Rice Business
Rice Business is Rice University's graduate business school in Houston, Texas, founded in 1974. It offers five MBA formats (Full-Time, Professional, Hybrid, Executive, Online), plus Master of Accounting, Ph.D., undergraduate degrees, and Executive Education to students and corporate clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rice Business does
Rice Business (Jones Graduate School of Business) is the business school of Rice University, founded in 1974 and headquartered at 6100 Main Street in Houston, Texas. The school delivers graduate and undergraduate business education across five MBA formats — Full-Time (~160-180 students per cohort, ~$60,000+ annual tuition), Professional MBA (evening and weekend, ~180 students), Hybrid MBA (~60 students, monthly on-campus plus online), Executive MBA (~60 seasoned executives averaging 16 years of experience, with personal executive coach), and Online MBA@Rice (~120 students, less than 10% in-person intensives with Global Field Experience) — alongside a 10-month Master of Accounting, a Ph.D. in Business with concentrations in Accounting, Finance, Operations Management, Organizational Behavior, and Strategic Management, and the Virani Undergraduate School of Business (named in 2024 after a philanthropic gift from Farid and Asha Virani). Supporting instructional assets include the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (3,300+ companies and 220+ programs over 23 years), the Rice Business Finance Center (with the Fixed Income Fund managed by MBA students), and the Center for Customer-Based Execution and Strategy (C-CUBES), with content disseminated through the Rice Business Wisdom platform and the Owl Have You Know podcast.
Rice Business firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rice Business
- Legal name
- Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business
- Website
- https://business.rice.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Rice Business is Rice University's graduate business school in Houston, Texas, founded in 1974. It offers five MBA formats (Full-Time, Professional, Hybrid, Executive, Online), plus Master of Accounting, Ph.D., undergraduate degrees, and Executive Education to students and corporate clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rice Business industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business School Education
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- MBA & Executive MBA Programs (EDAHAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG)
Keywords
Where Rice Business is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Rice Business business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Degree Program Tuition: Tuition-based revenue model where students pay tuition for degree programs including Full-Time MBA (60 credits), Professional MBA (54 credits), Executive MBA (54 credits), Hybrid MBA (54 credits), Online MBA (54 credits), Master of Accounting, Ph.D. programs, and Undergraduate programs. Programs have varying tuition rates per credit or total program cost.
- Executive Education Programs: Executive Education programs including open enrollment programs (Rice Advanced Management Program, Customer-Centric Strategy, Executive Leadership for Women, Paris Global Leadership Program, Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Managers, The Leadership Accelerator, Leading Organizational Change, Leading Innovation, Driving Growth through AI and Digital Transformation, Energy Transition Strategy, Executive Presence and Strategic Influence, The Management Incubator, From Business Intelligence to Artificial Intelligence) and custom corporate programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full-Time MBA (180 students annually) |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional MBA (120 evening students, 60 weekend students annually) |
| Subscription | Annual | Hybrid MBA (60 students annually) |
| Subscription | Annual | Online MBA @Rice (120 students annually) |
| Subscription | Annual | Executive MBA (60 students annually, avg 16 years experience) |
| Subscription | Annual | Master of Accounting |
| Subscription | Annual | Ph.D. Programs |
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels9 records
Rice Business product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rice Business delivers graduate business education through the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, offering multiple MBA formats (Full-Time, Professional Evening, Hybrid, Executive, and Online MBA@Rice), a Master of Accounting, Ph.D. in Business, undergraduate business programs through the Virani Undergraduate School of Business, and Executive Education programs. The portfolio is supported by centers such as the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, dedicated career coaching, and experiential learning tied to Houston's energy, healthcare, and technology industries.
Product overview
Rice Business (Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University) offers a comprehensive portfolio of graduate and undergraduate business education programs. The institution provides multiple MBA delivery formats including Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA (evening and weekend), Hybrid MBA (monthly on-campus plus online), Executive MBA, and Online MBA (MBA@Rice). Supporting degree programs include the Master of Accounting (MAcc), Ph.D. in Business, and Virani Undergraduate School of Business. Professional development is delivered through Executive Education open enrollment and custom programs. The school also operates specialized centers including the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, Center for Customer-Based Execution & Strategy (C-CUBES), and Rice Business Finance Center. Knowledge dissemination occurs through the Rice Business Wisdom platform and the Owl Have You Know podcast. All MBA programs share the same core curriculum, faculty, and access to electives while differing in delivery format and schedule.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full-Time MBA Two-year residential MBA program at Rice Business for early-career professionals seeking a general management credential with an entrepreneurship, energy, and finance focus.
- Professional MBA
- Hybrid MBA
- Executive MBA
- MBA@Rice (Online MBA)
- Master of Accounting (MAcc)
- Ph.D. in Business
- Virani Undergraduate School of Business Programs
- Executive Education (Open Enrollment)
- Executive Education (Custom Corporate Programs)
- Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management
- Coordinated and Dual Degree Programs
- MBA Deferred Enrollment Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduates report high career advancement with investment banking, consulting, and tech roles at top companies
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Rice Business
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Rice Business technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Rice Business partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Service to School (S2S)coreRice Business has partnered with Service to School (S2S), a national nonprofit that helps veterans and service members access higher education. This partnership adds a new admissions and outreach partner to the school's growing ecosystem of support for military-affiliated students, expanding opportunities for veterans seeking graduate business education.
- Peruvian Retail and Credit Card CompanyminorRice Business researchers conducted a study in partnership with a Peruvian company that operates both retail and credit card businesses. The study showed retail shopping data can serve as an alternative credit score for the unbanked, raising credit card approval rates from 15.5% to 47.8%.
- Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and EntrepreneurshipcoreLiu Idea Lab serves as Rice's on-campus hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The flexible, modern learning center and workspace prepares Rice Business students to become innovators in tech startups, government agencies, civic groups, nonprofits, small businesses, or large corporations. Hosts the annual H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge.
- Farid and Asha ViranicoreHouston philanthropists Farid and Asha Virani made a transformative gift to Rice Business, leading to the naming of the undergraduate program as the Virani Undergraduate School of Business in 2024. Their generosity is fueling new opportunities for students through enhanced curricula, expanded co-curricular experiences and a dedicated associate dean.
- The Ion (Houston Innovation District)flagshipThe Ion is a 266,000-square foot structure in the center of Houston Innovation District, fostering a community and culture where corporate innovators, academic partners, community partners, startups, and entrepreneurs come together to solve world problems. Rice Business participates as academic partner in this innovation ecosystem.
- Baylor College of MedicinecoreRice University offers a dual degree program pairing the Rice Full-Time MBA with a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine (MD/MBA program), preparing physician-leaders with both clinical and business expertise.
- Rice Alliance for Technology and EntrepreneurshipcoreThe Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is a catalyst for building successful tech ventures, linking the Rice Business community to Houston's vibrant startup scene. Over the past 23 years, more than 3,300 companies have participated in over 220 Rice Alliance programs.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Rice Business competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Babson College (F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business): Long-standing rival in the entrepreneurship education niche and frequent co-competitor in Princeton Review's Graduate Entrepreneurship rankings. Comparable MBA and graduate certificate offerings targeted at aspiring founders.
- McCombs School of Business (University of Texas at Austin): The leading MBA program in Texas and the most direct competitor in the same Houston-vs-Austin market. Operates Full-Time, Professional (Evening/Weekend), Executive, and Online MBA formats with similar tuition structure and similar audience of Texas-based professionals.
- Mays Business School (Texas A&M University): Another in-state Texas peer offering Full-Time, Professional, and Executive MBA programs plus MAcc, PhD, and undergraduate business programs. Directly competes with Rice for the same Texas executive education and graduate business applicant pool.
- Olin Business School (Washington University in St. Louis): Comparable-sized private university business school offering Full-Time, Professional (Evening/Weekend), Executive, and Online MBAs plus MAcc and PhD programs with similar cohort scale. A useful structural benchmark for tuition, format strategy, and ranking dynamics.
- Kelley School of Business (Indiana University): A peer multi-format MBA program with well-established Online MBA, Professional MBA, and Executive MBA offerings. A useful comparative benchmark for Online MBA growth strategy and working-professional part-time formats.
Broad incumbents
- The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania): Top-tier MBA competitor and operator of one of the most successful online MBA programs. Relevant comparable for the premium tuition business model and for the strategic risk of online-format scaling.
- Harvard Business School: Largest incumbent in U.S. graduate business education and the dominant force behind HBS Online. Sets the standard for the MBA credential and online business education that Rice Business must differentiate against.
- Stanford Graduate School of Business: Top-tier global MBA competitor and a leader in entrepreneurship/venture education. While much larger in scale, Stanford sets the bar in rankings and startup-network depth that Rice Business benchmarks against for entrepreneurial positioning.
- Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University): Larger full-time and evening/weekend MBA program operating from Evanston with evening part-time options similar to Rice Professional MBA. A direct structural peer in multi-format MBA delivery and a frequent co-competitor for working-professional applicants.
Regional players
- Bauer College of Business (University of Houston): Local Houston-based AACSB business school offering Full-Time, Professional, Executive, and Online MBAs plus MAcc. Directly competes for Houston-resident prospective students and local corporate Executive Education budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rice Business social profiles
Digital presenceRice Business financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rice Business leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Rice Business subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Rice Business funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rice Business M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rice Business
What does Rice Business do?
Rice Business delivers graduate business education through the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, offering multiple MBA formats (Full-Time, Professional Evening, Hybrid, Executive, and Online MBA@Rice), a Master of Accounting, Ph.D. in Business, undergraduate business programs through the Virani Undergraduate School of Business, and Executive Education programs. The portfolio is supported by centers such as the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, dedicated career coaching, and experiential learning tied to Houston's energy, healthcare, and technology industries.
Is Rice Business a public or private company?
Rice Business is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Rice Business founded?
Rice Business was founded in 1974.
Where is Rice Business based?
Rice Business is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rice Business make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Degree Program Tuition is the primary driver. The others are executive Education Programs.
Who are Rice Business's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Babson College (F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business), McCombs School of Business (University of Texas at Austin), Mays Business School (Texas A&M University), Olin Business School (Washington University in St. Louis) and Kelley School of Business (Indiana University). Broad incumbents are The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University). Bauer College of Business (University of Houston) is listed as a regional player.
Does Rice Business have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rice Business.
What industry is Rice Business in?
Rice Business's product category is Business School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAHAB, MBA & Executive MBA Programs, with a secondary code of EDAHAHAN, Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree). Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8200.