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Contact our general manager with any questions. Profile updated: July 18, 2023.

Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business

MBA Program Stats

Annual Tuition: $69,000

Annual Tuition Non-Resident: $69,000

Acceptance Rate: 39%

Full-Time Enrollment: 307

Average GPA: 3.45

Median GMAT: 700

Median GRE: Q161/V157

International: 45%

Minority: 29%

Female: 37%

Male: 63%

Average Age: 29

What You Need To Know

Rice University is nestled in the heart of Houston — one of Texas’ most vibrant cities — as well as a food and entertainment hub. Some of the best-kept secrets about Rice Business have to do with its hometown. An international cuisine destination and entertainment hub, Houston is
also the country’s fourth largest city with one of the youngest, fastest-growing, and most diverse populations. This year, the B-School ranked No. 24 in the PoetsQuants rankings.

Rice is growing rapidly. The B-school recently expanded their online MBA program, launched an undergrad business major, and increased their faculty numbers by 30%.

“My favorite aspect of the program is the ability for students to customize and be the ‘CEO’ of their education. They start their first year with the custom core, then the entire second year of the full-time program is made up of electives. There were 146 to choose from this year. That
translates to 50% of the full-time MBA being tailored by the students themselves so they can focus on exactly what they want. For example, students can choose an elective to fit their entrepreneurial goals, whether they’re starting a business from scratch, thinking of buying an  established business, or planning the next stage of growth for their startup,” says George Andrews, Associate Dean of degree programs.

Academics And Programs

Rice’s enrollment has nearly doubled in the past five years — with 178 students for the Class of 2023 in the full-time two-year MBA program fostering tight-knit relationships where students will find themselves on a first-name basis with not only classmates, but professors as well.

What does two years in the full-time MBA program at Rice Business look like? All of Rice’s MBA offerings have a rigorous STEM-certified curriculum and are nimble enough to adapt to market needs and student interest.

Business school is more than in-class academics. Among a sea of electives is an abundance of experiential offerings, all interwoven with entrepreneurial thinking. Faculty and students think about how real-world companies, problems, and data can be incorporated into the classroom case studies and creatively work on solutions together. This emphasis on experiential learning allows students to enhance their knowledge and skills and deepens their understanding of the business world.

Students hone their strategic problem-solving with experiences such as the Action Learning Project (ALP) – a 13-week, team-based consulting project, where student teams tackle a company’s challenges and provide detailed, actionable recommendations. Rice offers similar programs with their other MBA programs.

“They’re working with real companies. Most often they’re actually not-for-profits, because these are really big, sticky issues that these firms are having, and they get to go in and work on those issues — whether it’s, ‘We want to go to Colombia and start a business there,’ or ‘We want to have a new branch in another part of the country,’” says Andrews.

Another opportunity for experiential learning comes during the global field experience, built into the core curriculum. As part of the school’s philosophy of adopting a global perspective, students travel abroad with their cohort, take what they learn in the first year of the program, and apply it to short-term projects for organizations and communities in diverse cultural settings, designed to change their perception of the world and how to do business. Besides Harvard Business School and a few others, Rice Business is the only top B-school that requires every student to go abroad during their two years in the MBA program.

Students can study abroad for a semester or attend seminars at partner universities IPADE (Mexico City), INCAE (Costa Rica) and WHU (Germany).

Rice Business’s Career Development Office works hard each year to help students secure their required summer internship. 

“We have a ton of study-abroad opportunities,” Andrews says, citing upcoming trips to Mexico City, Mexico, and São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “We’re kind of going all over the place,” he adds, saying there is a focus on staying in the Central time zone, meaning Latin America gets special attention.

Why Students Chose

“Rice Business MBA hosted Diversity Preview Weekend and Women Preview Weekend, two events that I was very lucky to be a part of. There, I got to see first-hand how much Rice Business cares for its students, faculty, alumni and overall community. Seeing how much Rice Business championed women and BIPOC in the business space energized me to be a part of an institution that was so dedicated towards uplifting underrepresented communities. Rice Business also graciously funded my education with a Forte Fellowship.” Isha Vaishampayan (‘24)

“After starting my own physical therapy clinic, I quickly realized I was underprepared to run the business side of my practice. Rice Business is highly-ranked in entrepreneurial studies for a reason – every class is designed with unique insights into how information is best harnessed to draw conclusions and make successful operating and strategic decisions. And Rice Business doesn’t wait to get started either – there is a strategy class embedded in the Launch Program curriculum that frames your progress through the start of the semester and gives you direct insight into implementing a proper business strategy.” Ryan Flick (‘24).

“The curriculum at Rice is challenging and the professors really push you to learn through the assignments, case write-ups, and projects. It was important to me to build a strong foundation in finance prior to starting my career as an investment banker. I also appreciate that the electives at Rice Business focus on the diversity of concepts and applications.” Jahnavi Gudi (‘24)

“I was drawn to Rice by the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (The Lilie Lab). Through Lilie, Rice offers an MBA where risk and bold innovations aren’t only encouraged but also structurally supported. I began my career in the social impact space when I was 14, following a passion for making my community and our planet safer. After nearly 15 years in the non-profit sector and many tremendous career and social impact policy wins, I found that the non-profit model alone cannot create the structural, root-level changes my communities and our planet need. I came to grad school to help model new ways to think about and do social impact work, and I wanted an MBA program with an appetite for experimentation and out-of-the-box thinking. I found that at Rice through the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” Aquib S. Yacoob (‘24)

“Rice offers a lot of unique, hands-on experiences. The entrepreneurship program is a favorite and gives students chances to start their own businesses under expert tutelage. There are several classes devoted entirely to hands-on learning projects such as taking on a project for a local business or creating a marketing plan for one. My personal favorite, and what really pushed me to Rice, is the Rice Business Board Fellows program. It’s a competitive program you have to apply to that gives you the opportunity to become a non-voting member of a nonprofit board. You get to assist on projects while learning what serving on a board is like and meeting some really fantastic people. My board is Plant It Forward, an urban farming that assists refugees in starting up their own farming business. Getting involved with a totally different kind of nonprofit than I’ve worked with before is great. Obviously, I’m in business school to build a new career in HR. But, getting access to new ways to serve my community is so valuable to me. The wide-ranging ways to put your talents and skills to work for other people is a big part of why I’m glad I chose Rice.” Amy Tanguay (‘24)

Career Stats

Compensation of Rice Business MBA Graduates

Compensation of Rice Business MBA
Graduates
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Average Base Salary $149,178 $142,212 $131,384 $123,786 $124,798 $$113,287 $113,349
Average Signing Bonus $ 33,670 $ 35,879 $ 33,221 $ 33,828 $ 26,529 $ 25,589 $ 27,254


Rice Business MBA Graduate Employment

Job Offers 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
% of MBAs Accepted Offers 3 Months Post-
Graduation:
90% 94% 92% 89% 92% 95% 93% 84%

Industry Choices of Rice Business MBAs

Industry 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
Consulting 26% 28% 32% 25% 30% 15% 20% 24%
Technology 20% 21% 14% 20% 12% 17% 12% 15%
Financial Services 19% 23% 22% 22% 21% 22% 23% 27%
Energy 12% 9% 17% 13% 18% 20% 20% 15%
Pharma/Biotech/Healthcare 7% 1% 3% 4% 4% 6% 7% 6%
Real Estate 4% 8% 1% 2% 7% 7% 3% 5%
Consumer Products 4% 3% 1% 4% 3% 7% 0% 4%
Manufacturing 2% 4% 6% 3% 2% 1% 4% 0%
Media/Entertainment 0% 1% 1% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0%
Nonprofit/Gov/Education 0% 1% 1% 2% 0% 2% 0% 0%
Other 5% 2% 1% 2% 3% 1% 9% 5%

Admissions For Rice Business

From Rice Business

The Jones Graduate School of Business (Rice Business) at Rice University in Houston, Texas, has risen steadily in reputation to one of the top programs in the U.S. and doubled in size in the past five years. With an additional Full-Time MBA cohort, a new office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; innovative global programs and alumni initiatives; and surging enrollment in its 3-year-old online MBA, the school is poised to make the next five years even better.

Named in honor of the late Jesse H. Jones, a prominent Houston business and civic leader, the school’s degree programs include the Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA, Executive MBA, and an online MBA, as well as a coordinated MBA in professional science and an MD/MBA with Baylor College of Medicine. The Ph.D. in Business attracts candidates aspiring to become faculty in prestigious research universities internationally. The one-year MAcc program is designed for students with varied undergraduate academic backgrounds and is committed to producing accounting professionals with critical thinking skills and integrity.

The business school also offers several undergraduate options. The undergraduate business major provides students with a robust foundation in leadership and business fundamentals, taught by the same top-notch faculty who teach our MBA programs. The undergraduate business minor, the largest minor at Rice University, is open to any degree-seeking Rice undergraduate student. The entrepreneurship minor, a joint offering with the George R. Brown School of Engineering, rounds out the programs offered. Our community of MBA and undergraduate students are all housed in one building, McNair Hall, which helps foster a deeply caring, tight-knit culture.

Rice Business Executive Education offers non-degree open enrollment, customized and specialty programs to the Houston business community and globally. All Rice Business courses are taught by a team of dedicated, nationally recognized professors who integrate insights from their own rigorous, peer-reviewed research to help students understand topics in accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behavior, strategy and operations management in the context of today’s ever-changing business landscape. Learn more at Rice Business Wisdom — clear, quick translations of faculty research from Rice Business that will change the way you think.

In the dynamic world we live in, we must all be quick to adapt, and Rice Business leads by example. In response to the pandemic, Rice Business reacted to the change to continue to provide top-notch education no matter the situation. By investing more than $1 million in technology, installing sophisticated microphone and video arrays that allow students to be easily seen and heard from anywhere by their instructors and peers, Rice Business was able to adjust to the circumstances and avoid gaps in our students’ learning. Throughout the pandemic, students and faculty were free to choose between various classroom options, including a fully remote classroom mode or a modified mode for specific needs, health concerns and risk calculations. The world will continue to change but Rice Business remains grounded in three principles: being attentive, responsive, and kind.

READ MORE FROM RICE BUSINESS:

Essay Questions For Rice Business

MBA Admissions Essay Questions:

Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA, and Hybrid MBA

Required Short Answer Responses: (100-word limit, each)
Rice Business seeks to have a clear understanding of your career goals upon the completion of your MBA experience.

Response #1: “In 100 words or less, please share your short-term career goals.”
Response #2: “In 100 words or less, please share your long-term career goals.”

Required Creative Essay:
While we know a picture is worth 1000 words, in 500 words or less tell us the story of a photo of your choosing that has significant value in your life experiences. Please feel free to share your photo!

You can complete this essay via a traditional written response (500-word limit) or via a video response (one- to three-minute time limit).

Executive MBA

Required Essay: (750-word limit)
“As you evaluate where you are today, how have your educational, professional and personal endeavors brought you to this point? In addition, please explain how the Rice EMBA is part of your plan for the future.”

Optional Essay: (500-word limit)
If you have any additional information for the admissions committee, or if you wish to clarify any aspect of your application (including breaks in employment, your choice of recommendation providers, your past academic performance, etc.), you may submit an additional, optional essay.

Student Features For Rice Business

Meet The Rice Jones MBA Class Of 2024

A look at star first-years at Rice MBA

Meet The Rice Jones MBA Class Of 2023

Our annual look at the Rice MBA's first-year class

Meet The Rice Jones MBA Class Of 2022

Action-oriented MBAs highlight the incoming class

2023 MBA To Watch: Siddhant Pawar, Rice University (Jones)

“An easy-going individual striving to be better and be a positive influence on the world”

2023 MBA To Watch: Mónica Hicks, Rice University (Jones)

“First-generation Latina with a passion for equity, and a love for food, travel, and people”

2023 Best & Brightest MBA: Daniel Petterway, Rice University (Jones)

“I’m just a regular person who believes in working hard and treating people right”

2023 Best & Brightest Online MBA: Valarie Tran, Rice University (Jones)

“Driven, competitive, energetic leader and entrepreneur eager to provide financially and emotionally for myself and my family all while enjoying life”

2023 Best & Brightest Online MBA: Trent Alan Kostenuk, Rice University (Jones)

“Passionate lifelong learner, visionary entrepreneur committed to achieving success and creating positive change through innovation”

2023 Best & Brightest MBA: Taylor Anne Adams, Rice University (Jones)

“Elle Woods meets Leslie Knope with a touch of Beyonce”

2022 Best & Brightest MBA: Takeya Green, Rice University (Jones)

“Bold. Determined. Vibrant. And a whole lot of sass”

2022 MBA To Watch: Quy Le, Rice University (Jones)

“1st Gen High-School Graduate. Vietnamese American. “Best Sense of Humor” Award – Rice MBA 2022”

2022 MBA To Watch: Olaniyi Dada, Rice University (Jones)

“I am an immigrant from Nigeria who is ambitious and thrives on giving back to his community”

2022 MBA To Watch: Alex Williams, Rice University (Jones)

“Passionate, caring, determined, goofball”

MBA Watch For Rice Business

MBA Watch is where thousands of MBA applicants not only get to tell their story but have John A. Byrne, MBA admissions coaches and our audience, assess their odds of admission and get help to improve their chances of getting in!

Mr. Simple Manufacturer

I am a process engineer for a small medical device manufacturing firm in the Midwest.

Mr. Alien

SouthAmerican Immigrant who works in energy and also hacks for fun who wins hackathons using blockchain, judges new tech and publishes white papers.

Mr. Undecided Direction

Hey Family! Still figuring out which direction I want to go in.

Mr. Army Pilot

I am an Army Aviation Captain looking to transition into consulting post-MBA.

Mr. Back To School

Hey there! Two things set me apart from everyone sitting at the b-school days at Campus X, I'm 49 and lived in Asia (Seoul, Bangkok) for 19 years.

Mr. Operations Manager

Former aspiring medical school applicant who transitioned to considering business school as a possibility after working for the family business.

Mr. Half Poet, Half Quant

I am a civil engineer working in the construction sector in Pakistan for the past 4.

Mr. Engineering To IB

Currently a project manager for a firm focused on engineering consultancy and construction services to the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Late Bloomer

Hello! Though I'm an EA, I pretty much run a manufacturing unit of 18 members and I am an engineer now being exposed to different areas of business.

Mr. Murphy’s Law

Operations and management professional in real estate and education with a desire to build brands and expand minds.

Rankings Data For Rice Business

Rice Business MBA Rankings Data

Ranking 2023-2024 2022-2023 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020
Poets&Quants 18 29 24 24 26

News Coverage For Rice Business

Harvard & Wharton Slump In New 2023 Businessweek MBA Ranking

Stanford's MBA program claims first for the fifth consecutive year

MBA Scholarships At The Leading Business Schools

At most top business schools, dozens — and sometimes hundreds — of need- and merit-based awards are available

GMAT Versus GRE: Which Top-50 MBA Programs Prefer Which Test?

Where a GMAT or GRE score is a must for admission — and where you don't have to worry about sitting for an entrance exam

Built in 2002, McNair Hall was designed by Robert A. M. Stern, the award-winning architect and dean of the Yale School of Architecture to match the collegiate and homey feel of the Rice University campus. Photo Cred: Jones Graduate School of Business

Rice Jones Is Latest Top U.S. B-School To Add A 4th MBA Application Round

Houston B-school is 4th in the U.S. to add a fourth MBA application round in 2022-2023

Built in 2002, McNair Hall was designed by Robert A. M. Stern, the award-winning architect and dean of the Yale School of Architecture to match the collegiate and homey feel of the Rice University campus. Photo Cred: Jones Graduate School of Business

Why Rice Is Launching A New Hybrid MBA

Rice's new online hybrid MBA is the result of research into the needs of prospective students

2021 Most Disruptive MBA Startups: Green Room, Rice University (Jones)

Simplifying payments and tax compliance for musicians and artists

Rice Jones classroom

Massive Jump In Apps, Enrollment For The Rice Jones MBA

But Houston school's GMAT average tumbles 21 points