Brown University
The Ivy without general-education requirements: its Open Curriculum lets you design your own education.
- Acceptance rate
- 5.6%
- Class of 2030 (entered fall 2026)
- Students
- 11,939
- 7,951 undergraduates
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 8:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $74,568
- 2026-27
About Brown
Founded in 1764, Brown is an Ivy League research university on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island. It is undergraduate-focused for a research university: in fall 2025 it had 7,951 undergraduates and 3,988 graduate and medical students.
Brown is defined by the Open Curriculum, adopted in 1969 after student lobbying. There are no general-education distribution requirements, so you choose your own courses and can design an independent concentration if none of the 80+ existing ones fit. The university is organised into the College, the Graduate School, the Warren Alpert Medical School, the School of Engineering, the School of Public Health, the School of Professional Studies and the Watson School of International and Public Affairs.
Brown suits self-directed students who want freedom and are prepared to use it: advisors help, but nobody tells you what to take. Classes are small (the admission office cites 69% of undergraduate classes with fewer than 20 students), faculty teach undergraduates, and the eight-year PLME medical program and the five-year Brown|RISD Dual Degree draw applicants from all over the world. Brown reports that 80% of its students go on to graduate or professional study within 10 years.
In Deo Speramus
“In God We Hope” — university motto
Why students choose Brown
The Open Curriculum has no general-education requirements, so every course you take is one you chose.
The Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) combines undergraduate study and the MD in one eight-year track; for the Class of 2030 it had 4,867 applicants and 50 enrolled.
The Brown|RISD Dual Degree lets you earn degrees from both Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design in five years.
Admission is need-blind for all first-year applicants, including international students, and aid packages contain no loans under the Brown Promise.
Admissions
Class of 2030 (entered fall 2026)
About 1 in 18 applicants is admitted
2,688 admitted from 47,944 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
890 of the 2,688 admits came through Early Decision. For fall 2025 entry (CDS 2025-26), Brown admitted 2,710 of 42,774 applicants (6.3%).
Typical entry requirements
| International credentials (IB, A-levels, national exams) | Predicted results accepted; Brown expects students to have completed 12 years of schooling and to sit national exams where applicable |
|---|---|
| English language | IELTS 8 · TOEFL iBT 105 Highly recommended for non-native speakers. Minimums expected in most cases: TOEFL iBT 105 (tests before January 2026) or 5.5 (from January 2026), IELTS 8.0, Duolingo 130, PTE 75, Cambridge C1/C2 191. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Due 11:59 p.m. applicant's local time; decisions by mid-December. Outcomes are admit, defer or deny, and denied ED applicants cannot reapply RD. CSS Profile and FAFSA due November 2, 2026.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 5, 2027
Decisions by early April. CSS Profile and FAFSA due February 1, 2027.
Brown's pages list November 1 and January 5; the financial aid page confirms the 2026-27 cycle dates (November 2, 2026 and February 1, 2027 for aid forms).
How to apply
Common App plus Brown questions; four Brown essays (two of 150-250 words, two of 100-150 words), with extra essays for PLME and Brown|RISD; counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations; SAT or ACT; optional 90-second video introduction; midyear school report by February 23; $80 fee or waiver
What admissions looks for
- Your academic record, which Brown says has the most influence on the decision, read in the context of your school and opportunities.
- Readiness to be the 'architect' of your own education, since the Open Curriculum asks you to plan your own path.
- Intellectual curiosity, creativity, collaboration, openness to new ideas and resilience, the qualities named in Brown's own essay prompts.
- What you would contribute to the Brown community, judged through a whole-person, contextual review.
- Test scores as one informative, non-determining factor, weighed against your background and access to testing.
Tips for applying to Brown
- 1 Use the first Brown essay to explain concretely how you would use the Open Curriculum; generic praise of academic freedom won't stand out.
- 2 There are no alumni interviews. The optional 90-second video introduction is your only chance to speak in your own voice, and it isn't judged on production quality.
- 3 If you are considering a Bachelor of Science degree or PLME, make sure at least one teacher recommendation comes from a math or science teacher.
- 4 PLME and Brown|RISD have their own extra essays (three for PLME, one 650-word essay for BRDD) and are far more selective. Start them early.
- 5 Finish testing by the last October test date for ED or the last December date for RD; Brown superscores both the SAT and ACT.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Brown University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Brown is need-blind for all first-year applicants, including international students since the Class of 2029, and meets 100% of demonstrated need. Under the Brown Promise, aid packages contain scholarships instead of loans.
- 51%
- Class of 2030 receiving need-based scholarship or grant aid
- $0 parent contribution for most
- Families earning under $60,000
- None (Brown Promise)
- Loans in aid packages
- 100%
- Demonstrated need met
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Open Curriculum
Adopted in 1969, it removes general-education distribution requirements and lets students design independent concentrations.
Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME)
An eight-year track combining the undergraduate degree and the MD at the Warren Alpert Medical School; 50 students enrolled in the Class of 2030.
Brown|RISD Dual Degree
A five-year program joining liberal arts at Brown with art and design at the Rhode Island School of Design; 856 applicants and 20 enrolled for the Class of 2030.
Computer Science and Applied Mathematics
Computer science was the most popular concentration for the Class of 2020, and applied math was also in the top five.
Watson School of International and Public Affairs
Brown's hub for international and public affairs; former heads of state such as Romano Prodi and Fernando Cardoso have taught there.
Research
- The Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science brings together neuroscience research from across departments.
- The John Carter Brown Library and the John Hay Library hold major collections of early Americana and rare books.
- The Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World runs graduate tracks in Egyptology, Assyriology and the history of the exact sciences in antiquity.
Schools & faculties
- The College
- Graduate School
- Warren Alpert Medical School
- School of Engineering
- School of Public Health
- School of Professional Studies
- Watson School of International and Public Affairs
Brown reports that 80% of students go on to graduate or professional study within 10 years of graduating. Its admission rates to medical school and law school are both 81%.
Student life
Brown is residential: 98% of first-years and 75% of all undergraduates lived in university housing in fall 2025. Campus life centers on the Main Green and the Walk, with residential quadrangles such as Wriston, Keeney and Gregorian to the south. Spring Weekend, a student music festival held since 1950, is the big event of the year. The Van Wickle Gates open inward only at Convocation and outward at Commencement, and superstition says walking through the central gate a second time too early means you won't graduate.
- The Van Wickle Gates tradition: in at Convocation, out at Commencement.
- Spring Weekend music festival, running since 1950.
- More than 400 student groups.
- The Brown Bears compete in NCAA Division I in the Ivy League.
Housing. First-years live on campus (98% in fall 2025, per the CDS), and 75% of all undergraduates lived in university housing.
Location
Providence is Rhode Island's capital, a compact small city. Brown sits on College Hill, next to the Rhode Island School of Design and above the downtown and riverfront. The East Side has walkable streets of historic houses, cafes and restaurants. Winters are cold, and much of student life happens within walking distance of campus.
Nearest airport: Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)
Notable alumni
- JY Janet Yellen78th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and former Federal Reserve chair (A.B. 1967)
- JD John D. Rockefeller Jr.Philanthropist and builder of Rockefeller Center (A.B. 1897)
- TT Ted TurnerFounder of CNN (Class of 1960)
- EW Emma WatsonActor and activist (A.B. 2014)
- JE Jeffrey EugenidesPulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Middlesex (A.B. 1983)
- LN Lynn NottageFirst woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice (A.B. 1986)
- JY Jim Yong Kim12th President of the World Bank (A.B. 1982)
- DD Daveed DiggsTony Award-winning actor in Hamilton (A.B. 2004)
Frequently asked questions
What is Brown's acceptance rate?
Brown admitted 2,688 of 47,944 applicants to the Class of 2030, an acceptance rate of 5.6%.
Does Brown require the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Brown has required the SAT or ACT for first-year applicants since the 2024-25 cycle. It superscores both and reads scores in context, with no minimums.
Is Brown need-blind for international students?
Yes. Since the Class of 2029, all first-year applicants, including international students, are admitted need-blind, and Brown meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans.
Does Brown do interviews?
No. Brown ended alumni interviews in 2019-20, and applicants can instead submit an optional 90-second video introduction.
How much does Brown cost?
For 2026-27 the estimated cost of attendance is $99,984: tuition $74,568, fees $3,084, housing $10,710, food $8,754 and personal expenses $2,878. Most students on aid pay far less.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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