Admit rate has ranged 5%–8% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Brown University is the Ivy League's iconoclast, defined by its radical Open Curriculum that empowers students to design their own education free from core requirements. This intellectual freedom fosters a culture of creative, entrepreneurial thinkers who thrive in a collaborative, low-pressure environment in Providence. It’s a place where academic rigor is self-directed, social life is more about intimate gatherings than raucous parties, and a generous no-loan financial aid policy makes this distinctive education accessible.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
Key deadlines (2026-2027)
Early Decision — Early Decision
November 1, 2026
Regular Decision — Regular Decision
January 5, 2027
Financial Aid — CSS Profile & FAFSA Priority Deadline for Regular Decision Applicants
February 1, 2027
More details
Undergrad enrollment
7,226
In-state tuition
$71,412
Out-of-state tuition
$71,412
No-Loan Policy
Yes, for all undergraduates
Graduation Rate
96%
Meets Full Need
Yes
Demonstrated Interest
Not Considered
Median Earnings (10yr)
$93,487
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$93,487
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
3.7×
Median debt at graduation
$11,428
Graduation rate
96%
First-year retention
99%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
87%
Pell (lower-income) share
14%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
17%
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$153,718
Applied Mathematics$88,506
Engineering, General$75,921
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations$73,769
Economics$63,302
Political Science and Government$53,108
Applicants here also applied to
The schools that most often appear alongside Brown on applicants’ lists, from our self-reported outcomes corpus.
Co-application frequency from self-reported results — directional peer discovery, not a recommendation.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
11
Per 1,000 students
0.98
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
91
Summer high
82°F
Winter low
26°F
Annual rain
52.9"
Annual snow
27.9"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
1,003
Scholarly works
137,939
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Brown University?
Brown University's acceptance rate is approximately 5% (Providence, RI), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Brown University?
Admitted students at Brown University typically score 1510–1580 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Brown University cost?
At Brown University, the average net price (after aid) is about $25,184 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Brown University?
Brown University enrolls approximately 7,226 undergraduate students.
Where is Brown University located?
Brown University is located in Providence, RI.
Admissions
Gaining admission to Brown is an exercise in navigating extreme selectivity, where the overall hovers around 5%. The university received over 46,000 applications for a recent class, admitting just over 2,500 students. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 1510 and 1580 on the SAT, reflecting the intensely competitive academic pool. Applying Early Decision can significantly improve an applicant's odds; acceptance rates for ED have ranged from 14.5% to 18% in recent cycles, compared to the single-digit regular decision rate. Demonstrated interest is not considered in the admissions process, so visiting campus or engaging with admissions officers won't move the needle—the decision rests entirely on the strength of the application. The admissions office prioritizes academic factors like course rigor, GPA, and standardized test scores, alongside essays, recommendations, and extracurricular activities.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
International Relations and National Security Studies
$50,105
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$47,260
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Brown’s academic identity is synonymous with its Open Curriculum, a flexible yet rigorous framework that allows undergraduates to craft a personalized degree program without any universal core requirements. Students are pushed to be "deeply creative thinkers, intellectual risk-takers and entrepreneurial problem-solvers." With over 80 concentrations (majors), students sample widely before immersing themselves in a primary field. The most popular areas of study include English Language and Literature, Engineering, and Visual and Performing Arts, each comprising about 5% of degrees conferred. The university is particularly noted for its strengths in public health, English, public affairs, economics, mathematics, and social sciences. For students pursuing STEM fields, concentrations in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Computer Science are considered among the most prominent and rigorous offerings. This self-directed approach demands a high degree of intellectual maturity, as students build their own educational narrative rather than following a prescribed path.
Life at Brown is characterized by an individualistic, welcoming, and kind campus culture, as described by both freshmen and seniors. The social scene is relatively low-key, with most events being small house parties or gatherings among friends rather than large-scale Greek life or university-sponsored parties. This fosters an intimate, collaborative environment where students are deeply engaged in their academic and extracurricular pursuits. The Division of Campus Life is a comprehensive network of 20 departments and centers that support students' lives outside the classroom, ensuring a strong sense of community and belonging. Students live active, engaged lives within this diverse and supportive setting, where the pressure to conform is low and the freedom to explore personal interests is high.
A Brown education translates into exceptional long-term outcomes. The university boasts a 96% graduation rate, one of the highest in the nation, indicating that students who enroll are overwhelmingly successful in completing their degrees. Ten years after entry, median earnings for Brown alumni are robust, reflecting the value of the degree. A survey of alumni ten years out found that 88% felt Brown prepared them for their current career. Historically, Brown graduates have commanded strong salaries, with reported average mid-career earnings standing at $119,000. These figures underscore the powerful return on investment and the effective career preparation provided by Brown's distinctive educational model.
Brown is committed to making its education accessible through one of the most generous financial aid policies in higher education. The university meets 100% of each admitted student's demonstrated financial need for all applicants. Crucially, through The Brown Promise initiative, the university has eliminated packaged loans from all undergraduate financial aid awards, replacing them with scholarship grants that do not have to be repaid. This no-loan policy is now permanent. The average for students receiving aid is $25,184, and over 42% of students receive financial aid, with an average aid package of nearly $60,000. This comprehensive commitment ensures that admitted students from all economic backgrounds can attend without the burden of crippling debt.
Brown stands out as the definitive haven for the intellectually independent. Its Open Curriculum isn't just a policy; it's the core of a philosophical stance that rejects prescribed knowledge in favor of student agency. This creates an academic culture unlike any other Ivy—less about checking boxes for distribution requirements and more about passionate, often interdisciplinary, inquiry. The vibe on campus mirrors this: collaborative rather than cutthroat, creative rather than conventional, with a social life built on intimate connections rather than institutionalized partying. Coupled with a steadfast no-loan financial aid policy that meets full need, Brown doesn't just offer an elite education; it offers a profoundly self-directed one, attracting students who want to be the architects of their own intellectual and personal journey.
Brown University seal · sourceCampus Tours and Information Sessions | Undergraduate Admission | Brown University · sourceBrown University - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges · sourceExperience Brown University in Virtual Reality. · source
