How to Apply to Mathematics at Rice University: BA and BS Degrees in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, Applying to a School and Declaring the Major by the Spring of the Second Year, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At Rice University, undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, with a BA in Mathematics and a BS in Mathematics. Here is what you need to know to apply, based on Rice’s 2026-2027 General Announcements, the Office of Admission and the department’s website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; the General Announcements also place majors such as computational and applied mathematics, operations research and statistics in the School of Engineering and Computing, which this guide does not cover either.

1. Degrees

• Two degrees: the department says it offers two majors, a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts, as well as a math minor, and encourages double majors, for example with computer science, physics or economics.
• BA: at least 12 courses (36 credit hours) in the major, with at least 8 courses (24 credit hours) at the 300 level or above; at least 120 credit hours overall; and a major GPA of at least 2.00. The core is single variable calculus I and II (MATH 101, 102) and a second-year set of differential equations and linear algebra plus multivariable calculus courses, followed by eight 300-level-or-above mathematics electives.
• BS: at least 14 to 17 courses (42 to 51 credit hours, depending on course choices) in the major, with at least 11 courses (33 credit hours) at the 300 level or above; at least 120 credit hours overall; and a major GPA of at least 2.00. Besides calculus, differential equations, multivariable calculus and linear algebra, the core includes two real analysis courses, two algebra courses and one geometry and manifolds course, among others.
• Honors courses: the course list includes honors courses such as MATH 220, 221, 222, 232, 331 and 354; how students enter them is not stated on the pages read. The pages read do not describe a separate departmental honors program; university-wide Latin honors and Distinction in Research and Creative Work are described in the General Announcements.
• Restrictions: students may not earn both a BA and a BS in mathematics, or major and minor in mathematics. Double majors may substitute approved mathematics-related courses for up to 3 courses (9 credit hours) of the 300-level-or-above electives.

2. Admission: you choose a school, then declare the major

• When you apply: the General Announcements say all applicants must specify one of Rice’s seven schools as their primary area of intended study and indicate up to three specific areas of interest (majors, minors or pre-professional tracks); the schools look for different strengths, so choose the one that best reflects your interests. Mathematics is in the School of Natural Sciences.
• Declaring the major: students declare through the Declaration of Major form in ESTHER and take it with an unofficial transcript to the major’s advisor for approval. A student may declare at any time up to, before or during the spring semester of the second year, and cannot register for the fall of the third year without having declared. Transfer students should declare within their first year or before reaching junior-level status.
• Enrollment limits: the General Announcements say that, apart from the School of Architecture and the Shepherd School of Music, no department may refuse an undergraduate admission to its program unless curricular conditions are included in the program requirements, or in cases of resource limitations. The mathematics requirements read list no entry GPA; their only GPA condition is a major GPA of 2.00 for the degree. Whether mathematics ever limits enrollment for resource reasons is not published on the pages read; ask the department.
• Changing major: students can change majors with the Change of Major Form, though the General Announcements warn that this may take extra semesters.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the General Announcements list at least 4 years of English, 2 of social studies, 3 of mathematics, 2 of laboratory science, 2 of foreign language and 3 additional credits in any of those areas, 16 in total. The natural science and engineering divisions require at least trigonometry or precalculus and both chemistry and physics, with a second year of chemistry or biology allowed in place of physics. Admitted students with deficiencies complete the work in the summer before enrolling.
• Calculus placement: the department says students must take the Math Diagnostic Exam in order to register for MATH 101 or MATH 111 (a two-semester version of MATH 101 for students with a weaker precalculus background); MATH 101 does not assume any previous knowledge of calculus.
• AP/IB credit: a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam gives credit for MATH 105; a 4 or 5 on BC gives MATH 105 and MATH 106, which stand in for MATH 101 and 102 in the major requirements. For IB, Rice requires the IB Diploma with a 6 or 7 on higher-level exams; A-Level, Abitur and some other international exams at the required grade (for example A or B) may receive credit. The department adds that a high score on an appropriate A-Level or IB calculus exam also works if scores are sent to the Registrar. First-year students who know calculus but have no exam score can take a Rice exam during Orientation Week for MATH 105 credit.
• Math competitions: the pages read do not say how competitions are viewed.

4. Deadlines and materials

• Deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) 1 November, with decisions in mid-December; Early Decision II and Regular Decision both 4 January. For Early Decision II decisions, the General Announcements say mid-February while the international applicants page says late January, which do not match; Regular Decision decisions are released by 1 April. The enrollment deposit for Early Decision I is due 4 January; for Early Decision II the General Announcements say mid-February and the international page says 1 March. The pages show no year, so check that these apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply: the Common App with the Rice supplement, or QuestBridge. The supplement has two 150-word questions (what draws you to the areas you selected; what appeals to you about Rice), a choice of one 500-word prompt, and “The Box”, an image every applicant submits.
• Application fee: $75; domestic applicants can request a fee waiver in the Common App, while international applicants cannot.
• Recommendations: a counselor letter and two teacher letters from core academic subjects, ideally one related to your intended area of study; Rice does not say a teacher must teach mathematics.
• Transcripts: official transcripts with grades from 9th through 11th grade and 12th-grade courses in progress; Early Decision applicants are encouraged to send first marking period grades and Regular Decision applicants must send mid-year grades.
• Interview: recommended for first-year applicants but optional and not guaranteed.
• Testing: Rice recommends but does not require the SAT or ACT, and gives full consideration to applicants who do not submit. If you submit both, the committee considers the test that best enhances your application.

5. US domestic applicants

• Tuition: Rice is private, and its fee page lists one undergraduate tuition rate with no in-state/out-of-state split. For 2026-2027, tuition for students who entered in 2024 or later is $71,140 per year ($2,964 per credit hour). Required fees per year are $120 (student activity), $144 (recreation center) and $720 (health and wellness support), and the health insurance premium is to be announced. Room is $13,930 a year, and with the required meal plan A ($6,600), room and board in a residential college is $20,530 a year. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not published on the page read.
• Aid: Rice is need-blind for domestic students, and meets 100% of demonstrated need, without loans, for those eligible for The Rice Investment. The program’s income thresholds were not read for this guide; see the Office of Financial Aid.
• Scholarships: the Office of Admission offers merit scholarships with no separate application or interview; the committee automatically considers all admitted students, and about 20% of admitted students receive one each year.
• Residency preference or guaranteed admission: not stated on the pages read.

6. International applicants

• English: if your first language is not English, either complete at least two years of full-time study in an English-language curriculum before applying, or submit official scores: TOEFL 100 for exams before 21 January 2026 or 5.0 on the updated scale for exams from that date (during the transition Rice also considers the comparable 0 to 120 score reported by ETS), IELTS 7, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 185, or Duolingo 130. The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted.
• Records: official transcripts must be in English or accompanied by an official translation, with the original documents also submitted. Students in international exam-based curricula submit all official transcripts, final exam results (for example IGCSE/GCSE) and predicted results if available.
• International Student Financial Statement: all international applicants complete it after submitting the application, with bank statements or affidavits showing available funds and any scholarship documents; tax documents and proof of income are not accepted. Applicants whose available funds total less than $101,634 explain how they will cover the cost of attendance. Documents must be in English and in US dollars, and the application is not complete without them.
• Aid and scholarships: Rice considers international applicants on a need-aware basis and offers need-based aid to a limited number of international first-year applicants; you must say on the application that you want to be considered, and students admitted without requesting aid cannot apply for aid in later years. Rice uses the CSS Profile. International students are included in the automatic merit scholarship consideration.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admission pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used and give no China-specific guidance; this is not published there, so contact the Office of Admission.
• Transcripts and other records: no China-specific requirements are published on the pages read; the rules that apply to all international applicants are in section 6: transcripts in English or with an official translation, plus predicted and final results for exam-based curricula.
• International curricula: students in IB, A-Level and similar programs can use the credit rules in section 3.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5 for the 2026-2027 figures.
• Department awards: the department awards the Hubert E. Bray Prize in Mathematics each spring to the outstanding junior mathematics major. The pages read do not list department-specific scholarships; the department has an undergraduate research section that was not read for this guide.
• Outcomes: the department says those with a degree in mathematics are in demand for a great variety of occupations and links to a page on where former students have gone; the pages read print no specific employment data.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts: students with a high school diploma (or equivalent) and at least 12 semester hours of college credit earned after high school. Students may not reduce their credits to qualify as first-year applicants.
• GPA: a GPA of at least 3.2 in recent college work is needed to be considered; those offered admission typically have 3.5 or higher. Transfer students must complete at least four semesters (60 semester hours) full-time at Rice to earn a bachelor’s degree.
• Math prerequisites: Admission says transfer applicants have no specific coursework requirements based on their intended area of study, though the committee considers relevant coursework and performance; calculus and linear algebra requirements for mathematics are not stated.
• Deadlines: fall entry 15 March, with rolling decisions in June; spring entry 15 October, with decisions by 1 December. The pages show no year, so check. Submit the Common App and Rice supplement, the $75 fee, the high school transcript and official transcripts from every college attended; international transfer applicants also need English transcripts, English proficiency and the International Student Financial Statement.
• Transfer credit: the General Announcements say transfer credit requests must be approved by the designated transfer credit advisor for the subject. The department’s advising and transfer credit page returned a 406 response when requested for this guide and was not read, so check the department website or the Registrar. The department says college calculus may earn credit for MATH 101 and above through the Registrar.
• Declaring: transfer students should declare their major within their first year or before reaching junior-level status.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply by 1 November (Early Decision I) or 4 January (Early Decision II and Regular), choosing the School of Natural Sciences and listing mathematics as an area of interest
• No separate application for merit scholarships; follow the Office of Financial Aid for need-based aid

International applicants (including China):

• Prepare IELTS 7, TOEFL 100 or 5.0 (new scale) or Duolingo 130; complete the International Student Financial Statement after submitting
• Provide English or officially translated transcripts; ask the Office of Admission how the Gaokao is used

After entry:

• Take the Math Diagnostic Exam before MATH 101 or 111, or use AP/IB/exam credit; declare the major by the spring of the second year and keep a 2.00 major GPA

Transfer students:

• GPA of 3.2 or higher in recent college work; 15 March for fall, 15 October for spring; at least four semesters at Rice

Sources: Rice University, General Announcements: Mathematics; Mathematics BA; Mathematics BS; General Announcements: Admission; Majors, minors and certificates; Tuition, fees and expenses; Department: math major; Department: undergraduate program; Department: calculus credit by exam; Department: undergraduate awards; Admission: first-year domestic; Admission: first-year international; Admission: transfer. The General Announcements are the 2026-2027 edition. The date tables on the admission pages are labelled as the 2020-2021 cycle, so the dates here come from the pages’ text; they show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see Rice’s website for the latest.