Brandeis University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Waltham, Massachusetts · Private nonprofit · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
Brandeis University is a private institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Brandeis University admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 35%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1473 and an ACT composite around 33. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $33,885 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Brandeis University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Brandeis University?
Admitted students at Brandeis University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Brandeis University weight in admissions?
Brandeis University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • First generation status
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Standardized test scores
- • Interview
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Brandeis University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 700–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 710. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1415 |
| 50th percentile | 1460 |
| 75th percentile | 1510 |
| % submitting SAT | 30% |
| 25th percentile | 31 |
| 50th percentile | 32 |
| 75th percentile | 34 |
| % submitting ACT | 10% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 49% |
| Top 25% of class | 79% |
| Top 50% of class | 97% |
| % submitting class rank | 22% |
How much does Brandeis University actually cost?
Published tuition is $64,946 for in-state students and $64,946 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $19,096 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $33,885 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 14% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $69,934 |
| Room and board | $19,384 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $33,885 |
| Application fee | $80 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Brandeis University
| Regular deadline | January 2 |
| Notification date | March 21 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 42% |
Will my child graduate from Brandeis University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in Massachusetts parents ask about
- Harvard University3% acceptance
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology5% acceptance
- Boston University11% acceptance
- Boston College16% acceptance
- Tufts University10% acceptance
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst85% acceptance
- University of Massachusetts-Boston58% acceptance
- Northeastern University6% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Brandeis University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Brandeis University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Brandeis University
What GPA do I need for Brandeis University?
Admitted students at Brandeis University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Brandeis University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 700–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 710. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34.
How much does Brandeis University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Brandeis University after grants and scholarships is $33,885 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Brandeis University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Brandeis University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Brandeis University, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.