Rice University’s undergraduate tuition for the 2013-14 school year will be $38,260, up 4.5 percent from 2012-13, school officials announced today. Mandatory fees will be $690, and room and board will cost $13,000. The total — $51,950 — is up 4.1 percent over the prior year.

“We know paying for college is a challenge for many families, and we are committed to keeping a Rice education affordable and accessible to people from all backgrounds,” said Rice President David Leebron. “At the same time, a relatively modest rise in tuition along with contributions from our endowment and donors allow us to maintain the high quality of research, teaching and services that give our students one of the best educations anywhere.”

Rice’s tuition has historically been about $5,000 to $7,000 less than at peer research universities. Since 2009, freshmen entering Rice who qualify for need-based aid and whose annual family income is $80,000 or less have not been required to take out loans to pay for their education. Student loans for incoming freshmen who have demonstrated financial need are limited to a total of $10,000 for their four undergraduate years at Rice.

Rice increases its financial aid package each year based on the increase in the cost of attendance.

Under its need-blind admission policy, Rice evaluates students’ academic qualifications for admission with no consideration of their financial situation. The university provides a package of financial support that includes grants, loans, scholarships and work-study programs. Sixty-three percent of Rice’s undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid, and nearly 18 percent currently receive federal Pell grants.

Tuition for most graduate students will increase 4.5 percent to $38,260. Tuition for graduate students in music and architecture will be $26,160 and $28,442, respectively. Tuition for students entering the professional masters programs will range from $28,000 for natural sciences to $31,000 for engineering. For students in the MBA program at Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, tuition will be $48,500. 

“Generous financial aid and the high quality of education for which Rice is known account for the university consistently being named among the top 10 best values among private schools in the country,” said Chris Muñoz, vice president for enrollment.

Rice is currently ranked No. 2 as a best-value college by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and No. 7 by the Princeton Review. Rice is also ranked No. 1 for happiest students and No. 2 for best quality of life, best-run college and students’ love of their school in the Princeton Review’s “Best 377 Colleges.”