Summer Sessions

Application Information for Visiting Students

Find information on the application for visiting students below for visiting undergraduates, visiting post-baccalaureates, and those who graduated high school in spring 2026.

Information on the application for high school students is available at https://summerscholars.rice.edu/.

Rice University is pleased to offer the Summer Sessions. The summer program is an opportunity for currently enrolled Rice students and visiting students from other institutions (including rising high school juniors/seniors and recent high school graduates) to take college coursework for credit.

Courses will be available online and in person.

2026 Summer Blocks

The schedule of blocks can be found on the Summer 2026 Academic Calendar.

2026 Summer Course Schedule

The Summer 2026 course schedule is posted to Rice's Course Schedule. Any additions, changes, or cancellations to the schedule will be posted on this page as soon as we receive them. We encourage you to check the Course Schedule frequently.

2026 Summer Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fee rates for 2026 Summer Sessions are available on the Bursar's Office website. Billing and payment information can be viewed on the Bursar's Office website under Student Accounts.

Rice Undergraduate Summer Research or Internship Experience

Current Rice degree-seeking students may enroll in an organized summer undergraduate research or internship course for credit and not be charged tuition for up to 3 credit hours. For eligibility criteria, please see the following:

  • Students enrolled must be continuing, degree-seeking Rice students, and be enrolled at Rice for both the book-end Spring/Fall semesters of the summer research/internship year;
  • Some courses may require instructor approval, which will prevent students from registering for the course on ESTHER. Students will need to receive the instructor's approval for the course by completing an Undergraduate Special Registration (and Request for Registration Restriction Override) Form and returning it to the Office of the Registrar to process;
  • Departments must certify and submit standard letter grade credit;
  • The undergraduate research/internship course will have the same course number as the departmental academic year research course number; and
  • Credit hours are based on current hours for research/internship course credit:
    • 3 Credit Hour Course would require a minimum of 126 hours of research/internship experience
    • 2 Credit Hour Course would require a minimum of 84 hours of research/internship experience
    • 1 Credit Hour Course would require a minimum of 42 hours of research/internship experience
  • Research and internship courses that include international travel are not eligible for the waiver.

Financial Aid

Need-based financial aid will be available on a limited basis for undergraduate degree-seeking students who receive need-based aid during the academic year 2025-26. This will be a 50% discount on the Rice student tuition rate. The financial aid will be limited to two summers (up to 9 credit hours per summer) of Rice courses during an undergraduate student’s time at Rice and will not count toward the 8 semesters of need-based aid allowed by Rice’s financial aid policy. Financial aid requests for the summer term immediately following the student's eighth semester are limited to courses required for degree completion. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for additional information by phone (713-348-4958) or email (fina@rice.edu).

Financial aid is not available for visiting students.

Enrollment Process for Rice Students

Currently enrolled Rice students should register online via ESTHER as per normal registration processes and procedures for courses they wish to register for. Please familiarize yourself with and adhere to all registration and payment deadlines as noted on the Summer 2026 Academic Calendar.

December 5, 2025: Summer 2026 registration opens in ESTHER

A Rice student who graduates in May 2026 is eligible to register for Summer 2026 courses as a Visiting Post Baccalaureate student only. Any credits earned for Summer 2026 are not eligible to be applied to a previously awarded degree. To register for Summer 2026 courses, these students should register themselves directly in ESTHER. If they are unable to do so due to their account being inactive, please email registrar@rice.edu.

Enrollment Process for Incoming Fall 2026 Rice Undergraduate Students

Only student-athletes and those enrolled in a formal pre-matriculation program at Rice (e.g., RESP, RISE) may take a summer class. All other undergraduate students must wait to enroll in the fall semester.

Students in the populations listed above should consult with their respective advisors for details on registration.

Enrollment Process for Non-Rice Students

All visiting students must follow the Enrollment Process for Non-Rice Students, as outlined below. High school students who are rising juniors and above must submit additional application materials for high school students, which is detailed below.

Please note that visiting students may not take courses on a pass/fail basis.

It is essential that visiting students be aware of and follow the deadlines listed on the Summer 2026 Academic Calendar. Course offerings are at the discretion of Rice and may be canceled at any time for any reason; should a class you wish to enroll in be canceled, we will assist you in finding a suitable alternative course.

December 5, 2025: Admission and registration process for (Summer 2026) visiting students officially opens (for visiting students, including visiting online and visiting high school students, to apply for Rice visiting student status). Registration is contingent on admission.

Application Process

The application route for visiting students depends upon whether you are a high school or non-high school visiting student.

Non-High School Students (Including 2026 High School Graduates)

To apply, students will need to submit an application to the Rice University Office of the Registrar:

  • Visiting Student Application (Application not yet open)

In addition to the application, students may be asked to supply the following:

  • Name and contact information from a representative at your current educational institution (e.g. Dean, counselor, etc.). Upon providing the contact information in your application, an email will be automatically generated to the recommender. The email will request that the recommender complete the Dean of Students Recommendation Form on behalf of the student.
  • Proof of Meningococcal Vaccination Record or Waiver (required if under the age of 22). Note: students enrolling in 100%-online courses are not required to provide proof of the vaccination.
  • International Student Check-In Sheet and additional international documentation (if applicable)
  • Release and Hold Harmless Agreement (required if under the age of 18)
  • Visiting Student Financial Responsibility and Parental Consent

In addition to the application, you will be required to supply the following:

  • Application fee:
    • $75 for Visiting Undergraduate and Visiting Post Baccalaureate
    • $50 for Visiting Auditor
  • Official college transcript from all colleges or universities attended. (Please submit after completing the Visiting Student Application. Submitting transcripts first may result in a delay in processing your application.)
  • Official high school transcript (waived if attended a college/university in Spring 2026).

Admission to this program does not constitute admission to Rice University as a degree-seeking student.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines for visiting students are posted on the Summer 2026 Academic Calendar. All application deadlines includes the receipt of all appropriate and required paperwork.

Where to Send Documentation (for Non-Rice Students)

Mail ALL documents to this EXACT address:

Rice University Office of the Registrar, MS-57
Summer Sessions
6100 Main Street
Houston, TX 77005

You may also submit documents to visitingstudents@rice.edu or upload them using the Office of the Registrar's secure upload mechanism.

High School Students

Information is available at https://summerscholars.rice.edu/.

Information for Departments

Information for departments regarding administrative processes for Summer Sessions is available on the Summer Sessions information page for schools and departments.

Questions? Need Info? Who to contact?

If you have additional questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar by phone (713-348-4999) or by email (visitingstudents@rice.edu).