Thinking of get a rat pair?

My darling little hamster, sadly, passed on a few days ago. Her absence has made me feel like I'm missing one of my own children. Because of this, I have decided that I would like to adopt something new into my life. I was considering a rat pair,but I wanted to know what I should expect. How much work are they (I'm a high school student, so I have plenty of time and love to devote) Also, I'm lucky enough to have a summer job. It's at our family owned business, and was wondering how social they are. I have no problem taking them with me. I have all of the hamster products one would need, but i wanted to know if there was anything special (other than food and a cage) that would need to be rat-specific. And lastly, what are they like? I know that they are very smart, but is there anything that's simply endearing that I should know about? What makes them good pets.? And is there a specific breed that I should consider? (Dumbo, hairless, feeder, etc.) Thanks in advance!