Basic Information
Type
Private
Geographical Reach
National
Location
Providence, RI
Population
1,100,000
Website
http://www.brown.edu/
Weather
Comfortable Days
110 (71%)
Sunshine Hours
2,606 (49%)
Days Without Precipitation
241 (39%)
Demographics
Total Undergraduates
7,380
Men / Women
50% / 50%
From State
3%
From Region
23%
Athletes
13.9%
Racial/Ethnic
White
33%
Asian
23%
International
13%
Hispanic
12%
Black
8%
Mixed
8%
Native American
0%
Men in the Entering Class
Men
Entering Class by Race & Ethnicity
Native
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
International
Share of the full-time first-time degree-seeking cohort. Groups IPEDS reports separately — two or more races, and race unknown — are left out, so the lines don't sum to 100%.
Enrolled Undergraduates by Race & Ethnicity
Native
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
International
Share of all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates, not just the entering class. Same excluded groups as above.
IPEDS Admissions (2011–2024), Graduation Rates (2011–2024) and 12-month Enrollment (2020–2025) surveys. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.
Schools & Majors
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Engineering | 90 | 58% / 42% | 11% | $97,562 | 89 | 96% | |
| Biomedical Engineering | 21 — | 38% / 62% | 5% | $88,183 | 81 | 96% | |
| Chemical Engineering | 8 — | 38% / 62% | 38% | — | — | — | |
| Computer Engineering | 7 — | 86% / 14% | 29% | — | — | — | |
| Electrical Engineering | 10 — | 70% / 30% | 10% | — | — | — | |
| Engineering | 5 +5 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $114,940 | 97 | 97% | |
| Engineering Physics | 3 — | 100% / 0% | 33% | — | — | — | |
| Environmental Engineering | 4 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | — | — | — | |
| Industrial Engineering | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 33% | $134,255 | 99 | — | |
| Materials Engineering | 2 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | — | — | — | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 27 — | 67% / 33% | 4% | — | — | — |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The College | 1,814 | 50% / 50% | 11% | $113,471 | 97 | 92% | |
| Computer Science | 243 +43 | 58% / 42% | 15% | $265,622 | 100 | 93% | |
| Computer Science and Economics | 57 — | 74% / 26% | 21% | $220,082 | 100 | — | |
| Applied Mathematics | 182 +31 | 70% / 30% | 14% | $131,779 | 99 | 92% | |
| Astronomy | — — | — | — | $99,088 | 90 | — | |
| Chemical Physics | 4 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $98,771 | 90 | — | |
| Chemistry | 9 +3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $82,280 | 74 | — | |
| Computational Mathematics | 13 — | 69% / 31% | 15% | $131,779 | 99 | 92% | |
| Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences | 6 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $64,848 | 32 | — | |
| Geology-Chemistry | 3 +1 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $83,736 | 76 | — | |
| Geophysics | — — | — | — | $66,077 | 36 | — | |
| Mathematics | 14 +8 | 86% / 14% | 14% | $131,904 | 99 | — | |
| Physics | 18 +6 | 67% / 33% | 22% | $98,186 | 89 | — | |
| Statistics | 6 +1 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $139,016 | 99 | — | |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 35 +1 | 57% / 43% | 3% | $61,226 | 22 | 84% | |
| Biology | 105 +17 | 45% / 55% | 5% | $63,036 | 27 | 93% | |
| Biophysics | 10 — | 60% / 40% | 10% | $61,226 | 22 | 84% | |
| Computational Biology | 26 +1 | 42% / 58% | 4% | $64,213 | 30 | — | |
| Human Biology | 60 +9 | 30% / 70% | 2% | $75,449 | 61 | 91% | |
| Environmental Science | 34 +6 | 24% / 76% | 6% | $53,864 | 9 | 86% | |
| Environmental Studies | 16 +4 | 31% / 69% | 12% | $53,864 | 9 | 86% | |
| Public Health | 59 +8 | 25% / 75% | 3% | $79,845 | 70 | — | |
| Business, Entrepreneurship, and Organizations | — — | — | — | $114,653 | 97 | 98% | |
| Economics | 222 +87 | 58% / 42% | 15% | $108,798 | 95 | 96% | |
| International Development | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | — | — | — | |
| Modern Culture and Media | 23 +15 | 30% / 70% | 9% | $33,348 | 1 | 95% | |
| Africana Studies | 6 +7 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| American Studies | — +1 | — | — | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| Anthropology | 9 +7 | 11% / 89% | 22% | $65,134 | 33 | — | |
| Archaeology and the Ancient World | 5 +6 | 60% / 40% | 0% | $70,023 | 48 | — | |
| Behavioral Decision Sciences | 27 +7 | 30% / 70% | 7% | $92,156 | 85 | — | |
| Classical Studies | 2 +2 | 50% / 50% | 50% | — | — | — | |
| Classics | 5 +8 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $75,892 | 62 | — | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience | 58 — | 57% / 43% | 5% | $71,262 | 51 | 82% | |
| Cognitive Science | 4 +1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $92,857 | 86 | — | |
| Cognitive Science | 22 +4 | 18% / 82% | 18% | $59,965 | 19 | 93% | |
| Comparative Literature | 16 +10 | 44% / 56% | 6% | $64,338 | 31 | — | |
| Contemplative Studies | 2 +4 | 0% / 100% | 50% | $93,197 | 86 | — | |
| Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies | 1 +4 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $24,850 | 1 | 100% | |
| Development Studies | 2 +4 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $66,457 | 37 | — | |
| East Asian Studies | 8 +5 | 62% / 38% | 25% | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| English | 65 +25 | 35% / 65% | 8% | $53,633 | 8 | 92% | |
| Ethnic Studies | 7 +3 | 43% / 57% | 0% | $24,850 | 1 | 100% | |
| French and Francophone Studies | 1 +4 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| German Studies | 1 +1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| Hispanic Studies | 2 +9 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $62,585 | 26 | — | |
| History | 47 +32 | 43% / 57% | 4% | $79,058 | 69 | 96% | |
| Independent Concentration | 10 +5 | 70% / 30% | 0% | $80,684 | 72 | — | |
| International and Public Affairs | 110 +70 | 36% / 64% | 10% | $101,154 | 91 | 94% | |
| International and Public Affairs | — — | — | — | $121,826 | 98 | — | |
| Japanese Studies | — +2 | — | — | $62,936 | 27 | — | |
| Jewish/Judaic Studies | 1 +1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | — | — | — | |
| Latin American and Caribbean Studies | 4 +8 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| Linguistics | 2 +5 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $69,027 | 45 | — | |
| Literary Arts | 22 +21 | 41% / 59% | 0% | $43,021 | 2 | 91% | |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | — +1 | — | — | $77,820 | 66 | — | |
| Middle East Studies | 4 +2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| Philosophy | 17 +23 | 47% / 53% | 29% | $70,416 | 49 | — | |
| Political Science | 40 +15 | 45% / 55% | 5% | $80,324 | 71 | 94% | |
| Portuguese and Brazilian Studies | 2 +4 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $62,565 | 26 | — | |
| Psychology | 41 +12 | 24% / 76% | 17% | $59,965 | 19 | 93% | |
| Public Policy | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $90,672 | 84 | 100% | |
| Religious Studies | 5 +5 | 60% / 40% | 20% | $64,658 | 32 | — | |
| Science, Technology, and Society | 8 +4 | 62% / 38% | 0% | $70,421 | 49 | — | |
| Slavic Studies | 5 +4 | 20% / 80% | 0% | $62,936 | 27 | 87% | |
| Sociology | 22 +11 | 55% / 45% | 9% | $66,576 | 38 | — | |
| Education Studies | 20 +23 | 25% / 75% | 10% | $77,188 | 65 | 92% | |
| Architecture | 10 +7 | 40% / 60% | 20% | $73,876 | 58 | — | |
| History of Art and Architecture | 10 +13 | 30% / 70% | 20% | $72,199 | 54 | 88% | |
| Music | 18 +24 | 83% / 17% | 6% | $52,064 | 7 | — | |
| Theatre Arts and Performance Studies | 2 +8 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $22,278 | 1 | 92% | |
| Urban Studies | 12 +6 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $70,165 | 48 | 83% | |
| Visual Art | 12 +17 | 50% / 50% | 17% | $72,199 | 54 | 88% |
Financial
Tuition & Fees
$77,133
ROI Percentile
97th
Retention & Graduation
Full-Time Retention
99%
4-Year Graduation Rate
77%
6-Year Graduation Rate
96%
Transfer-Out Rate
0%
Six-Year Graduation Rate
Graduated
Students finishing within 150% of normal time. Each year labels the cohort that entered six years earlier — 2024 tracks the class that started in 2018.
Six-Year Graduation Rate by Gender
Men
Women
IPEDS reports the cohort as men and women only.
Six-Year Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
International
Each group's completers over its own share of the entering cohort. Groups making up less than 2% of everyone this college graduated over the period are left off — their rates swing on a handful of students and read as noise.
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.
Earnings by Major Category
Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).
Academics
| ⇅ | % | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.7% | 584 | 39% / 61% | 9% | $73,634 | 57 | 92% | ||
| Computer Science | 15.8% | 300 | 61% / 39% | 16% | $256,969 | 100 | 93% | |
| Physical Sciences & Math | 13.4% | 255 | 70% / 30% | 13% | $125,180 | 99 | 92% | |
| Business & Economics | 12.9% | 246 | 56% / 44% | 14% | $101,715 | 92 | 96% | |
| Life & Natural Sciences | 12.4% | 236 | 43% / 57% | 4% | $65,976 | 36 | 90% | |
| Engineering | 4.7% | 90 | 58% / 42% | 11% | $97,562 | 89 | 96% | |
| Arts | 3.4% | 64 | 53% / 47% | 11% | $64,857 | 32 | 86% | |
| Health Sciences | 3.1% | 59 | 25% / 75% | 3% | $79,845 | 70 | — | |
| Agriculture & Food Science | 2.6% | 50 | 26% / 74% | 8% | $53,864 | 9 | 86% | |
| Education | 1.1% | 20 | 25% / 75% | 10% | $77,188 | 65 | 92% |
Research R1
| ⇅ | Research $ | Rank | Federal | Industry $ | PhDs | Rank | PhD students | Postdocs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life & Natural Sciences | $126M | #46 | 71% | $1.7M | 52 | #50 | 313 | 83 |
| Health Sciences | $63.0M | #74 | 72% | $1.0M | 2 | #219 | 21 | 26 |
| $55.7M | #35 | 66% | $0.0M | 98 | #43 | 305 | 50 | |
| Physical Sciences & Math | $54.4M | #65 | 69% | $0.2M | 45 | #68 | 341 | 71 |
| Engineering | $33.0M | #126 | 66% | $1.7M | 15 | #152 | 180 | 46 |
| Computer Science | $17.7M | #57 | 57% | $1.0M | 16 | #63 | 126 | 15 |
| Education | $4.9M | #101 | 35% | $0.0M | — | — | — | — |
| Business & Economics | $1.2M | #201 | 20% | $0 | 22 | #56 | 80 | — |
| Agriculture & Food Science | $0.3M | #199 | 99% | $0 | — | — | — | 7 |
| Total | $356M | #83 | 68% | $5.7M | 250 | #96 | 1,366 | 298 |
Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.
Admissions
Uses Common App
Yes
Acceptance Rate
6%
Yield (Unbound)
45%
Early Decision 1
Nov 1
Regular Decision
Jan 1
Acceptance Rates
| In-State | Out-of-State | International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Decision | 9% | 5% | 3% |
| Early Decision | 32% | 20% | 12% |
Acceptance & Yield
Acceptance
Yield
Applicants, Admitted & Enrolled
Applicants
Admitted
Enrolled
IPEDS Admissions survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.
Standardized Tests
Test Policy
required
Submitted Test Scores
100%
SAT Range
1470
–
1550
SAT Math Range
730
–
790
SAT RW Range
730
–
770
SAT Composite
25th
75th
SAT Math
25th
75th
SAT Reading & Writing
25th
75th
Submitting a Test Score
Submitted
IPEDS Admissions survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line. Test-score submission adds SAT and ACT submitters, capped at 100% — a student can send both.
Rankings
Academics
Future Patagonia Vest Owners
Top Investment Banking Feeders
Will Network for a Superday
Future Ambulance Chasers
Top Law School Feeders
Future SCOTUS Clerks
Don't Tell Me What To Do
No Core Curriculum
Anarchy
Future Adjunct Professors
Top PhD Feeders
TA Before You Can Say "Publish or Perish"
Can't Hide Behind Your GPA
SAT-required, Highest Medians
Above Average in High School is Not Enough
Syllabus Week Lasts All Semester
Grade Hyperinflation
A is for Attendance
College Costs
Bring Me Your Tired, Your Poor
Need-Blind for Internationals
Ivies
We Marked It Up Just to Put It on Sale
Highest List Price
Premium Price Tag
Prestige
Grandma Eyebrow Raisers
Easy Brags for the Prestigious-Conscious
Ivies, But
Someone Like Me
Places, Please!
Theater Participation
Theater Kid Generation
My Tribe
Call Your Mother!
Most Jewish
Significant Community
Engineering
Resistance Is Not Futile
Electrical Engineering
Ohm My God
I Have Always Loved Legos
General Engineering
I Build Robots While Reading Plato, Kneel Before My Megamind
Is It a Solid? Is It a Liquid? Yes.
Materials Engineering
Polymer Players
WD-40 & Duct Tape
Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
Whiteboard-preferred
Computer Science
Explaining That HTML is Not a Programming Language
Computer Science (A&S)
Chalkboard Masochists
import pandas as pd
Data Science
The Prestige Pivoters
Physical Sciences & Math
Quants, Proofs & p < 0.05
Applied Mathematics & Statistics
Wall Street's Favorite Feeder Schools
Breaking Bad
Chemistry
Pre-Med Darwinian Thunderdome
Rocks and Whales
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Sedimentary Scholars
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite
Physics & Astronomy
Pen, Paper, and Existential Dread (Theory)
No Words Allowed
Pure Mathematics
Theorem Crafters
Life & Natural Sciences
Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room
Biology
Petri Dish Elite
Photosynthesis Fan Club
Ecology & Plant Biology
Petal Pushers
Lord of the Petri Dish
Microbiology & Immunology
Sterile Technique Survivors
Staring at a Gel Electrophoresis Until Our Eyes Bleed
Molecular Biology & Genomics
Pipette Pros
Agriculture & Food Science
Doomsday Prepping with Data
Environmental Science
Data-Driven Tree Huggers
Health Sciences
Saving Lives One Spreadsheet At a Time
Public Health
Epidemiology Elite
Business & Economics
PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings
Business Administration
We Don't Actually Offer Undergrad Business
Pivot Tables & Missing Pallets
Business Analytics
SQL Slingers
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro
Economics
The "Saltwater" Keynesian Minions
Move Fast, Break Tuition
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Side Hustle Squad
Humanities & Social Sciences
I Think, Therefore I Major
Cognitive Science
Silicon Valley Overlords
Much Ado About Nothing
English, Literature & Writing
Ink & Quill
Saving the Planet, One Policy at a Time
Environmental Policy & Sustainability
ESG Enthusiasts
Smashing the Patriarchy 101
Gender Studies
Activist Academics
Model UN Generation
Government & Politics
Policy Wonks
Hindsight is 20/20 (And So is My Salary)
History & Archaeology
Primary Source Hunters
I'll Figure Out the Career Later
Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary
Renaissance Wannabes
The "Why Are We Here?" Support Group
Philosophy & Ethics
Armchair Philosophers
Feelings, But With Error Bars
Research & Experimental Psychology
P-Hacking Paranoiacs
Decolonizing the Curriculum
Regional & Ethnic Studies
Area Experts
Arguing with God for a Grade
Religion
The Seekers
Everything is a Construct
Sociology & Anthropology
The Deconstructors
Grammar Police Academy
World Languages & Linguistics
NY Times Crossword Puzzle Experts
Education
Surviving PTA Karens
General Education
Lesson Planners
Arts
Explaining Splatters to Rich People
Art History & Management
Arts Admin Powerhouses
Lights, Camera, Tuition
Film
Indie Darlings
Theatre Kid Generation
Performing Arts
Encore Worthy
Professional
Future Lawyers (and Their Future Anxiety)
Law
Mock Trial Champs