Jones Graduate School of Business – Rice University
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 $73,500 per year.
What is the average GMAT score for admission to the Rice Business Full-Time MBA program?
The average GMAT score at Rice Business 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 317.
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 14, 2024. The Round 2 application deadline is January 6, 2025. The Round 3 deadline is March 10, 2025. The Round 4 deadline, for domestic applicants only, is April 28, 2025.
What percent of Rice Business Full-Time MBA students are women?
Across the Classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025, the percentage of women at Rice Business averaged 36%.
Admissions
The Class Profile
The Rice MBA provides a class profile based on the average of their Classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The three-year average enrollment is 166 students. The three classes also averaged 36% women and 42% are international. Across the three classes, 42% identify as U.S. minorities and 30% as U.S. underrepresented minorities.
During their undergraduate years, Rice MBA students from the three cohorts averaged a GPA of 3.46. Fifty-two percent earned degrees in STEM disciplines. Thirty-seven percent had majored in business/economics and 12 percent in humanities/other subjects. When it came to entrance exams, Rice MBAs across the three classes landed an average GMAT of 702 and an average GRE of 157 Verbal 160 Quant.
The Rice MBA Class of 2023-2025 matriculated with an average of 5.3 years of work experience. Fourteen percent came from energy sector. Twelve percent had worked in financial services. Eleven percent hailed from health/bio followed by 10% from tech. Nine percent had worked in consulting.
Application Procedures
Applicants have four rounds in which they can apply, with deadlines typically landing in October, January, March and late April. 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 (waiver available), 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 a community assessment (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
Recommendation Questions
Rice / Jones Q&A's
Rice / Jones LiveWire and DecisionWire
Academics
Faculty
Rice Business MBA faculty consists of over 200 professors, assistant professors, adjuncts and lecturers. They teach across 11 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.
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 as well as a global field experience.
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. Top recruiters for Rice MBA students include Deloitte, Amazon, Google, and Goldman Sachs.
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 2024-25 school year, tuition is $73,500, with an estimated total cost up to $83,017 for the year due to additional expenses. These other expenses include fees, parking, and insurance, but not room and board. 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 75% 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: $73,500
- MBA Fees (health and wellness and student government and association fees): $1,230
- Estimated Textbooks: $2,600
- Health Insurance: $3,448
- Parking: $250-$1,009
- Total: $82,267 to $83,017
Recent News
Contact
Mailing Address:
Rice University
P.O. Box 2932-MS 531
Houston, Texas 77252-2932
Phone: 713-348-4622
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://business.rice.edu/
Twitter: @Rice_Biz