Academic Calendar
Fall Semester 2026

All dates and deadlines (noted below) are for semester full-term courses. PLEASE NOTE: Part of Term Courses have different dates and deadlines that are posted on the Part of Term Courses web page.

Date Event
Friday, August 14, 2026 Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period for continuing undergraduate, undergraduate professional (BArch), and graduate students pauses at 5:00 p.m. to allow for O-Week Registration
Sunday - Saturday, August 16 - 22, 2026 Orientation Week for New Students
Monday, August 17, 2026 Fall Registration: Course Request Period begins for incoming undergraduate students
Thursday, August 20, 2026 Deadline: Course Request Period ends for incoming undergraduate students at 12:00 p.m.
Fall Registration: Course Registration begins for new (incoming) undergraduate professional (BArch) and graduate students at 5:00 p.m.
Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for incoming undergraduate students at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 21, 2026 Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period re-opens for continuing undergraduate, undergraduate professional (BArch), and graduate students at 8:00 a.m.
Monday, August 24, 2026 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES - START OF THE FALL SEMESTER
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION
Monday - Friday, August 24 - September 4, 2026 Fall Registration Continues: Late Registration continues for undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students; Late Registration Fee increases to $125
Friday, August 28, 2026 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in previous Spring semester
Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Other" (OT) and "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in previous Summer semester
Friday, September 4, 2026 Deadline: Last day to add courses online via ESTHER
Deadline: Last day to adjust variable credit for courses online via ESTHER
Deadline: Last day to complete late registration online via ESTHER
Deadline: Last day to convert a "Pass/Fail" to an earned letter grade for courses taken in previous Spring or Summer semester
Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 100% refund of tuition and fees
Deadline: Last day for tuition adjustment for part-time students
Monday, September 7, 2026 LABOR DAY (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, September 11, 2026 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 70% refund of tuition
Friday, September 18, 2026 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund of tuition
Friday, September 25, 2026 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 50% refund of tuition
Friday, September 25, 2026 Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for December (Fall) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for December (Fall) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates to file the following applicable forms in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (see GPS Forms page) for December (Fall) degree conferral:
  • Thesis Master's Candidacy Petition Form
  • Non-Thesis Master's Petition for Certification Form
  • Candidacy Master's Degree Form
  • Doctoral Candidacy Petition Form
Thursday, October 1, 2026 Deadline: Last day to submit New Course Request Forms to the Academic Deans for SCRC review (for new courses in the upcoming Spring semester)
Friday, October 2, 2026 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 40% refund of tuition
Friday, October 9, 2026 Deadline: Last day to drop (full-term) courses online via ESTHER
Deadline: Last day to designate as "Audit" a course in which one is currently registered for credit (via Special Registration Form; Instructor Permission Required)
Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit mid-semester grades for first-year undergraduate students online via ESTHER
Deadline: College course plans due to Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) for following Spring semester
Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 30% refund of tuition
Monday - Tuesday, October 12 - 13, 2026 MIDTERM RECESS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, October 16, 2026 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund of tuition
Friday, October 23, 2026 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 10% refund of tuition
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 Graduation Deadline: Last day for Rice faculty Official Certifiers to review, submit petitions, and certify undergraduate and graduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates via Degree Works
Friday, October 30, 2026 Deadline: Last day to designate a (full-term) course status to "Pass/Fail" option
Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates to declare any additional major, minor or university certificates, if applicable
Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for a May (Spring) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Spring Registration: Spring 2027 Course Schedule published to courses.rice.edu
Spring Registration: Course Request Period begins for undergraduate students
TBA Advising Day to be held in the residential colleges from 11:30am-1:30pm. More information here.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Spring to 1545txt@follett.com
Friday, November 13, 2026 Spring Registration: Course Request Period ends for undergraduate students at 5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 16, 2026 Spring Registration: Spring Registration begins for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate professional (BArch) students at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 Spring Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for undergraduate students at 7:00 a.m.
Friday, November 20, 2026 Deadline: Last day to register for the upcoming Spring semester without a $75 Late Registration Fee
Saturday, November 21, 2026 Late Registration Begins: Continuing students that have not registered for any Spring classes are charged a $75 Late Registration Fee to add classes
Wednesday - Friday, November 25 - 27, 2026 THANKSGIVING RECESS (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, December 4, 2026 LAST DAY OF CLASSES
Friday, December 4, 2026 Deadline: Last day to drop courses (for Fall undergraduate matriculants only) - students must go to the Office of the Registrar or submit the Special Registration Form to registrar@rice.edu by 4:00 p.m.
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level students to submit thesis in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for December (Fall) degree conferral by 12:00 noon
Saturday - Tuesday, December 5 - 8, 2026 Study Days (NO EXAMS)
Tuesday, December 8, 2026 GRADUATION: December Commencement Ceremony (for Summer and Fall 2026 degree recipients). Please visit commencement.rice.edu for more information
Wednesday - Tuesday, December 9 - 15, 2026 Final Examinations for all undergraduate courses
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 END OF THE FALL SEMESTER
Friday, December 18, 2026 Summer Registration: Registration for Summer 2027 begins for currently enrolled degree-seeking Rice undergraduate and graduate students via ESTHER
Applications: Visiting student application process opens for Summer 2027
Wednesday, December 23, 2026 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Final Grades for all students online via ESTHER
Friday, January 8, 2027 GRADUATION: Degrees Awarded for December (Fall) degree recipients
{with a degree conferral date of December 30, 2026}