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    rice rises again

    Rice University named one of the greatest schools in U.S. in prestigious new report

    Steven Devadanam
    Sep 8, 2021 | 9:45 am
    Places-Unique-Rice University-main building-exterior-1
    Rice has been heralded again by Princeton Review.
    Photo courtesy of Rice University

    Just mere weeks after being named the No. 7 university in the nation, a local hall of higher learning has just landed on yet another prestigious list.
    Rice University has scored high marks in the Princeton Review’s annual survey on the nation’s best colleges. The new report as part of “The Best 387 Colleges,” its 30th annual snapshot of academic excellence at colleges and universities.

    The new report analyzes three decades of reviews on America’s institutions of higher education and is based upon reviews submitted by more than 150,000 students nationwide, per a release. The survey lists the top-ranking schools measured in dozens of different categories.

    For its 2022 anniversary edition, Princeton Review analyzed which colleges and universities have “the most impressive history of appearances” since 1992.

    Notably, per a press release, only four institutions were named to 11 of what the review calls its “Great Lists” — and one of those schools is Rice.

    To generate this report, Princeton Review analyzed three criteria: the number of times a college appeared on lists since 1992, its numerical rank on those lists, and the overall consistency of feedback from the college’s students over the three decades.

    Specifically, Rice ranked on the “Great Lists” in the following categories:

    • great race/class interaction
    • great financial aid
    • great health services
    • great-run colleges
    • most loved colleges
    • great college newspapers
    • great college dorms
    • great quality of life
    • great town-gown relations
    • LGBTQ-friendly
    • happy students

    Rice students praised the university’s faculty and described a “high quality of life” and are among “the happiest students in the United States,” according to a press release.

    “I wanted my college years to be both happy and successful,” one student wrote in the survey. “And I found no other schools that were as prestigious, but also dedicated to ensuring the happiness of the student body.”

    As CultureMap previously reported, Niche ranked Rice No. 7 in its latest ratings of the best colleges in the U.S. and No. 1 in Texas.

    Rice also ranked No. 136 internationally in The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2022.

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    TRANSPORTATION NEWS

    Google-owned Waymo robotaxis will soon be available in Houston

    Brandon Watson
    Nov 21, 2025 | 9:15 am
    Waymo car
    Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
    San Antonians can hail a self-driving Waymo beginning in early 2026.

    Houston just cleared a major lane to the future. On Tuesday, November 8, Waymo announced the official launch of its self-driving robotaxi service in the Bayou City, starting employee-only operations this fall ahead of a public launch in early 2026.

    The rollout will include three Texas cities, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, along with Miami and Orlando, Florida. Currently, the company operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with service available in Austin and Atlanta through Uber.

    Before letting its technology loose on a city, Waymo first tests the routes with human drivers. Once each locale is mapped, the cars can begin driving independently. Unique situations are flagged by specialists, and engineers evaluate performance in virtual replicas of each city.

    “Waymo’s quickly entering a number of new cities in the U.S. and around the world, and our approach to every new city is consistent,” explained the announcement. “We compare our driving performance against a proven baseline to validate the performance of the Waymo Driver and identify any unique local characteristics.”

    The launch puts Waymo ahead of Tesla. Elon Musk’s Austin-based carmaker has made a lot of hullabaloo about autonomy being the future of the company, but has yet to launch its service on a wide scale.

    Waymo started testing San Antonio’s roadways in May as part of a multi-city “road trip,” which also included Houston. The company says its measured approach to launches helps alleviate local concern over safety and other issues.

    “The future of transportation is accelerating, and we are driving it forward with a commitment to quality and safety,” Waymo wrote. “Our rigorous process of continuous iteration, validation, and local engagement ensures that we put communities first as we expand.”

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