HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Rice University vs Washington University in St Louis

Rice University clears +$2.89M in 30-year net value, Washington University in St Louis +$2.19M — both pay off, Rice University by +$702K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Rice University · Houston, TX

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.89M
Total cost of attendance
$296,112
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$90,289
Breaks even by age
36

Washington University in St Louis · Saint Louis, MO

30-year net value
+$2.19M
Total cost of attendance
$335,040
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$84,309
Breaks even by age
40
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Rice University vs Washington University in St Louis: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/rice-vs-washu

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Questions

Is Rice University or Washington University in St Louis a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Rice University clears +$2.89M and Washington University in St Louis +$2.19M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Rice University comes out ahead by +$702K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Rice University pay off than Washington University in St Louis?
About +$702K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.89M vs +$2.19M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Rice University?
+$2.89M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $296,112, median earnings ten years out $90,289, breaking even around age 36. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.