Rankings & Facts

US News graduate program ranking up 18 spots since 2014.

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

  • 14 Tenured & Tenure Track Faculty
  • 3 Research Professors
  • 24 Joint Appointments
  • 1 Professor in the Practice
  • 2 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.