At Rice University US, number of Indian students have grown by 60%; many of our faculty from IITs: VP

The United States continues to attract Indian students aspiring to study abroad despite evolving immigration policies. In an exclusive interview with Careers360, Caroline Levander, vice-president of Rice University (Global), in Houston, Texas, emphasised the university’s commitment to supporting talented Indian students through financial aid and academic excellence programmes. She highlighted Rice’s distinctive need-blind admission policy and robust financial support system that enables international students to graduate debt-free. Edited excerpts from the conversation:

Where does Rice University stand among top US universities?

Rice University is ranked among the top 15 or 16 universities in the United States, along with famous schools like Stanford, Harvard, MIT, and Caltech. Our university has schools for business, engineering, humanities, music, and science.

Getting into Rice is very competitive. For undergraduate programmes, we accept only about 7% of students who apply. Graduate programmes are also very selective, though the acceptance rate depends on each department. We have a need-blind admission policy, which means we don’t look at a student’s financial situation when reviewing applications. If a student is admitted, we make sure to cover their full financial need. Because of this, students do not graduate from Rice with loans.

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Could you elaborate?

At Rice University, we are very committed to helping students who deserve to be here. Back in 1910, our founder William Marsh Rice said that the university should be for students with talent, even if they can't afford to pay.

We have an endowment – a large fund that we use to support students. Unlike many other universities, we use a big part of this fund to help cover students' financial needs. That means we don’t depend as much on tuition fees as other schools do. That said, if the value of the endowment goes down, it affects us more than others. Still, we stay true to our mission.

What are some of the most popular academic and career paths among undergraduate students at Rice University?

At Rice, many undergraduate students choose to study subjects that prepare them for medical school and we call this pre-med. A large number of our students go on to become doctors. Rice is especially strong in subjects like engineering and natural sciences. We also have students who, after graduating, go on to earn advanced degrees like a PhD, MBA, or other professional qualifications within a couple of years.

How well do international undergraduates at Rice fare when it comes to pursuing doctoral studies or other higher degrees?

I’ve been a vice president for over 10 years and worked in different roles focused on bringing strategic changes to the university. When I took on this role full-time, I noticed that while we had many international students, we didn’t really have a clear strategy on how to support or grow that group. Things had been handled in a more informal, case-by-case way.

Over the past four years – and we’ll be tracking it more closely this year – the number of Indian students at Rice has grown by nearly 60%. That’s the biggest increase compared to students from any other country. This growth includes undergraduates, graduate students, and those in our business and engineering programmes.

What is the number of international students at Rice?

Rice is a relatively small university. We have about 4,500 undergraduate students and a similar number of graduate students, making our total student body around 9,000. But even though we’re small, our commitment to supporting international students, especially from India, has been very clear over the past four years and that commitment will continue.

Once Indian students arrive at Rice, they are warmly welcomed by an incredible student group called the Indian Student Association of Rice (ISER). This group is full of energy, passion, and a strong sense of community. In all my years of working with student organisations, ISER really stands out.

How do Indian students at Rice benefit from the strong Indian community on campus and the support of Indian-origin faculty?

Indian and Indian-origin students at Rice are warmly welcomed by a strong student group that includes both undergraduates and graduates. Students from India also get strong support from our faculty, many of whom are top scientists and engineers who studied at IITs or leading business schools in India. These professors are not only excellent teachers and researchers but are also deeply committed to helping students.

When we visited Bangalore last year, many top faculty members joined, showing how serious we are about building strong ties with India. Our faculty’s support is real, and I couldn’t lead our global efforts without their backing.

What areas of study Indian students at Rice usually choose?

Most Indian students at Rice tend to choose engineering and business. These two areas are popular for a couple of reasons. First, our engineering faculty is exceptionally strong. Many are leading researchers and some have studied at top Indian institutions like the IITs. This creates a natural connection, especially for PhD students who want to join research groups led by faculty they can relate to. Business is also a major draw, with strong programmes and global relevance.

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There have been concerns around US visa delays, rejections, and even talk of deportations. Have these issues affected interest from Indian students?

We haven’t seen a drop in student interest. At Rice, we’ve always supported our international community – both students and faculty. About 30% of our university members are not US citizens.

From early on, we’ve shared clear messages offering support, especially as visa rules and politics began shifting. We provide free legal help, a 24/7 travel hotline, and make sure students facing visa problems continue their studies and stay in campus housing.

Every case is different. Some students are undocumented, others are facing travel risks, or feel anxious about their future. We work case by case. For example, we helped a faculty member at high risk move to our Paris campus temporarily so she can continue her work safely.

We partner with faculty and departments to find solutions and even if that means students continue their research in another country with our support. We're committed to helping each student succeed, no matter what challenges arise.

How is Rice supporting undergraduate international students, especially those who may be midway through their studies and worried about US visa issues ?

From the very beginning, we’ve asked students to speak with us before they leave the country, so we can understand their situation and offer guidance. For those who choose to stay over the summer, we’ve covered their room and board. Students who must travel are registered in our travel system and connected with immigration lawyers and support services like International SOS.

We closely monitor changes in US visa policies and help students plan accordingly. Now that visa interviews have resumed, we’re preparing for students to return. Every case is different, and we work with departments to find the best solution for each student.

What kind of support does Rice University offer to meritorious Indian students, especially considering the high cost of studying in the US?

We've introduced the Rice Excellence Scholarship, a fully merit-based scholarship for students from India accepted to Rice. This wasn’t easy to implement, it took a lot of effort to get the university to commit to such a bold step. But Rice has always believed in admitting deserving students regardless of their financial background.