Just like @PrdMomto1 , my daughter (from the Midwest too!) also just finished her freshman year at Rice - and loved it! Every day while studying from home due to the pandemic, she expressed her desire to be back on campus. She really has found her people there - and is involved with several different things - and is getting a great education.
She, however, has been exposed to Rice for her whole life as her father/my husband is a Rice alum. When I met him, I had never heard of Rice either - I grew up in Seattle. He ended up at Rice from Milwaukee because his father (professor) applied for a job there and although his father didn’t end up working there, my husband got a great scholarship/financial aid to go to Rice.
My daughter was considering other places like Wash U, Brown, Northwestern, etc. Rice wasn’t really on her radar but then my husband took her to Rice for a visit and she was smitten. She applied ED and the rest is history.
The campus is beautiful and the students are exceptional. And the school takes great care of their students. The size is great - small enough to be personal and large enough to have a variety of offerings and activities. Rice has made a significant effort to attract a more diverse student body over the years - economic (Rice Investment), geographic (more non-Texans), etc.
Happy to answer any question you might have about Rice!