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Jones Graduate School of Business – Rice University

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Class Size 160
Female 39%
Mean GMAT 702
Mean GPA 3.43

The Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, located in the heart of Houston, Texas, offers Full-Time, Professional, Executive, Hybrid and Online MBA program options as well as a deferred enrollment option to graduating undergraduate seniors. The school provides targeted career management resources, and Fortune 500 organizations often recruit from Rice Business. With a prominent faculty and specialized concentrations that can be tailored to each student’s career path, the Rice Jones Graduate School of Business MBA appeals to professionals from many different backgrounds.

FAQ

What is the tuition for the Rice Business MBA program?

The tuition for the full-time MBA program is $69,000 per year.

What is the average GMAT score for admission to the Rice Business Full-Time MBA program?

The average GMAT score for the incoming class is 702.

Does the Rice Business MBA program accept the GRE?

Yes. All Rice Business MBA programs accept the GRE

What is the average GRE score for admission to the Rice Business Full-Time MBA program?

The average GRE score, combined for both Quant and Verbal, for the Rice Business Full-Time MBA class is 316.

What is the average starting salary for graduates of the Rice Business Full-Time MBA program?

The average starting salary for Rice Business Full-Time MBA graduates is $149,000. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding higher salaries.

How long is the Rice Business Full-Time MBA program?

Rice Business offers a traditional 2-year MBA program.

What are the application deadlines for the Rice Business Full-Time MBA program?

The Round 1 MBA application deadline is October 9, 2023. The Round 2 application deadline is January 8, 2024. The Round 3 deadline is March 25, 2024. The Round 4 deadline, for domestic applicants only, is May 1, 2024.

What percent of Rice Business Full-Time MBA students are women?

The percentage of the class at Rice Business that are women is 39%.

Videos

Rice Business's 20th Annual Women In Leadership Conference

Rice Business is hosting its 20th annual Women In Leadership Conference on Friday, February 14, 2020. The conference features panel discussions, interactive workshops and talks from leaders across different industries, and will be held on the Rice University campus, home to the number one MBA program for women in Texas. Register today at: https://business.rice.edu/women-leadership-conference-0

Why Join Clubs At Rice Business?

Do you consider yourself a wine connoisseur? What about the next leader in finance or energy? Join Rice Business social, professional, diversity and student government clubs and find out why #YouBelongHere!

Admissions

The Class Profile

The Rice MBA Class of 2024 hosts 160 students. Women comprise 39% of the class and 42% are international, representing 21 countries. 47% identify as U.S. minorities and 35% as U.S. underrepresented minorities.

During their undergraduate years, Rice MBA students averaged a GPA of 3.43. Fifty-three percent earned degrees in STEM disciplines. Forty percent had majored in business/economics and seven percent in humanities/other subjects. When it came to entrance exams, Rice MBAs landed an average GMAT of 702 and an average GRE of 316.

The Rice MBA Class of 2024 matriculated with an average of five years of work experience. Fifteen percent came from the non-profit/education/government sectors. Thirteen percent each hailed from energy, health/bio, or financial services. Another 12% had worked in tech followed by 11% in consulting.

Application Procedures

Applicants have three rounds in which they can apply, with deadlines typically landing in October, January and March. All applicants must hold a four-year degree from an accredited U.S. institution, or the international equivalent. Official transcripts, GMAT/GRE/Executive Assessment scores, TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores are also required. Other elements of the application include a résumé, a recommendation from a current direct supervisor (two from other supervisors are required if not attained from a current direct supervisor), and admissions essays. Candidates may be invited to interview after a review of the application.

Application Checklist

  • Completed online application
  • Required essays
  • Professional resume
  • Unofficial copies of test scores
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial copies of your transcripts
  • Application fee paid
  • Admissions Interview or assessment completed

Essay Topic Analysis

Need help with your essays? Get our experts' advice.

Interview Reports

Rice-jones Q&As

Rice / Jones LiveWire and DecisionWire

MBA LiveWire

March 17, 2024 1:43pm ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via portal on March 15, 2024
GPA: 3.43
GRE: 307
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career Name: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: California
Note:

Consortium, 80k scholarship

March 16, 2024 8:26pm ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via phone
GPA: 3.02
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career Name: Marketing
Application Location: Texas, USA
March 15, 2024 6:35pm ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via phone March 15, 2024
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
March 12, 2024 4:22pm ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via phone on March 07, 2024
GPA: 3.4
GMAT: 700
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career Name: Other
Application Location: Texas
Note:

Scholarship

March 12, 2024 12:39am ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via phone March 12, 2024
GPA: 3.7
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career Name: Consulting
Application Location: Arizona
March 11, 2024 5:05pm ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via phone March 11, 2024
GPA: 3.50
GRE: 313
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career Name: General Management
Application Location: USA
Note:

Just got the call! Also received a scholarship

March 11, 2024 1:47am ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via phone on March 08, 2024
GPA: 3.26
GMAT: 720
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career Name: Healthcare
Application Location: California
Note:

accepted with $80k scholarship.

March 11, 2024 1:46am ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 2
Received via phone on March 08, 2024
GPA: 3.26
GMAT: 720
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Post MBA Career Name: Healthcare
Application Location: California
Note:

accepted with $80k scholarship.

MBA DecisionWire

NYU
March 18, 2024 4:04pm ET
Enrolled: NYU Stern
Admitted: NYU Stern , USC / Marshall
Applied: NYU Stern, USC / Marshall
Entering Year: 2024
Post MBA Career: Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Asset Management, inc. Hedge Funds
GPA: 3.11
Notes:

Born and raised in the NYC area and NYU has always been a dream school of mine. No scholarship info so far but I plan on taking loans to supplement my savings and what my company will pay for. I work at a BB in technology/ops, but looking to switch roles.

I scored a 162 on the EA, which I used in my application instead of a GMAT or GRE score.

NYU
March 18, 2024 3:59pm ET
Enrolled: NYU Stern
Admitted: Berkeley / Haas , Carnegie Mellon / Tepper $
$20000
,
Georgetown / McDonough $
$4000
,
NYU Stern , UCLA Anderson
Applied: Berkeley / Haas, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Georgetown / McDonough, NYU Stern, UCLA Anderson, U. Washington / Foster
Entering Year: 2024
Post MBA Career: Consumer Goods Companies: Coca Cola, General Mills, Mondelez, Nestle, PepsiCo, Proctor & Gamble
GPA: 3.2
Location: Portland OR
Notes:

I want to end up on the east coast (so therefore want to build my network out east). I also want to stay in the marketing & CPG space as well. I wanted to do more part time programs, so really focused on part time programs that have hybrid programs.

Advice: Really take the time to reflect and understand what you want out of an MBA. Do the work!

McD
March 18, 2024 11:10am ET
Enrolled: Georgetown / McDonough
Admitted: Georgetown / McDonough
Applied: Georgetown / McDonough
Entering Year: 2024
GRE: 328
Location: India
?
March 18, 2024 5:44am ET
Enrolled: Undecided
Admitted: Emory / Goizueta , Georgia / Terry , Rice / Jones
Applied: Emory / Goizueta, Georgia / Terry, Rice / Jones, UNC Kenan-Flagler
Entering Year: 2024
Post MBA Career: Consulting, Technology, Undecided
GPA: 3.1
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Academics

Faculty

Rice Business MBA faculty consists of over 200 professors, assistant professors, adjuncts and lecturers. They teach across 12 areas of interest and contribute their ongoing research to the school’s publication, Rice Business Wisdom. The professors bring both academic research and real-world business knowledge to the classroom.

Curriculum

The 22-month full-time MBA is a cohort-based program designed to work for a variety of students. Students need 60 credits to graduate, and classes take place during the day Monday through Thursday. Before the start of classes, new students partake in the Rice MBA Launch program to prepare for the program. Launch is mandatory and entails several orientation activities as well as courses, team building and social events. International students arrive a week earlier than domestic students and partake in activities to help them adjust to the new culture, before joining Launch.

The first year is dominated by the core curriculum, which includes such disciplines as finance, marketing, accounting and communications. Overall, 31.5 credits come from core requirements in the first year. As part of the core and at the end of the first year, students must complete a Global Field Experience, in which students work in small teams to complete projects with local students, companies and non-profits. Then, after a summer internship, MBA candidates return for a second year to pursue more customized learning in specific areas of interest. In the second year, students can choose from over 100 electives and may pursue concentrations in accounting, energy, entrepreneurship, finance, healthcare, marketing, operations management, organizational behavior, real estate, or strategy and environment.

Other Degree Offerings

In addition to the full-time MBA, Rice also offers a Professional MBA as well as an MBA for Executives. The Professional MBA is a 22-month long program with classes on evenings and weekends. It is also offered on an extended three- to five-year basis to maximize flexibility for working professionals.  In addition to the Professional MBA, Rice Business offers a Hybrid MBA as an alternative part-time MBA that enables students to come to campus one extended weekend a month and take classes online during the week.  This format is designed for working professionals who want an in-person experience but cannot come to campus as frequently. The Hybrid and Professional MBA curricula are structured like the Full-Time MBA—the first year is dedicated to core requirements, and the second year focuses on electives.

With an emphasis on decision-making, leadership, and strategy, the Executive MBA is designed for experienced executives. The program lasts 22 months with classes held on alternating weekends. There are also four required weeklong executive forums and a required international forum.

For those who need maximum flexibility, Rice offers an Online MBA. The program requires 54 credits and takes 24 months to complete. To graduate, students must complete the required classes, offered live online, and complete two residential intensive learning experiences, a global field experience, and a capstone consulting project.

Concentrations at Rice

  • Accounting*
  • Communications
  • Energy*
  • Entrepreneurship*
  • Finance*
  • Healthcare*
  • Marketing*
  • Operations Management*
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Real Estate*
  • Strategy and Environment*

*Available concentrations for the Full-Time MBA Program

Degree Offerings at Rice Business

Full-Time MBA
https://business.rice.edu/academic-program/full-time-mba

Professional MBA
https://business.rice.edu/academic-program/professional-mba 

Hybrid MBA
https://business.rice.edu/academic-program/hybrid-mba

Executive MBA
https://business.rice.edu/academic-program/executive-mba

MBA@Rice (Online MBA)
https://business.rice.edu/online-mba-rice-business

Campus Life

Clubs, Conferences, & Competitions

Almost all Rice students participate in student clubs, and there are roughly 30 options available. They are a great way for students to socialize, network, and gain leadership experience. For instance, industry-specific groups for students interested in real estate or marketing are available, in addition to diversity groups such as Men as Allies and the Black Business Association.

Rice also offers myriad other activities. In terms of conferences, the Rice Energy Finance Summit (REFS) is a yearly conference run by students to spark conversations about current issues in the energy industry. Past sponsors have included Chevron, Phillips 66, and EOG Resources. Students may also partake in a weeklong visit to Wall Street to meet with alumni and business professionals in the finance industry. The Silicon Valley Trek is a similar option for those interested in meeting entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in the tech capital. The Rice Business Plan Competition is a nationally recognized event that supports entrepreneurship and the launch of technology companies.

Campus Spaces

The Jones Graduate School of Business is located in Janice and Robert McNair Hall. The 160,000-square-foot building is located near the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium and Farnsworth Pavilion. Housing is provided off-campus in two apartment complexes, which are designated for non-married students, married students and families.

MBA Careers

Career Services

The Jones Graduate School of Business’s Career Development Office hosts workshops and works with students individually to help them prepare for summer internships and hone their job-searching skills. In addition, the school has relationships with many Fortune 500 organizations. 

Career Statistics

The MBA Class of 2023 started their post-MBA careers with an average base salary of $145,000. The consulting industry had the highest rates of employment, at nearly 26%. Tech followed at 20% and financial services took in 19.3% of recent graduates. Nearly 12% joined the energy field, and 7% joined pharma/biotech/healthcare.

Financing

For the 2023-24 school year, tuition is $69,000, with an estimated total cost of $75,740 for the year. Other expenses include fees, parking, and insurance. Students are encouraged to utilize loans, a semester payment plan, or military benefits for financing.

Scholarships are widely available for MBA students. For instance, merit scholarships were awarded to more than half of the incoming full-time class. Numerous merit scholarships are available, and they may cover 10% to 100% of tuition. Applications are automatically considered for scholarships upon submission. In addition, the Military Scholars program may cover tuition and fees for veteran military applicants. Lastly, the Crownover Scholars Program awards full scholarship support to students who meet strong academic credentials.

Estimated Cost of Attendance per Year

  • Tuition: $69,000
  • MBA Fees (health and wellness and student government and association fees): $1,081
  • Estimated Textbooks: $2,600*
  • Health Insurance: $2,809*
  • Parking: $250-$984*
  • Total: $75,740 to $76,474

*optional

Contact

Mailing Address:
Rice University
P.O. Box 2932-MS 531
Houston, Texas 77252-2932
Phone: 713-348-4918
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://business.rice.edu/
Twitter: @Rice_Biz