For better community input, please provide the below details about your college offers:
I want to go into Econ + Cog Sci and be able to engage in entrepreneurial ventures of my own with some sort of support system. Other then that the social life factor is pretty important to me and the general atmosphere of the campus. Would love any thoughts!
Go where you can afford. Both are great.
Sometimes international worry about the reps back home since you’ll be going back home. That I can’t answer for you - both are well regarded here but not the biggest in name recognition.
Tufts will have colder weather. Both will have access to major international airports.
Good luck.
Cognitive Science is one of those interdisciplinary fields that can take on different characters depending on your choice of emphasis. So you might consider looking at their respective curriculum pages to get an idea of what the cores would look like, and then what options you would have in terms of advanced electives:
Another thing to consider–[edit: IGNORE this comment as to Rice specifically, more reliable information contradicts it, but the general comment about double majors is still worth considering/last I knew Rice was not necessarily the easiest place to do double majors.] Double majors in general can be tricky.
Tufts, however, has a minor in Cognitive and Brain Sciences:
I do not believe Rice has an equivalent minor, nor a traditional Econ minor. However, it does have a minor in Entrepreneurship:
Tufts also has an Entrepreneurship minor, in addition to a traditional Econ minor:
As a final thought, if you had a clear preference for one or the other, you could choose that and then figure out how to explore your interests within their framework. But if you don’t have a clear preference yet, reviewing and maybe hypothetically mapping out some of these curriculum options could be useful.
Both Rice University & Tufts University are outstanding schools.
Examine the course offerings; if this doesn’t result in a clear choice, then consider the difference in weather.
Wow! This is such a thoughful message and thank you for taking time out of your day to write all this up. Its also a very thoughtful approach and honestly one I haven’t even thought of; I’ve been thinking very generaly about the degrees but didn’t actually consider that they might teach them with different courses+electives. Thank you again!
I’m not sure I would describe that as still being the case. My S25 at Rice knows quite a few people who are double majoring. He had a plan worked out for a double major in Applied Math and Economics, with still time for a foreign language minor (granted, he came in with a number of DE and AP credits that helped him). His new plan is Applied Math + Statistics, with maybe a Philosophy or Religious Studies minor (more overlap in the two majors there!). 
I think Econ is only a 44-48 credit major, so unless Cog Science is a weightier major, I think a double should be possible.
Here’s the econ info: Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Economics < Rice University
Yes. D24 is double majoring in business and history with a minor in English.
double major is quite common, dual degree is not. My daughter graduated from Rice with double major and probably a minor too, I don’t remember.
Congratulations on two nice offers.
While Tufts is not big, Rice is even smaller and offers a more intimate campus vibe, with a residential college system.
Rice is much better resourced than Tufts in terms of funding: $8 billion endowment vs. $2.7 billion is quite a difference. More funding most likely means better facilities, higher-paid faculty, and a more diverse student body thanks to financial aid.
I am not sure if weather is a consideration. Boston winters can be cold and challenging to some; Houston summers can be humid and scorching hot.
Assuming the cost of attendance is similar, I would lean toward Rice.
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I don’t know what kind of “entrepreneurial ventures“ you are planning to pursue, but if it’s related to healthcare with your interest in cognitive science, you will have the benefit of multiple large medical centers, literally across the street from Rice. My DS found lots of opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship at Rice.
On the other hand, Tufts’ location makes networking with other Boston students possible. But I still think Rice is the better school.
Sure Medford is a few (4-5) miles from Boston, but as an International, his opportunities after college are going to be challenging.
What do you mean specifically? As in difficulties after Tufts or Rice or simply in general?
In general. You will no longer be able to stay on a student visa. And at the present cost, H-1B visas will likley be hard to come by. If you qualify you may be able to get a STEM OPT but who knows in 4-5 years how that will be working.
Tufts is deeply connected to Boston via 2 subway lines (and buses) and their art school is in Boston…. it is right next to Cambridge and very connected to the ecosystem of businesses, etc. It doesn’t really feel far “from Boston” in the way Wellesley or Babson do, which are real suburbs with infrequent commuter rail train lines..
can you expand on opportunities after college will be challenging? In the US as an international in general, because of visas/immigration/politics? (This makes sense). I do not think it will be worse in Boston than in TX (or vice versa)… There are, though, different job opportunities and industries in each of course..
One more point that hasn’t been much expanded on… vibes of TX and MA are very different. I live in New England, and in my circle, I know few adults who would move to TX if paid to do so, and I suspect plenty in TX would say the same (wouldn’t move to MA or New England). I actually know someone who just moved to TX job, and moved right back. Of course, others adore it there. My main point is they are VERY different. Day to day for a college student may not matter much (beyond seeing people open carry guns, or not, at a store ;).
The difference in university cultures will be far less different for many reasons, but as an international, I would be remiss not to point out that your experience out and about in the regions will not be identical, and you will see a different slice of US life. And from Boston, you have easy weekend access to NYC (even DC) and the open ocean (Cape Cod, Maine), plus skiing/mountains (easy drives), etc. Plenty in TX too (gulf is right there for one), but I think the fact that things are so close together (and has decent public transit, at least by US standards!) in the northeast is a real plus to international students myself.
Both are absolutely fantastic academic institutions.
Look above your post.
Ahh I was typing, then got distracted then finished my post! crossed paths:) got it! makes total sense.
Your description of the different environments is spot on (speaking as someone who grew up in the NE and whose kid went to Rice)
How did your kid like Rice? Was it an appreciated culture change? Did they manage to move onto job opportunities back on the east coast?
We live in New England. Our region sends a lot of kids to Tufts. The typical Tufts kids we know are those who were rejected from their top choices. None of the top kids from our school attends Tufts - Im just being candid.
My older one attends Rice. It was her top choice and she was accepted ED. She absolutely loves it because of their residential college system and their collaborative culture. My younger one wants to stay in New England and will attend Brown. Had she not been accepted to Brown, she wouldve applied to Rice because she also loved the school when we visited together but she preferred staying up here. Brown was her dream school but it was still very close.
Im sure there are a ton of kids who love Tufts and is their first choice. Im just sharing our perspective knowing kids who attend both schools.