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University · Houston · United States

Rice University

In research, Rice University stands highest in Physical Sciences (#157 of 12,888 worldwide), Computer Science (#155 of 4,667 worldwide) and Engineering (#325 of 6,636 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Condensed Matter Physics, Mathematical Physics and Biophysics — Condensed Matter Physics is 5.7× its share of world research.

rice.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#275
of 28,054 · #129 all time
Rank in United States
#60
of 4,192
Research works
40k
▼ 5% vs 2013–17
Citations
1.8M
44.6 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
23.9%
record average 16.5%
Open access
29%
world 28%

What is Rice University known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #157 of 12,888 24.3%2,425 #77
Computer ScienceField #155 of 4,667 22.2%440 #58
EngineeringField #325 of 6,636 22.5%762 #142
Social SciencesDomain #620 of 10,521 23.2%1,119 #252
Physics and AstronomyField #129 of 1,646 28.0%293 #78
Life SciencesDomain #649 of 7,800 25.1%596 #508
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyField #367 of 3,579 24.1%389 #326
MedicineField #1,284 of 10,443 20.8%326 #1136
Electrical and Electronic EngineeringSubfield #295 of 2,318 24.1%217 #135
Social SciencesField #843 of 6,365 24.1%540 #256

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Rice University sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#77 #157
  2. Computer Science#58 #155
  3. Engineering#142 #325
  4. Social Sciences#252 #620
  5. Physics and Astronomy#78 #129
  6. Life Sciences#508 #649
  7. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#326 #367
  8. Medicine#1,136 #1,284
  9. Electrical and Electronic Engineering#135 #295
  10. Social Sciences#256 #843
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Rice University specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Condensed Matter Physics takes 5.7× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Condensed Matter PhysicsSubfield · 41.4 works5.7×
  2. Mathematical PhysicsSubfield · 30.6 works4.3×
  3. BiophysicsSubfield · 21.6 works4.2×
  4. GeophysicsSubfield · 62.1 works3.9×
  5. Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsSubfield · 111.4 works3.4×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.30× its world share, 65 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 1.61× its world share, 389 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.60× its world share, 27 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.41× its world share, 103 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.68× its world share, 11 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 1.78× its world share, 28 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 1.50× its world share, 106 worksChemistryComputer Science: 1.25× its world share, 440 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.75× its world share, 125 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 1.69× its world share, 70 worksEnergyEngineering: 1.12× its world share, 762 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.83× its world share, 186 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 1.92× its world share, 304 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 2.06× its world share, 110 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 2.91× its world share, 293 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.15× its world share, 3 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.47× its world share, 56 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.37× its world share, 326 worksMedicineNursing: 0.12× its world share, 3 worksNursingVeterinary: 0.08× its world share, 0 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 1.11× its world share, 144 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.87× its world share, 126 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.25× its world share, 54 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 1.03× its world share, 99 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.12× its world share, 154 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.94× its world share, 540 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 2.9×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Rice University?

Ranked on the composite score, Naomi J. Halas, Richard G. Baraniuk and R. E. Smalley lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Rice University.

  1. 1 Naomi J. Halas United States · #1,053 worldwide 2.8k citations · 107 works
  2. 2 Richard G. Baraniuk United States · #1,264 worldwide 4.4k citations · 213 works
  3. 3 R. E. Smalley United States · #3,536 worldwide 2.1k citations · 87 works
  4. 4 Peter Nordlander United States · #4,165 worldwide 2.1k citations · 126 works
  5. 5 Willy Zwaenepoel United States · #5,095 worldwide 1.2k citations · 76 works
  6. 6 Randall G. Hulet United States · #6,542 worldwide 1.4k citations · 84 works
  7. 7 Ken Kennedy United States · #7,193 worldwide 954 citations · 77 works
  8. 8 Pedro J. J. Alvarez United States · #7,413 worldwide 1.8k citations · 81 works
  9. 9 Farinaz Koushanfar United States · #7,591 worldwide 1.8k citations · 123 works
  10. 10 Peter Druschel United States · #8,193 worldwide 1.7k citations · 52 works
All ranked researchers at Rice University

Which keywords describe research at Rice University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Two-Dimensional Materials, Biomedical Applications, Biosensors, Graphene, Globalization and Climate Change.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Deep Learning175◆ 1.13×74 topics
  2. Machine Learning164◆ 1.11×77 topics
  3. Climate Change111◆ 0.91×81 topics
  4. Biomedical Applications104▲ 1.94×35 topics
  5. Globalization98◆ 1.10×91 topics
  6. Graphene83▲ 2.7×11 topics
  7. Nanoparticles80▲ 1.41×40 topics
  8. Neural Networks79◆ 1.13×32 topics
  9. Biosensors76▲ 3.3×12 topics
  10. Nanocomposites67▲ 1.84×21 topics
  11. Nanomaterials65▲ 1.35×20 topics
  12. Two-Dimensional Materials62▲ 5.9×4 topics
  13. Religion51▲ 2.4×28 topics
  14. Nationalism51▲ 2.4×24 topics
  15. Catalysis50▲ 1.65×25 topics
  16. Ethics48▲ 2.2×33 topics
  17. Tissue Engineering47▲ 1.69×13 topics
  18. Carbon Nanotubes43▲ 2.8×8 topics
  19. Democracy42▲ 2.6×17 topics
  20. Colonialism41▲ 1.90×30 topics
  21. Raman Spectroscopy40▲ 4.5×7 topics
  22. Superconductivity39▲ 5.0×9 topics
  23. Politics37▲ 3.0×16 topics
  24. Self-Assembly37▲ 2.5×12 topics
  25. Electronic Structure37▲ 4.5×8 topics
  26. Tomography36▲ 4.3×5 topics
  27. Electrocatalysis35▲ 2.8×5 topics
  28. Molecular Dynamics34▲ 4.5×6 topics
  29. Metamaterials31▲ 4.9×5 topics
  30. Plate Tectonics31▲ 4.5×3 topics
  31. Transparent Conductors30▲ 5.2×2 topics
  32. Graphene Oxide29▲ 6.7×2 topics
  33. Entanglement28▲ 4.1×4 topics
  34. Electronic Properties28▲ 7.0×2 topics
  35. Chemical Vapor Deposition27▲ 8.0×1 topic
  36. Nanoribbons27▲ 8.0×1 topic
  37. Optoelectronic Devices24▲ 5.8×2 topics
  38. Nanotubes23▲ 6.6×4 topics
  39. Quantum Simulation23▲ 6.3×2 topics
  40. Semiconducting Transition Metal Dichalcogenides21▲ 6.9×1 topic

Which research topics does Rice University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Graphene research and applications, 2D Materials and Applications, CRISPR and Genetic Engineering and Carbon Nanotubes in Composites.

Graphene research and ap…27Graphene research and applications: 27 fractional works2D Materials and Applica…212D Materials and Applications: 21 fractional worksCRISPR and Genetic Engineering: 18 fractional worksCarbon Nanotubes in Composites: 18 fractional worksAdvanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques: 18 fractional worksAdvancements in Battery Materials: 16 fractional worksAdvanced Photocatalysis Techniques: 15 fractional worksGeological and Geochemic…15Geological and Geochemical Analysis: 15 fractional worksPerovskite Materials and Applications: 15 fractional worksGold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications: 15 fractional works
Materials ChemistryMolecular BiologyElectrical and Electronic EngineeringRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment2 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Graphene research and applications Materials Chemistry 27 works
  2. 2 2D Materials and Applications Materials Chemistry 21 works
  3. 3 CRISPR and Genetic Engineering Molecular Biology 18 works
  4. 4 Carbon Nanotubes in Composites Materials Chemistry 18 works
  5. 5 Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques Molecular Biology 18 works
  6. 6 Advancements in Battery Materials Electrical and Electronic Engineering 16 works
  7. 7 Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment 15 works
  8. 8 Geological and Geochemical Analysis Geophysics 15 works
  9. 9 Perovskite Materials and Applications Electrical and Electronic Engineering 15 works
  10. 10 Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials 15 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available28.8%not open71.2%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors15.3%domestic only84.7%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Rice University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 5% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Houston

All research institutions in Houston

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.