Because each student is randomly assigned to one of the colleges, and maintains membership in the same college throughout their undergraduate years, the colleges are enriched by the diversity of their students' backgrounds, academic interests and experiences, talents, and goals.
The faculty magister(s), who is assigned to each college and lives in an adjacent house, helps cultivate a variety of intellectual and cultural interests among the students, as well as supporting an effective system of self-government. Other faculty or staff members at Rice, or members of the surrounding community serve as associates to individual colleges.
The experience of college residence is indispensable to conveying the rich flavor of academic life at Rice, allowing students to combine their usual studies with an array of social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, innovative college-designed courses, and an active role in student government.
Listed below, in order of founding, are Rice’s 11 residential colleges.
