interviews are by invitation and come in two parts. First is the Rice Video Interview, a virtual assessment on a platform where you explain why you want an MBA at Rice and how you fit its culture. Second is a conversation over Zoom with a member of the Rice Business community. Rice notes that not receiving an invitation before decisions are released does not mean you are out of consideration.
What the admissions committee looks for
- Short-term and long-term goals that are clear in very few words.
- Personality and values, shown through the photo story.
- Academic readiness, shown by a test score or a strong waiver case.
- Fit with Rice’s culture, assessed in the video interview.
- A degree that is equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s.
Rice Jones MBA tuition and cost
Poets&Quants lists Rice’s full-time MBA tuition at $79,116 for 2026, up 4% from $76,073 in 2025. Rice says tuition rises by 3% to 5% a year and publishes the new rate in late December before the enrolment year, so the figure for students starting in August 2027 will appear in December 2026. Rice’s tuition page with the full cost of attendance was not available when I checked.
| Year | Full-time MBA tuition |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $76,073 |
| 2026 | $79,116 |
| 2027 entry | Published in late December 2026 |
Costs not covered
- University fees and health insurance.
- Housing, food and a car, which most Houston students need.
- The credential evaluation after enrolment.
- The SEVIS fee, visa fee and flights.
- Proof of funds for dependants.
Rice Jones MBA scholarships for international students
Rice offers merit-based scholarships to full-time MBA candidates only, and complete applications in Round 1 or Round 2 get priority. The admissions guide does not list scholarship names, amounts or whether any are limited to U.S. citizens. Its programme card mentions scholarship opportunities through partnerships with local and national affinity organisations. Ask admissions which awards international students received in the last cycle.
Rice’s admissions pages do not mention Prodigy Finance, MPOWER or loans without a U.S. co-signer. For other funding, see our list of American scholarships for international students.
STEM designation and OPT
Rice says all its MBA programmes are STEM-certified. F-1 students who graduate can apply for the STEM OPT extension and stay in the U.S. for an additional 24 months after the standard 12 months of OPT. You do not need to choose a special track.
Rice Jones MBA salary and employment
From Rice’s Class of 2025 career highlights:
- 72% accepted offers through the Rice Business community; Rice does not state the timing.
- Average starting salary: $146,000. No median is published.
- Average signing bonus: $32,000, received by 67% of graduates.
- More than 135 employers hired full-time students from the Classes of 2025 and 2026.
| Industry | Share of hires (programme card) |
|---|---|
| Financial services | 27% |
| Consulting | 20% |
| Energy | 18% |
| Technology | 15% |
| Pharma, biotech and healthcare | 7% |
Employers named on Rice’s pages include McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Amazon, Microsoft and Dell. Rice does not split outcomes by citizenship in the sources I checked.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Planning on Round 4, which is closed to international applicants.
- Applying with a degree that may not pass the four-year equivalence check after enrolment.
- Writing 200 words for a 100-word goal statement.
- Choosing a decorative photo with no story behind it.
- Requesting a test waiver on the day of submission instead of 10 days earlier.
- Applying to two Rice Business programmes in the same cycle.
Who should apply to Rice Jones, and who shouldn’t
Apply if you want a STEM-certified MBA in a large job market, have about five years of experience, and are interested in energy, consulting or finance. Rice’s admit rate makes it a sensible choice if your GMAT Focus score is around 600 to 650.
Think twice if your degree is three years long and may fail the equivalence check, or if you need published scholarship amounts before you commit to the $200 fee.
Rice vs peer MBA programmes
| School | U.S. News 2026 | Avg GMAT | Tuition or cost | International | Round 2 deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice Jones | No. 29 | 625 GMAT Focus (Class of 2027) | $79,116 a year tuition (2026) | 41% | 6 January 2027 |
| ASU W. P. Carey | No. 29 | 645 GMAT Focus (fall 2025 class) | $130,000 estimated minimum total programme cost, international | 33% | 1 December 2026 |
| WashU Olin | No. 27 | 702 (Classes 2025 to 2027) | $72,700 a year tuition | 47% (median) | 7 January 2027 |
| USC Marshall | No. 25 | 742 (fall 2025 class) | $86,295 tuition, first year 2026-27 | 43% | 5 January 2027 |
For undergraduate study at the same university, see our Rice University admission requirements for international students.
FAQ
What is the Rice MBA acceptance rate?
Poets&Quants, using U.S. News data, reports a 34.2% acceptance rate from 1,315 applications for the fall 2025 intake. Rice does not publish the figure in its admissions guide.
What GMAT score do I need for Rice Jones MBA?
Rice has no minimum. The Class of 2027 averaged 625 on the GMAT Focus, with a middle 50% range of 595 to 655, and full-time candidates may request a test waiver.
Is the Rice MBA STEM designated?
Yes. Rice says all its MBA programmes are STEM-certified, so F-1 graduates can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
What is the Rice MBA deadline for international students?
The Deadline is Round 2 on 6 January 2027. Round 3 on 31 March 2027 is the last round for international applicants, since Round 4 is for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Sources and updates
Deadlines, requirements, essays, the interview, tests, fees and international rules are from Rice Business’s MBA admissions guide. STEM status and tuition timing are from Rice’s MBA frequently asked questions page. Class profile and industry figures are from Rice’s full-time MBA programme card (August 2025), and Class of 2025 outcomes from its Full-Time MBA career highlights page. Tuition is from Poets&Quants’ September 2026 article on total cost at the top 30 U.S. MBA programmes. Acceptance rate and yield are from Poets&Quants’ August 2026 article on acceptance rates at the top 100 U.S. MBA programmes. The ranking is from U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (released 7 April 2026), as reported by Poets&Quants. Checked on 29 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
