Rice University Precollege Programs offer fully online, asynchronous courses for students aged 13+ who are enrolled in high school or an equivalent, or within one year of graduation. The official FAQ says these courses are not intended for college students or adults. Courses are developed by Rice University faculty and available year-round. Each course spans 20–30 hours of instruction and activities, culminating in a capstone project and Certificate of Completion.
Course offerings (11+ topics):
- Space Exploration: The Road to Mars
- Leading the Tech Revolution (AI)
- The Business of Economics
- Solving Real-World Problems (Engineering)
- From Ideas to Impact in Fintech
- Changing the Future of Medicine (Genome Engineering)
- Dynamics of Global Political Change (International Relations)
- Shaping a Just and Equitable World (Law)
- Diagnostics, Treatment, and Patient Care (Medicine)
- The Foundations of Medicine (Physiology)
- In Our Everyday Lives (Psychology)
Cost: $1,795 per course. Need-based scholarships are available for students who demonstrate high potential and an inability to pay full tuition.
Format: Fully asynchronous online learning with video lectures, interactive activities, mentor support, and a capstone project. No live sessions required — students complete work on their own schedule.
Applications checked November 4, 2026: The FAQ describes year-round courses with selected one-, two- or four-week pacing, rather than a single 2027 cohort. Apply with basic information and a brief English personal statement; no transcript or recommendation is needed. Tuition is due the day before the chosen start, and coursework must be finished by that session’s end. Need-based scholarships are offered, but a full-tuition or full-cost award was not verified.
The rendered Aerospace listing pairs its yearless attendance labels December 20–January 3, January 3–31 and January 17–February 14 with explicitly dated application cutoffs December 13, 2026, December 27, 2026 and January 10, 2027 respectively. Those cutoffs apply only to their associated Aerospace options. The attendance labels have no years, so no precise attendance-year dates or cutoff clocks are inferred. Other subjects and later terms must use their own current listings.