In their first year of evaluating Physics of Living Systems programs (Biophysics), U.S. News Rankings rates the Rice University program as fifth in the nation. As described by U.S. News,

“This burgeoning area of study uses concepts from physics to inform questions of structure, function and dynamics encountered in biological systems. Research provides scientific understanding for the basis of uses ranging from vaccine development to robotics. Due to the physics of living systems’ multidisciplinary nature, many of its developments are related to progress in fields across physics, biology and chemistry.”

Not only did Rice place fifth, but partners in the Rice Physics of Living Systems Graduate Research Network (PoLS-GRN) program funded by the NSF also placed well. Harvard (#1), MIT (#1, partnered with the Northeastern node), Princeton (#1), Johns Hopkins (#5), UCSD (#5, former host of the PoLS-GRN program), UIUC (#5), and Emory (#10) are all collaborators in the NSF funded program. The rankings can be seen here: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/living-systems-rankings?_sort=rank-asc.