Richardson College , named for Sidney Williams Richardson, Rice benefactor. Wiess College , named for Harry Carothers Wiess, Rice benefactor and trustee. Will Rice College , named for William M. Rice, Jr., Rice benefactor and trustee and nephew of founder William Marsh Rice. Each residential college is overseen by a Master or, more commonly, a married couple, both of whom serve as Masters. At least one Master at each college must be a member of the faculty.
Masters live with their families in houses adjacent to the colleges.
The Rice Graduate Apartments were built primarily as a landing pad for entering graduate students. The building design incorporated all useful suggestions and ideas from an ad hoc advisory committee of students, faculty, and administrators, formed in the fall of 1997, and the architect and builder. These efforts resulted in a three-story structure whose clay tile roof and masonry exterior are in the Rice tradition and, at the same time, are compatible with the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. Students can walk, ride a bike, or take the shuttle bus to their campus activities. The apartment building also includes amenities conducive to everyday living, studying, a sense of community, and fun.