How to Apply to Engineering at Rice University: Nine Departments and 18 BS and BA Degrees in the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, Choosing Engineering as Your School on the Application, and Pre-Calculus, Chemistry and Physics Prerequisites, with Admission Routes for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

Rice University is in Houston, Texas. Undergraduate engineering is offered by the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing. Based on Rice’s website and the 2026-2027 General Announcements, this guide covers fall 2027 entry for students at high schools in China, students at high schools in Canada (including British Columbia and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Undergraduate programs

The school says its nine departments offer 18 Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree programs and eight minors. The departments are:

• Bioengineering; Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Electrical and Computer Engineering; Materials Science and NanoEngineering; Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research; Computer Science; Statistics

Computer science has its own guide on this site.

BS and BA in the same field (example: mechanical engineering): mechanical engineering offers a BA and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME). The General Announcements say the BSME is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET; it requires at least 31 courses (87 credit hours) in the major and 127 credit hours in total, students choose an area of specialization (such as aerospace, computational engineering or mechanics/dynamics) when they declare, and they need a major GPA of at least 2.00. Students cannot earn both a BA and a BS in the same major. Other programs’ degrees and accreditation are on their own pages; we did not check each one.

2. On the application: choose a school, then interests

• One of seven: Rice has seven schools (architecture, business, engineering and computing, humanities and arts, music, natural sciences, social sciences). Every applicant must choose one as their primary intended area and may list up to three specific academic interests (majors, minors or pre-professional tracks). The General Announcements say the schools look for different strengths, so choose the one that best reflects your interests.
• Holistic review: rigor, performance, activities, essays and knowledge of Rice, without emphasizing any single metric.
• Declaring a major after enrolment: the pages we read do not give thresholds for declaring an engineering major; see the General Announcements’ major-declaration policy or ask an adviser.
• No portfolio: portfolios are for the School of Architecture (required) and the Department of Art (optional) only.

3. High school course requirements (prerequisites)

• University minimum (16 units): English 4, social studies 2, math 3, lab science 2 (e.g. biology, chemistry, physics), foreign language 2, plus 3 more in any of these.
• Engineering: the General Announcements say the natural science and engineering divisions require at minimum trigonometry or pre-calculus and both chemistry and physics; a second year of chemistry or biology may substitute for physics.
• Deficiencies: students admitted with gaps must complete the work in high school or college courses the summer before enrolling.
• AP: scores of 4 or 5 earn transfer credit; see Rice’s AP credit page for which courses. We did not check engineering course equivalents.

4. Deadlines and materials (per the General Announcements)

• Early Decision I (binding): materials by 1 November; decisions by mid-December.
• Early Decision II (binding): materials by 4 January; decisions by mid-February.
• Regular Decision: materials by 4 January.
• These dates are from the 2026-2027 General Announcements; confirm fall 2027 dates on the Admission Office website before applying.
• Application fee: USD 75 (university fee schedule).
• Testing: SAT or ACT scores are recommended if available; applicants without scores get full consideration.
• Recommendations: one counselor letter and two letters from core academic teachers, ideally one related to your intended area.
• Interviews: recommended for first-year applicants but optional and not guaranteed.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Transcripts: grades for grades 9–11 plus senior-year courses; students in exam-based international curricula also send final and, if available, predicted exam results.
• Gaokao: the General Announcements do not mention the Gaokao.
• Math and science: see section 3; Rice does not say how Chinese courses map onto these requirements.

6. Students at high schools in Canada (including BC)

• Credentials: the General Announcements give no separate requirements or grades for Canadian or BC courses such as Pre-Calculus 12, Physics 12 or Chemistry 12.
• Status: Rice classifies applicants as domestic or international by citizenship or residency status, not by where they study; foreign nationals on student visas and similar statuses are international applicants.

7. English requirements (non-native speakers)

• Either at least two years of full-time study in an English-language curriculum before applying, or official scores: TOEFL iBT 100 (5.0 on the new scale for tests from 21 January 2026), IELTS 7, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 185, or Duolingo 130, sent directly by the testing organization.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 tuition: USD 71,140 a year (35,570 a semester) for undergraduates who entered in 2024 or later. Required fees: student activity 120, recreation center 144, health and wellness 720 (984 a year); health insurance is required, premium TBA. New students pay an O-Week activity fee of 370 and O-Week room and board of 570, and incoming international students a 395 international orientation fee. The tuition schedule lists no engineering surcharge.
• Need-based aid for international students: Rice is need-aware for international applicants and offers need-based aid to a limited number of international first-year applicants. You must indicate on the application that you are applying for aid; students admitted without requesting aid cannot apply in later years. Rice uses the CSS Profile. All international applicants must submit the International Student Financial Statement before the application is complete.
• Merit scholarships: no separate application; the Admission Committee automatically considers all admitted students, domestic and international. About 20% of admitted students receive one, announced with the admission decision.

9. Transfer

• Who is a transfer: a high school graduate with at least 12 semester hours of college credit after high school and at least a 3.2 GPA in recent college work; anyone with 12 or more hours must apply as a transfer.
• Residency: transfers must complete four full-time semesters (60 semester hours) at Rice to earn a bachelor’s degree.
• The pages we read give no extra prerequisites for transferring into engineering; ask Admission.

Application checklist

Students in China:

• Choose the School of Engineering and Computing as your primary area and list up to three interests
• Take at least trigonometry or pre-calculus, plus chemistry and physics
• Per the General Announcements: ED I 1 November, ED II and RD 4 January (confirm current dates); TOEFL 100 (5.0), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 130
• If you need aid, say so on the application and submit the CSS Profile and the International Student Financial Statement

Students in Canada (including BC):

• Same deadlines; two years of full-time study in an English-language curriculum meets the English requirement
• BC course requirements are not published; ask Admission

Transfer students:

• At least 12 semester hours after high school with a 3.2+ recent GPA; at least 60 semester hours at Rice

Sources: Rice University, Engineering and Computing undergraduate programs; Engineering majors and minors; General Announcements: School of Engineering and Computing; General Announcements: BSME; General Announcements: Admission; General Announcements: Tuition, Fees, and Expenses. The General Announcements are the 2026-2027 edition; check the Admission Office’s first-year international applicants page for current deadlines.