A Message From the Vice President
This issue arrives on the heels of an extraordinary year. In fiscal year 2026, Rice achieved the most successful fundraising year in its history, a milestone made possible by the alumni, parents and friends who continue to invest in the university’s people and aspirations.
Your philanthropy is essential to Rice’s vision of becoming the premier university for teaching and research. As we enter the third year of Momentous, Rice’s strategic plan, we have an opportunity both to reflect on the progress already underway and to consider what comes next. Across the university, faculty, students and academic leaders are translating ambitious goals into action. Philanthropy is helping to make that work possible.
YOUR IMPACT
FY26 YEAR IN REVIEW
TOGETHER, WE’RE EXPANDING WHAT’S POSSIBLE
Thanks to your generosity, this was a historic year for philanthropy at Rice. Guided by the priorities of Momentous, donor support is expanding access for talented students, advancing research with the potential to improve lives and strengthening the academic excellence that continues to earn national recognition.
Total Fundraising FY26:
$275 Million
Represents total commitments from July 1, 2025 — June 30, 2026.
$22M
$6M
$5M
$85M
$29M
$28M
$33M
$67M
Total Donors FY26:
22,626 Donors
Our dedicated donors span the Rice community.
9,818 Alumni
5,570 First-Time Donors
1,410 Recent Alumni
801 Faculty and Staff
640 Corporations and Foundations
3,078 Non-Alumni Parents
51%
are proudly rooted in Texas
46%
are from other U.S. states
3%
represent our global community
A Reputation for Excellence and Value
#1
BEST COLLEGE IN TEXAS#8
BEST VALUE & UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING#16
BEST COLLEGES#20
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH54%
OF STUDENTS RECEIVED FINANCIAL AID6:1
STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO
The Power of Partnership
Every gift helps create opportunities for students to pursue their ambitions, explore new possibilities and make the most of their Rice experience. Together, the Rice community is strengthening the people, programs and experiences that prepare students to lead lives of purpose and impact. The following stories illustrate that partnership in action.
Investing in the Faculty Who Shape Rice
A $20 million commitment has sparked a community-wide investment in the faculty who will help shape the university’s future.
Ignite: Faculty Advancement Matching Gift Fund was created by an anonymous donor couple to help advance that vision. They committed $20 million to match gifts dollar for dollar for new endowed faculty positions, giving donors across the Rice community an opportunity to make a lasting investment in faculty.
The Next Chapter of Access
For generations, Rice has believed that talent and potential, not financial circumstances, should determine who has the opportunity to benefit from a Rice education. Now, the university is deepening that commitment through an expansion of The Rice Investment (TRI), its landmark financial aid program.
Beyond Access
Admission is a milestone. Success is a journey.
A transformative $25 million gift from Rice trustee Jim Whitehurst ’89 and his wife, Lauren Whitehurst, will help ensure more students have the support they need for that journey through the Sallyport Fellows Program.
INVESTING IN STUDENT SUCCESS
Rice’s generous alumni, parents and friends are expanding what’s possible for today’s students. You’ve done more than help cover tuition — you’ve empowered students to excel academically, gain hands-on experience, explore career paths and grow as leaders.
Driving Legacy Forward
Some of Leigh Masterson’s most treasured memories of his late wife, Sandy, were made on golf courses around the world. Now, a scholarship bearing her name will honor those memories while creating opportunities for Rice women golfers.
The Power of a Mentor
Steven Loh ’10 came to Rice expecting to prepare for a career in business and majored in mathematical economic analysis. Then a small class with the late Edward Anderson, a humanities professor, opened the door to a different path of exploration. Anderson encouraged Steven to follow his interest in the classical world, even if it had little to do with his eventual career. Steven took his advice and ultimately added a second major in classical studies.
Rooted in Rice, Reaching Beyond
Mary Hale Lovett McLean’s ties to Rice stretch back to its earliest days. As the granddaughter of Rice’s founding president, Edgar Odell Lovett, and Mary Ellen Lovett, she grew up visiting her grandfather in Lovett Hall, looking out from his office at the cypress trees of the Academic Quad. Her father took her to Rice football games, and the university served as the backdrop of her childhood.
Better Together
For sisters Aimee Basile ’95 and Bailey Basile ’10, Rice offered opportunities that would shape their lives long after graduation. Both left with a lasting appreciation for the possibilities a Rice education can open and a desire to create those possibilities for others.
Explore more stories of generosity and impact across campus. Subscribe to Accelerate, our biannual publication celebrating the spirit of giving at Rice.
Giving to Rice
Development & Alumni Relations
P.O. BOX 1892
Houston, Texas 77251-1892
Phone: 713-348-4991
Email: giving@rice.edu
