Is Rice or Johns Hopkins generally more selective for undergraduate admission?

Johns Hopkins is generally viewed as marginally more selective for undergraduate admission, though the difference is small enough that applicants should treat both schools as reaches. Both attract exceptionally strong national and international applicant pools, and their overall admission rates tend to sit in a similarly very low range. A tiny year-to-year gap in published rates does not establish a meaningful advantage for an individual applicant.

Rice’s smaller undergraduate enrollment and Houston location create a different admissions dynamic. Rice places substantial value on building a close residential-college community and a balanced class across academic interests, so its decisions can reflect community fit and institutional needs alongside grades and rigor. Its applicant pool is no less accomplished, particularly in engineering, natural sciences, architecture, and music.

For application planning, do not regard Rice as a safer alternative to Johns Hopkins. Apply to each only if its academic offerings, campus culture, and setting genuinely appeal to you, and build a list with realistic likely and target options as well.