Houston, Texas · Private Non-Profit
Mechanical Engineering at Rice University
Use this school-and-field page as a fit screen, not a department ranking. It combines the 3.4% reported program-share signal, $13,370 school-wide net price, and $89,718 school-wide ten-year earnings before you compare peer schools. The enrollment proxy is about 160 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
Program snapshot
3.4% reported share makes this a focused program signal in federal data.
This major
- Program signal
- 3.4%
- Enrollment proxy
- ~160
- Schools with reported signal
- 402
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 8%
- Graduation rate
- 94.6%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $13,370/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $53,480
- Median debt
- $11,000
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $89,718/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- A+
College Scorecard reports school-wide earnings and price, not per-major outcomes for individual colleges. Program share is a concentration signal, not a promise of department quality. Use it as a proxy, then verify department-level outcomes with the school.
Evidence used here: federal program-share data (3.4%), school-wide average net price ($13,370), school-wide ten-year median earnings ($89,718), and peer averages from 402 schools reporting a positive signal in this field. Evidence not included: department-level salary, placement rate, course quality, licensure eligibility, certification, or exam pass-rate outcomes.
Value among peer schools
Compared with 402 schools that report this field.
The answer is a value-screen grade of A+, not a verified department verdict. The reported share is below the national average concentration; the school-wide net price is lower than the peer average ($6,042 below), and ten-year median earnings are higher than the peer average ($25,588 above). Together, those evidence points place Rice University in the top 7% ROI position within this field set.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below also report a positive program-share signal and are sorted by value grade.
Princeton University Princeton, NJ · 4.6% reported share · $6,128 net A+ CUNY City College New York, NY · 3.8% reported share · $3,776 net A+ California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · 2.3% reported share · $3,967 net A+ Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX · 0.3% reported share · $3,399 net A+ El Paso Community College El Paso, TX · 1.1% reported share · $3,206 net A+ University of Florida Gainesville, FL · 2.7% reported share · $6,541 net A+ The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX · 2.2% reported share · $4,831 net A+ California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA · 1.3% reported share · $6,555 net A+ Questions about this program
How big is the program signal?
Mechanical Engineering accounts for 3.4% of reported programs at Rice University, which is bigger than 70% of schools in this field set and below the national average concentration. The enrollment proxy is about 160 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
How should I read the cost number?
Rice University's average net price is $13,370 per year, about $53,480 over four years. That is $6,042 below the $19,412 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $89,718 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $25,588 above the $64,130 average among schools reporting this field, so treat it as an outcomes proxy rather than a department guarantee.
What should I compare next?
Start with program share, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify ranks Rice University #29 of 402 schools in this field set by school-wide ROI proxy.