@Riversider - I pose that very question to every Sociology department head I come across when visiting schools, knowing full well there are no conservatives in their ranks, and the looks I get in return are priceless. Talk about living in their own custom bubbles, impermeable to reality…
OP should spend some time on Unigo reading student reviews of Rice. My son and I both did exactly that, and we both couldn’t wait to go and visit Rice. We made that trip a couple of weeks ago and the school is now at the top of his list. After visiting 12 schools this year, nowhere did we find a more relaxed and welcoming environment than the Rice campus - students, faculty and staff!