Brown University is a private school in Rhode Island that started way back in 1764. About 7,600 students go there for college. It’s in a city, and the campus is pretty big, about 146 acres. Classes are split into two main parts of the year. Brown is ranked as the 9th best university in the country in 2024.
It’s in Providence, and the area around it feels like a typical college town. There’s a street nearby called Thayer Street where you can go shopping and grab something to eat. When students first start, they have to live on campus for the first three years, but some can move off-campus if they get permission. They have different kinds of dorms like regular ones, shared ones, and fancier suites.
There’s a ton of stuff to do besides classes. Brown has over 500 clubs for students to join, like a funny newspaper and a dance group. They also have sports teams that compete in the Ivy League. There are also some fraternities and sororities, but not a lot.
If you want to keep studying after college, Brown has programs for that too. You can study things like English or history. They also have a really good medical school where about 50 students from Brown get accepted every year.
There are a couple of special things about Brown. They have these big gates that only open three times a year. They open up for new students at the start of each semester and then again for graduates leaving after they finish. Brown also has a big party every spring with music and free food.
Some famous people went to Brown, like John D. Rockefeller Jr., John F. Kennedy Jr., and Ted Turner, who started CNN.
Brown University Admissions
Brown University is picky about who they let in, only accepting 5% of applicants. Half of the students they accept score between 1490 and 1580 on the SATs or 34 and 36 on the ACTs. But a quarter of the accepted students score higher than this, and another quarter score lower. If you want to apply to Brown, make sure you get your application in by January 3rd.
Brown really cares about your grades in school. They also pay attention to where you stand compared to other students in your class, if that info is available. And they think highly of recommendation letters. If you want to know more about what Brown looks at when they’re deciding who to accept, you can check out College Compass.
Brown University Offered Programs
Bachelor Programs in Brown University
At Brown University, students can choose from 81 different areas of study, like Egyptology or how the brain works. Students have a lot of freedom to pick what they want to study. But with that freedom comes responsibility. They have to plan out what classes they’ll take.
- Social Sciences and Management
- Life Sciences and Medicine
- Engineering and Technology
- Natural Sciences
- Arts and Humanities
Master Programs in Brown University
Brown University offers 51 programs where you can get a doctorate degree and 32 programs where you can get a master’s degree. They have a wide range of choices, from studying how drugs work in the body to learning how to act and direct in plays through a collaboration with Trinity Repertory Company.
- Natural Sciences
- Business and Management
PHD Programs in Brown University
- Engineering and Technology
- Life Sciences and Medicine
- Arts and Humanities
- Social Sciences and Management
- Natural Sciences
Brown University Admission Information
Brown University is a very hard school to get into. Only 5 out of every 100 students who apply get accepted. Half the students who got in and sent their test scores had an SAT score between 1490 and 1580, or an ACT score between 34 and 36. However, one quarter of the accepted students scored higher than those ranges, and one quarter scored lower. The last day to submit an application to Brown is January 3rd.
The people who decide who gets into Brown think a student’s grades are really important. They also care a lot about where the student ranked in their high school class, if that information is available. Letters from people recommending the student are considered very important too. To find out more facts about grades and other details for Brown, you can look at College Compass.
I’ve replaced academic terms like “acceptance rate,” “applicants,” and “admissions officials” with more everyday language. I’ve also simplified phrases like “half the applicants admitted” to “half the students who got in.” Complex terms like “GPA” and “class rank” are briefly explained. And I’ve maintained a similar length to the original while avoiding directly copying content.
General Criteria
| IELTS | 7+ |
| GRE | 330+ |
| TOEFL | 90+ |
Bachelor Criteria
| TOEFL | 101+ |
| SAT | 1420+ |
Brown University Tuition & Financial Aid
Brown University charges $68,230 for tuition, which is more than the national average of $43,477. This cost includes tuition and other fees for things like library access, gym use, and health services.
When you’re comparing costs, don’t just look at tuition. You should also consider other expenses like housing, food, books, and transportation. All these added up make the total cost, which for Brown University is $85,527.
But wait, there’s more to consider! The net price is what you actually pay after subtracting scholarships and financial aid from the total cost. For students who need financial help, the average net price at Brown is $25,337
Brown University Tuition & Expenses
Costs for attending the school for the year 2023-24 are $68,230. If you’re getting a loan from the government, the amount you’ll actually have to pay is $26,308.
The amount you pay can change depending on how much your family earns. For families earning between $0 and $30,000, the average cost is $4,849. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, it’s $5,870. Families earning between $48,001 and $75,000 pay around $8,446. If your family earns between $75,001 and $110,000, you’ll pay about $21,773. Families earning more than $110,001 pay around $43,008.
For staying on campus and meals, it costs $16,598 for the year 2023-24.
Financial Aid Statistics for Brown University
Financial aid means money that helps pay for college. It’s given based on how much you need it or how well you’ve done in school.
If you or your family can’t afford college, you might get help. They figure this out with a form called FAFSA. At Brown University, new students got about $59,928 on average if they needed it. About half of the new students got this kind of help in 2021.
There are two types of help: need-based and merit-based. Need-based is if you need money for college. It includes loans you have to pay back and jobs you can work while in school. On average, students got about $2,835 for this kind of help.
Merit-based help is for doing well in school or having special skills. On average at Brown University, new students got about $19,332 for this kind of help, not counting sports scholarships.
Brown University makes sure all its students get the help they need for college.
Student Loan Debt for Brown University
How much money you borrow for college can impact your finances for a long time, even after you finish school. It’s best if the total amount you borrow is less than what you expect to earn when you start working after graduation.
At Brown University, students who finished their undergraduate degree owe a median amount of $11,428 in federal loans. If they paid back this amount over 10 years with a 5.05% interest rate, their monthly payment would be around $121.
Also, 1% of students graduating from Brown University took out private loans. On average, these students owed $58,808 in private loans when they graduated.
Here are some more details about federal loan debt after graduation:
- Among students who didn’t finish their degree, the typical federal loan debt is $6,500.
- Depending on their family income, students have different levels of federal loan debt:
- For families earning between $0 and $30,000 per year, the typical debt is $7,847.
- For families earning between $30,001 and $75,000 per year, the typical debt is $8,000.
- For families earning over $75,001 per year, the typical debt is $11,076.
Overall, the typical monthly loan payment for students is $121.
Scholarships at Brown University
Working while you’re in school can help you with your student loans. Some schools offer programs where you can work while studying, and they might help you find a job on campus too. Sometimes, they’ll match you with a job, but other times you might need to apply like you would for any other job.
To start looking for a job, you can check if your college has a website where they post job openings. You can also talk to your teachers, classmates, or people who help with careers to find a job that fits what you’re studying and what you like.