Academic Calendar
Winter Quadmester 2026
All dates and deadlines (noted below) are for quadmester 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 |
|---|---|
| Monday, December 1, 2025 | Registration: Registration Officially Opens |
| Friday, December 5, 2025 | Deadline: Last day to register for the upcoming Quadmester without a $75 Late Registration Fee |
| Monday, January 5, 2026 | START OF TERM FIRST DAY OF CLASSES |
| Monday, January 5, 2026 | Registration: Start of Late Registration; Late Registration Fee increases to $125 |
| Sunday, January 11, 2026 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 100% refund of tuition |
| Monday, January 12, 2026 | Deadline: Last day to complete Late Registration
Deadline: Last day to add courses online via ESTHER |
| Sunday, January 18, 2026 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with an 80% refund of tuition |
| Monday, January 19, 2026 | Deadline: Last day to drop courses online via ESTHER |
| Monday, January 19, 2026 | MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY (HOLIDAY) (Live Class Sessions Will Be Rescheduled) |
| Friday, January 23, 2026 | Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for May (Spring) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER |
| Sunday, January 25, 2026 |
Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund of tuition |
| Friday, January 30, 2026 | Deadline: Last day instructors to submit final grades to resolve “Incomplete” (INC) grades for courses taken in previous term |
| Sunday, February 1, 2026 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 40% refund of tuition |
| Sunday, February 8, 2026 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund of tuition |
| Sunday, March 15, 2026 | LAST DAY OF CLASSES |
| Monday, March 16, 2026 | Final Examination Period Begins |
| Sunday, March 22, 2026 | Final Examination Period Ends |
| Monday, March 23, 2026 | ILE (Intensive Learning Experience) Begins |
| Sunday, March 29, 2026 | ILE (Intensive Learning Experience) Ends |
| Sunday, March 29, 2026 | END OF TERM |
| Monday, April 6, 2026 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Winter quadmester final grades for all students online via ESTHER |
| Friday, May 8, 2026 | GRADUATION: Rice University's 113th Commencement
|
| Saturday, May 9, 2026 | GRADUATION: Rice University's 113th Commencement
Please visit commencement.rice.edu for more information |