Rankings & Facts

The Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University was established as its own department in 2014. Our BS-MSNE program is ABET accredited. 

Rankings

  • #24, Materials Science: 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools
  • #20, George R. Brown School of Engineering: 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, Undergraduate
  • #27, George R. Brown School of Engineering: 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, Graduate
  • #14, Materials Science: 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities (most recent ranking)

Learn more about our academic programs.

Faculty

  • 7 Tenured & Tenure Track Faculty
  • 5 Research Professors
  • 22 Joint Appointments
  • 1 Professor in the Practice
  • 3 Lecturers

Our faculty include fellows of: 

  • American Society of Materials International
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (3)
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • American Chemical Society
  • American Physical Society (2)
  • Materials Research Society (2)
  • National Academy of Engineering
  • National Academy of Inventors 
     

Learn more about our faculty.

Students

Over 30% of PhD students received competitive fellowships including federal, industry and endowed:

  • Air Force - Ph.D. Program For Air Force captains
  • Humboldt Research Fellowship (CAPES)
  • Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT)
  • Escuela Superior Politecnica Del Litoral (ESPOL)
  • Ford Foundation Fellowship
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships (NDSEG) 
  • National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program (NRT)
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship program (NSF GRFP)
  • Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) National Postdoctoral Fellowship

Degrees Awarded

Since 2014:

  • Undergraduate: 71
  • PhD: 58
  • Professional Masters: 69

Learn more about the George R. Brown School of Engineering's degrees awarded.

Top Employers of Our Alumni

  • Amazon
  • Intel
  • Baker Hughes
  • Shell
  • Capital One
  • Proctor & Gamble
  • Microsoft
  • Google
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Applied Materials
  • CGG
  • McKinsey & Company
  • Cameron
  • Aramco Services
  • Schlumberger

Start Ups Where Our Alumni Work

  • Enpower
  • Syzygy Plasmonics
  • CSS Nanotech, Inc.
  • Gethr

Learn more about our alumni.