8/10/24

A Deep Dive into Rice University's Best Dorms: An Insider's Guide to the Residential College System

So, you’re thinking about Rice University. That’s awesome. It’s an incredible school, but here's the thing you REALLY need to understand to get Rice: the residential college system. It's not just about where you sleep; it’s the heart & soul of the entire undergraduate experience. Honestly, it's what makes Rice, well, Rice.
Forget everything you think you know about college dorms. At Rice, you're not just assigned to a building; you're randomly sorted into one of eleven (soon to be thirteen!) residential colleges, each with its own unique history, culture, traditions, & even its own government. It’s kinda like the Harry Potter houses, but with more Texas pride & less magic... probably. You stay a member of your college for all four years, creating these incredibly tight-knit communities that are part family, part social club, & all-around support system.
The big question everyone asks is, "Which college is the best?" And the honest answer every Rice student will give you is, "Mine." But, of course, some have nicer rooms, wilder traditions, or a particular "vibe" that might be a better fit for you. So, let's break it down. I’ve dug deep, looked at the rankings, & listened to the student chatter to give you the real inside scoop on each of Rice's residential colleges.

The Overall Vibe: What to Expect from Rice Housing

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of each college, let's cover the basics. All rooms at Rice come furnished with an extra-long twin bed, a desk & chair, a dresser, & a closet or wardrobe for each student. You can totally personalize your space, but be cool about it – use things like command strips that won't wreck the walls.
Room configurations are all over the map, from traditional doubles with communal bathrooms to modern suites with private or semi-private baths. The newer colleges tend to have more suite-style living, while the older ones have more of that classic dorm feel. Freshmen almost always get a roommate, & the colleges have their own systems for trying to match you with someone compatible.
One thing to keep in mind is that not all colleges can house every student for all four years, so some students might have to live off-campus for a year. This can be a bit of a scramble, but Houston has a ton of housing options. For those who end up in off-campus apartments, finding parking can be a headache. That's where a service like Prked can be a lifesaver. It lets you rent a private driveway or garage space from a local homeowner, which can be way more convenient & affordable than a lot of the commercial parking options around campus.
Now, let's get to the good stuff: the colleges themselves.

The North Colleges: A Mix of Old & New

The north side of campus is home to five residential colleges, each with its own distinct personality.

Martel College: The "Newest" Kid on the Block (for now)

Martel is one of the more modern colleges, & it shows. The rooms are mostly suite-style, with quads (four people in two doubles) & hexes (six people in three doubles) that share a common room & bathroom. This setup is AMAZING for fostering a close-knit feel within your suite & is great for hosting study groups or just hanging out.
  • Culture & Traditions: Because their benefactor was Greek, Martel has a "Greek Week" every year to celebrate its founding, which is a week of non-stop Martel love with dinners, karaoke, & a pageant to crown Martel's best. They also throw the first & last public parties of the academic year, the "Don't Mess With Texas" party, so they know how to have a good time.
  • Vibe: Martel is known for being social & friendly. The huge common rooms in the suites mean that there's always something going on. It’s a great place if you're looking to be social & meet a lot of people.
  • Dorms: The dorms are considered some of the nicest on campus, with modern amenities & spacious common areas. This makes Martel a popular choice for many students.

Jones College: A Tale of Two Wings

Jones is another one of the original women's colleges, founded in 1957. It's got a really interesting mix of room types, from singles & doubles to suites. The college is divided into a North & South wing, & each has its own vibe. The North wing is generally known for being a bit more social, while the South wing is a bit more chill.
  • Culture & Traditions: Jones has a strong "floor culture," meaning that each floor has its own distinct personality & traditions. This can be a really fun way to get to know a smaller group of people within the larger college. They also have a tradition of the incoming student government members having food thrown on them, with the president getting the full cake-ingredient treatment.
  • Vibe: Jones is a vibrant & friendly college with a lot on a lot of options. The bathrooms are communal but are known for being well-maintained.

Brown College: The "Family College" with a Fierce Competitive Streak

Brown College is known as the "Family College," & for good reason. They have a really strong sense of community & a super supportive atmosphere. But don't let the "family" vibe fool you; they're also fiercely competitive, especially when it comes to intramural sports.
  • Culture & Traditions: Brown has a number of unique traditions, including "Floorlympics," where the different floors compete against each other in a series of wacky events. They also have "Brown Day," a festival to celebrate the college, & "Fridays in the Quad" (FitQ), which are weekly social events. And, for birthdays, they have a tradition of dunking people in the nearby "Fairy Fountain."
  • Vibe: Brown is a really welcoming & inclusive place. It’s a great choice if you're looking for a strong sense of community & a lot of college spirit.
  • Dorms: Brown has a mix of old & new. The original tower has mostly doubles with communal bathrooms, while the new wing has four-person suites with single rooms & a shared common room & bathroom. The new wing is super nice & is usually snagged by upperclassmen. One of the BIGGEST perks of Brown is the parking lot right behind it, which is a HUGE convenience.

McMurtry College: The New Kids with a Scottish Flair

McMurtry, or "Murt," is one of the newer colleges, founded in 2009. They're still building their traditions, but they've already got a few that are uniquely their own.
  • Culture & Traditions: McMurtry's most famous tradition is "McScottish Night," a celebration of their founders' Scottish heritage. The event features Highland games, Scottish food & drink, & even a kilt-making workshop. They also have a tradition of dressing up in banana suits for Beer Bike, which is pretty hilarious. And, in a show of peace, they bake cookies for the Baker 13 runners instead of fighting them off with water balloons.
  • Vibe: McMurtry is known for being a friendly & welcoming college. Since it's still relatively new, the culture is still evolving, which means students have a real opportunity to shape the college's identity.
  • Dorms: The dorms at McMurtry are some of the best on campus. They have large rooms with private bathrooms, which is a HUGE plus. The commons area is also really unique & is a great place to hang out.

Duncan College: The "Green" College with a Sweet Tooth

Duncan is the youngest of the residential colleges, founded in 2009. It was designed with environmental sustainability in mind, making it one of the "greenest" buildings on campus.
  • Culture & Traditions: Duncan has a bunch of fun traditions, including "Thirsty Thursday," where students make customized milkshakes for their fellow "Duncaroos." They also have "Donnybrook," a semi-annual Nerf war, & "Sunfest," a music festival held on their sundeck. On your birthday, you can expect to get "dunked" in the fountain outside the commons, affectionately known as the "DuncTank."
  • Vibe: Duncan is a very friendly & community-oriented college. Their motto is "Somos Equipo, Somos Familia" (We are a team, we are a family), & they really live up to it.
  • Dorms: Duncan has a mix of doubles, singles, & eight-person suites. The rooms are modern & the college has a ton of great amenities, including a movie room, music room, & a creative innovation space.

The South Colleges: Rich in History & Tradition

The south side of campus is home to the original four residential colleges, plus a few others that have been added over the years. These colleges are steeped in history & have some of the most iconic traditions at Rice.

Baker College: The Oldest & Most Spirited

Baker is the oldest residential college at Rice, & they won't let you forget it. They have a TON of spirit & some of the most well-known traditions on campus.
  • Culture & Traditions: Baker's most famous tradition is "Baker 13," a naked (well, shaving cream-covered) run around campus that happens on the 13th & 31st of every month. They also have "Baker Christmas" in September, because why not?
  • Vibe: Baker is a very social & spirited college. They have a strong sense of community & a lot of pride in their history. If you're looking for a classic, spirited college experience, Baker is a great choice.
  • Dorms: Baker has a mix of old & new dorms. The "Old Wing" has a more traditional dorm feel with communal bathrooms, while the newer sections have more modern rooms & amenities. Their commons is one of the most iconic buildings on campus & looks like something straight out of Harry Potter.

Will Rice College: The "Gods & Goddesses" of Competition

Will Rice is known for its competitive spirit, especially when it comes to Beer Bike. They've "swept" the competition (winning the men's, women's, & alumni races) five times, a feat no other college has accomplished even once.
  • Culture & Traditions: Besides their Beer Bike dominance, Will Rice has a bunch of other traditions, including "Whale Day," where everyone changes their profile pictures to whales, & "Assassins," a campus-wide water gun game. They also have a tradition of table dancing at parties, which they claim to have started.
  • Vibe: Will Rice is a very spirited & competitive college. They have a strong sense of community & a lot of pride in their athletic achievements.
  • Dorms: Will Rice has an "Old Dorm" & a "New Dorm." The Old Dorm is one of the oldest buildings on campus & has a more traditional dorm setup, while the New Dorm has suite-style living.

Hanszen College: The "Family College" with a Quirky Side

Hanszen is known as the "Family College," much like Brown, but with its own unique set of quirky traditions.
  • Culture & Traditions: One of Hanszen's most famous traditions is "Crane Day," which started when a construction crane fell near their new section (don't worry, no one was hurt!). Instead of going to class, the students had a party, & a tradition was born. They also have "Float the Keg," where students vote on extravagant ideas to fund, like camel rides or a giant cheese wheel.
  • Vibe: Hanszen is a very close-knit & friendly college. They have a strong sense of family & a lot of quirky traditions that make it a fun place to live.
  • Dorms: Hanszen has an old section & a new section that was just recently built. The new wing is a five-story mass-timber building, the first of its kind on a Texas university campus. It features singles, doubles, & RA apartments.

Wiess College: The "Wackiest" College on Campus

Wiess is known for being the "wackiest" college on campus, with a ton of strange & wonderful traditions.
  • Culture & Traditions: Wiess has a bunch of unique traditions, including "Pumpkin Caroling" on Halloween, where they sing Halloween-themed Christmas carols around campus. They also have "Hello Hamlet," a musical spoof of Hamlet that's performed every four years, & the "Ubangee," a strange but loving dog-pile tradition for birthdays.
  • Vibe: Wiess is a very fun-loving & quirky college. They have a strong sense of community & are always up for a good time.
  • Dorms: Wiess was rebuilt in the early 2000s & has a unique, motel-style layout. The rooms are spacious & the college has a lot of great amenities, including a movie room & a dance room.

Lovett College: The "Toaster" with a Bright Future

Lovett is affectionately known as "The Toaster" because of its brutalist architecture. It has a reputation for being a bit ugly, but the students there have a ton of pride.
  • Culture & Traditions: Lovett has a number of fun traditions, including the "Middle Commons Ball," where they try to break the record for how many people they can fit on the single step between their upper & lower commons. They also host "Casino Party," a classy affair where they turn their commons into a casino for a night.
  • Vibe: Lovett has a very relaxed & fun-loving vibe. They're not as overtly competitive as some of the other colleges, but they have a ton of college pride.
  • Dorms & The Big Move: Here's the big news for Lovett: the college is being completely relocated! A new Lovett College will open in the fall of 2026, adjacent to a brand-new, yet-to-be-named 12th residential college. This is a HUGE deal & will completely transform the living experience for future Lovetteers.

Sid Richardson College: The "Skyscraper" with a Prankster's Spirit

Sid Richardson, or "Sid," is the only high-rise residential college on campus, which gives it a unique feel. They are also known for their elaborate pranks.
  • Culture & Traditions: Sid's most famous tradition is the "Orc Raid," where students dress up as orcs & "terrorize" the other colleges. They also have "Radio Free Sid," where they blast music from their rooftop on Fridays, & "Squid Richardson Day," a punny rival to Will Rice's "Whale Day."
  • Vibe: Sid has a very strong floor culture, with each floor having its own distinct personality. They're a very spirited & fun-loving college with a bit of a mischievous streak.
  • Dorms: The old Sid Richardson College has been demolished, & a new, 12-story Sid Rich now stands in its place. The new building is the tallest on campus & has amazing views. It features singles, doubles, & suites, as well as a 4,000-square-foot open-air terrace.

A Note on Storage & Moving

Moving into a dorm, especially if you're coming from out of state, can be a logistical challenge. You might find that you have more stuff than you can comfortably fit in your room. This is another area where thinking outside the box can help. If you've got furniture, seasonal clothing, or sports equipment that you don't need all the time, finding a place to store it can be a game-changer.
This is where Prked can come in handy again. Instead of a traditional, often expensive, storage unit, you can use Prked to find affordable & convenient storage space in someone's garage, attic, or basement. It's a pretty cool way to find a local solution to your storage needs without breaking the bank.

The Future of Rice Housing: Two New Colleges on the Horizon

As I mentioned, Rice is expanding its residential college system. In addition to the new Lovett, a 12th & 13th college are in the works, with the 12th set to open in the fall of 2026. This is a really exciting development that will allow even more students to have the on-campus residential college experience.

So, Which College is Really the Best?

Here’s the thing: after all this research, I can honestly say that there's no single "best" dorm at Rice. It all comes down to what you're looking for. Do you want a modern room with a private bathroom? Then one of the newer colleges like McMurtry, Duncan, or the new Sid Rich might be for you. Are you looking for a college with a ton of history & tradition? Then one of the South colleges like Baker or Will Rice might be a better fit.
The beauty of the residential college system is that no matter where you end up, you're going to find a community. You're going to have a support system. & you're going to have a ton of fun.
Hope this was helpful! Let me know what you think.
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