Brown University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Providence, Rhode Island · Private nonprofit · Most selective · CDS 2025-2026
Brown University is a private nonprofit university in Providence, Rhode Island that admits about 5% of applicants, making it a most selective school. The average family pays about $26,572 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Computer Science, Economics and Applied Mathematics, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 96% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 6.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Brown University is a private institution located in Providence, Rhode Island and one of the most selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Brown University admits fewer than 10% of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 5%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1546 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $26,572 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Brown 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 parents should know about Brown University right now
Brown University admitted 2,418 students out of 42,765 applicants for the Class of 2029, an admit rate of 5.65%. Early Decision admitted 907 students at a 17.9% rate while Regular Decision admitted 1,511 at roughly 4.01%. The Class of 2029 was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic required to submit standardized test scores, with the middle 50% scoring 1480 to 1560 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. About 95% of admitted students were in the top 10% of their high school class, 19% are first-generation college students, and admitted students come from 89 countries. Brown's defining academic feature for parents to understand is the Open Curriculum, adopted in 1969, which removes general education distribution requirements and lets students design their course of study with significant flexibility. Brown also runs the oldest applied mathematics program in the U.S., founded in 1941, the oldest engineering program in the Ivy League, and the renowned Brown-RISD Dual Degree program with the Rhode Island School of Design. Brown maintains need-blind admissions for domestic applicants and meets full demonstrated need without loans for most income brackets. Recent campus news for parents to be aware of: in July 2025 Brown reached a settlement with the federal government on research funding that includes $50 million paid over ten years to state workforce development programs, and in December 2025 a tragic shooting at the Barus and Holley Engineering Building on the Providence campus prompted an extensive review of campus security.
What GPA does my child need for Brown University?
Successful applicants to Brown University typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment 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 Brown University weight in admissions?
Brown University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Extracurricular activities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Interview
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Brown University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 760–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 745. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35. 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 | — |
| 50th percentile | 1546 |
| 75th percentile | — |
| % submitting SAT | 28% |
| 25th percentile | 33 |
| 50th percentile | 34 |
| 75th percentile | 35 |
| % submitting ACT | 77% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
How much does Brown University actually cost?
Published tuition is $68,230 for in-state students and $68,230 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,598 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $26,572 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 13% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $74,368 |
| Room and board | $19,464 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $26,572 |
| Application fee | $80 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Brown University
| Regular deadline | January 5 |
| Notification date | Late March |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 18% |
Will my child graduate from Brown 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.
Most popular majors at Brown University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Brown University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Economics and Applied Mathematics. Across all programs, Brown University confers roughly 1,089 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Computer Science program report a median income of about $271,601 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 250 | $271,601 |
| Economics | 215 | $112,306 |
| Applied Mathematics | 178 | $135,511 |
| Biology, General | 111 | $65,144 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 100 | $104,415 |
| History | 83 | $81,596 |
| Engineering, General | 78 | $117,101 |
| Area Studies | 74 | $64,366 |
Is Brown University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Brown University disclosed 48 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 6.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 1 violent offenses and 13 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Brown University?
About 75% of undergraduates at Brown University live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 3% of men join a fraternity and 3% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Rhode Island parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Brown University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Brown 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 Brown University
What GPA do I need for Brown University?
Successful applicants to Brown University typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Brown University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 760–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 745. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35.
How much does Brown University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Brown University after grants and scholarships is $26,572 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 Brown 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, Brown University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Brown University?
Brown University accepts about 5% of applicants out of roughly 42,774 who apply each year. That makes it a most selective school.
Is Brown University test-optional?
No. Brown University requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
What is the graduation rate at Brown University?
About 96% of students at Brown University graduate within six years. 99% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at Brown University?
Brown University's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 18%, compared with its overall rate of 5%. Applying ED can meaningfully improve admission odds, but it is a binding commitment to enroll if accepted.
What does Brown University look for in applicants?
Brown University rates course rigor, class rank, GPA and test scores as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Brown University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Brown University is a private nonprofit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island.
What are the most popular majors at Brown University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Brown University by annual graduates are Computer Science, Economics and Applied Mathematics. The school awards about 1,089 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Brown University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Brown University reported 48 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 6.6 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Brown University?
At Brown University, 75% of undergraduates live on campus, 3% of men are in fraternities, 3% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Brown University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.