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Comparable Schools'
Campus Housing Grades:
Quick StatsUndergrads Living on Campus
80 %
Best Dorms
- Duncan College
- Martel College
- McMurty College
- Wiess College
Freshmen Required to Live on Campus
Yes - Freshmen are guaranteed housing
College Prowler Take
Rice students tend to be very pleased with campus living and the residential colleges. Unlike most universities, you do not get to pick your dorm at Rice. As an incoming student you will be randomly assigned to a college, and most students stay at this college until graduation. You will be associated with the college even while living off campus. Transferring between colleges is an option, but no more than a handful of students take this route. Students are more likely to move “deep OC (off campus)” if they are highly dissatisfied with their college. Each residential college becomes something like a family unit, and each has a special personality, spirit, and unique traditions. During freshman orientation week, freshman advisors have a high success rate of thoroughly brainwashing the newbie students into believing that their college is head and shoulders above all the other colleges. The buildings themselves vary because they were built with different architectural styles and at different times. Some colleges have been lucky enough to have new buildings in the last two years (Martell and Wiess), others have a new residential wing (Brown and Jones) and others have gotten a new commons and servery (Hanszen, Wiess, Jones, Martell, and Brown). As well, two new dorms, Duncan and McMurtry, are expected to be ready for the fall of 2009 in efforts to increase Rice’s undergraduate population. Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
RicMP says: Physical Sciences  |
This question is different at Rice...
This question is different at Rice than at other universities, because nobody gets a choice about which residential college they wind up in (unless they have a parent or sibling who's a Rice alum, in which case they can request to be in the same college). The nine, soon to be eleven, colleges are architecturally varied, having been built at various times in the past 60 years, but in general they all offer comparable facilities. Renovations are continual, generally with one or two colleges per summer undergoing major work, so as to keep them all in a good state of repair. Newer colleges tend to offer more suite-like arrangements, with a few single bedrooms surrounding a central common room and sharing one bathroom.
Campus Housing: February 24, 2009
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RicCO says: Engineering |
At Rice, we live in Residential...
At Rice, we live in Residential Colleges. Each college is different and is its own sort of family. They're all relatively nice, but setups vary. Some are suites, some are doubles and some have a mixture of both. Arguably, the best residential colleges are the ones at the north part of campus because the servery food is better there.
Campus Housing: February 23, 2009
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RicAH says: Architecture and Planning |
The newer dorms (Martel and Weiss)...
The newer dorms (Martel and Weiss) are the nicest, with nicer amenities like bathrooms and common rooms in each suite. The older dorms, like Baker and Hanszen, have communal bathrooms in their old sections but the rooms are much more spacious (especially after freshman year.)
Campus Housing: February 23, 2009
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Anonymous says: |
The living situation varies from...
The living situation varies from college to college and even within colleges, but overall, Rice does a great job of taking care of its students. All forms of rooms are available—suites, hall-style bathrooms, doubles, singles, single sex, coed, and more. It just depends on what college you’re in. The rooms are generally quite spacious compared to those at other universities, and all necessary furniture is provided. Room choice almost always gets better as one gets older, and you acquire more room draw points. So, by senior year, you almost certainly will not be disappointed. |
Anonymous says: |
Basically, all of the residential...
Basically, all of the residential colleges are nice—some are a little newer than others, and each has a different culture and spirit—but since you’re randomly assigned to one, it’s not really something to choose. And whichever one you get assigned to, you’ll become convinced that it’s the best. |
FactsWhat You Get
- Bed
- Bookshelf
- Cable TV
- Desk and chair
- Dresser
- Internet connection
- Ladder
- Lamp
Bed Types
- Bunkable beds
- Lofts
- Twin extra-long
Also Available
- Rice University operates on the Residential College system. Every incoming student is randomly assigned to one of the nine residential colleges. Students are not allowed to request a specific college unless they are a legacy student (had a close relative that attended Rice). Legacy students may only request that they be placed in the same college as their relative, or that they be placed in any of the other eight colleges. All of the nine colleges are coed, and the majority have only coed floors. Most of the colleges have their own laundry facilities (the price is covered in your housing fees), commons (dining hall), small library, weight room, game room, music practice rooms, and storage area. Each of the colleges also offers a unique personality, social scene, history, traditions, cheers, and much more.
- Single-sex floors are available on request.
Cleaning Service
Cleaning service in all bathrooms (communal and suite) and public areas.
Dormitories
Baker College (6320 Main Street)
Named for Captain James Addison Baker, attorney for William Marsh Rice and first chair of the Rice Board of Trustees. It was the first of the residential colleges, has a beautiful commons, a strong tradition of Fall musicals and spring Shakespeare productions, and a few good parties (Baker Blues, Kicker Party, Bakerfeast), starting point of the infamous Baker 13 (see Rice Traditions section).
Brown College (9 Sunset Boulevard)
Named for Margaret Root Brown, wife of Rice benefactor Herman Brown, who established The Brown Foundation, and gave many other major gifts to Rice. It has a new wing and commons, is attached to one of the new serveries, has student parking directly behind the building, and a few good parties (Margaritaville, Bacchanalia).
Duncan Hall
Number of Occupants: 324
Hanszen College (6350 Main Street)
Named for Harry Clay Hanszen, benefactor and former chair of the Rice Board of Trustees. It just got a new commons and is attached to one of the new serveries, has a strong tradition of Fall musicals, known for having the worst cheers of any college, and traditionally sponsors “Mardi Gras Night,” a party that features—among other things—a strip-tease contest.
Jones College (23 Sunset Boulevard)
Named for Mary Gibbs Jones, wife of Rice benefactor Jesse H. Jones. It just got a new residential wing and new commons, is attached to one of the new serveries, has a strong Beer Bike and IM sports tradition, and is known for throwing some of the best private parties on campus.
Lovett College (6310 Main Street)
Named for Edgar Odell Lovett, first president of The Rice Institute. It looks like a toaster—really (It was built to be riot-proof)! Lovett has a strong tradition of fall & spring theater, formerly had the dirtiest cheers on campus, is home to The Undergrounds (a cool, cozy, free student music venue), and throws “Casino Night” every year.
Martel College (99 Sunset Boulevard)
Number of Occupants: a college.
Named for Marian and Speros Martel, whose foundation has a tradition of philanthropy to the University. It is the newest college and has a new building and commons, is attached to one of the new serveries, was formed by volunteer transfer students from each of the other colleges, and is still in the first stages of discovering its traditions and identity as
Sid Richardson College (6360 Main Street)
Named for Sidney Williams Richardson, Rice benefactor. It is the tallest building on campus, has a strong tradition of Spring musicals, purposefully and creatively forfeits Beer Bike every year, throws some of the most well-attended parties on campus (‘80s Party and Tower Party).
Wiess College (6340 Main Street)
Named for Harry Carothers Wiess, Rice benefactor and trustee. It just got a whole new building and a new commons, is attached to one of the new serveries, has a strong IM sports and theater tradition, prides itself on doing things differently from the other colleges (O-week and Beer Bike never have themes, only one college cheer), owns a huge flying pig,and is home to NOD (Night of Decadence).
Will Rice College
Named for William M. Rice, Jr., Rice benefactor and trustee and nephew of founder William Marsh Rice. It has a strong Beer Bike tradition (they have taken home the men’s, women’s, AND alumni race on more than one occasion, leading to the cheer “Will Rice will sweep!”), almost always win the Alumni race, and have a strong tradition of fall musicals.
Did You Know?The Rice residential college is modeled off of the system originated in Great Britain (Oxford and Cambridge still have the residential college system). Other U.S. universities with the residential college system include Harvard and Yale.
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