Brown University
Brown University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Colleges in Rhode Island
- #1 Best Research Universities in Rhode Island
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Rhode Island
- #1 Best Grad Schools in Rhode Island 2022
- #1 Rhode Island's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #1 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #5 Most Influential Colleges in Lacrosse Today
- #9 English Research Universities
- #9 Free Graduate Courses You Can Take Online
- #10 15 Colleges with the Happiest Freshmen
- #10 Education Research Universities
- #11 History Research Universities
- #13 Business Research Universities
- #13 Anthropology Research Universities
- #14 Communications Research Universities
- #16 Earth Sciences Research Universities
- #16 Sociology Research Universities
- #16 Religious Studies Research Universities
- #16 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2022
- #17 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #17 Best Private Grad Schools 2022
- #18 Physics Research Universities
- #18 Biology Research Universities
- #19 Political Science Research Universities
- #19 Philosophy Research Universities
- #19 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #20 Best Research Universities for Psychology Majors
- #20 Economics Research Universities
- #20 Best Undergrad Colleges 2025
- #21 Engineering Research Universities
- #22 Math Research Universities
- #22 Computer Science Research Universities
- #24 Best US Universities 2025
- #24 Best Grad Schools 2025
- #24 Chemistry Research Universities
- #56 Best Universities World 2025
About Brown University
Brown began life as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (officially) or Rhode Island College (unofficially). It is the twelfth-oldest institution of higher learning in the US.
Rhode Island College was established in the town of Warren on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, a few miles south of the city of Providence. The school moved to Providence in 1770.
The College was established by a group of Baptist ministers (that being the religious affiliation of Rhode Island’s founder, Roger Williams), working in close cooperation with Quakers (Friends), Congregationalists, and Anglicans (Episcopalians). The College’s charter stated that there was to be no religious test for entrance.
A family consisting of four brothers—Nicholas, John, Joseph, and Moses Brown—was heavily involved in the College’s affairs from the beginning. Joseph Brown was a professor of Physics there, and John Brown served as treasurer for some 20 years during the Revolution and after.
In addition, Nicholas’s son, Nicholas Brown, Jr., was a very successful businessmen who made a series of generous gifts to the College to boost its endowment. In 1804, the College expressed its gratitude to the Brown family by changing its name to the present one.
Brown is linked to seven Nobel Prize laureates, namely,:
- Physicists, Leon Cooper & J. Michael Kosterlitz
- Chemist, Lars Onsager
- Physiologists, George Snell & Craig Mello
- Economists, George Stigler & Vernon Smith
Other notable faculty and alumni include:
- Early-20th century Japanese scholar, educator, and social reformer, Fukuzawa Yukichi
- Financier and philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
- Psychiatrist, Aaron T. Beck
- Novelists, Jeffrey Eugenides & Edwidge Danticat
- Singer, Mary Chapin Carpenter
- Actresses, Laura Linney & Emma Watson
- Film director, Todd Haynes
- Radio personality, Ira Glass
- Media mogul, Ted Turner
- Entrepreneur and investor; John Scully III
- Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination candidate, Andrew Yang
- Economist and former Federal Reserve Chairwoman, Janet Yellen
- Former US diplomat, Richard Holbrooke
- Former World Bank President, Jim Young Kim
According to Wikipedia, Brown University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. One of nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution, it was the first college in the United States to codify in its charter that admission and instruction of students was to be equal regardless of their religious affiliation.
Brown University's Online Degrees
Brown University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50,649 | 5% | 95% | 1535 | 35 |
How Much Does Brown University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition (in-state) |
|---|
| $65,146 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $4,741 |
| 30K - 48K | $1,199 |
| 48K - 75K | $8,394 |
| 75K - 110K | $20,163 |
| 110K+ | $46,032 |
How Much Do Brown University Graduates Make?
If you graduate from Brown University, then you can expect to earn an average of $89,100 per year. You also have a 92% chance of being employed after 10 years.
Brown University's Demographics
Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 11,151 | 7,665 | 3,486 |
Where is Brown University?
Brown University is located at One Prospect Street, Providence RI 02912
How Safe is Brown University?
Brown University has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%.
What Is Brown University Known For?
Brown University is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Mathematics
- History
- Education
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Communications
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Engineering
- Sociology
- Physics
- Business
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- Medical
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
Brown University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Who Are Brown University's Most Influential Alumni?
Brown University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Computer Science, Education, and History. Here are some of Brown University's most famous alumni:
- Janet Yellen
- A 78th United States secretary of the treasury.
- John Tukey
- An American mathematician .
- Peter Norvig
- An American computer scientist.
- Aaron Beck
- An American psychiatrist.
- Richard Holbrooke
- An American diplomat .
- Andy Hertzfeld
- An American computer scientist and inventor.
- Jacob M. Appel
- An American author, bioethicist, physician, lawyer and social critic.
- S. T. Joshi
- An American writer.
- Lester Frank Ward
- An American sociologist and paleontologist .
- Randy Pausch
- An American professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design.
- Jeffrey Eugenides
- A Novelist, short story writer, academic.
- David Lodge
- An English author and literary critic.
Who Are Brown University's Most Influential Faculty?
Brown University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Computer Science, Education, and History. Here are some of Brown University's most famous alumni:
- Jacob M. Appel
- An American author, bioethicist, physician, lawyer and social critic.
- Robert M. Gagné
- An American psychologist .
- Ibram X. Kendi
- An American author and historian.
- Jason Brennan
- An American philosopher and business professor.
- Jesse Shapiro
- An American economist.
- Steven K. Feiner
- An American computer scientist.
- Pardis Sabeti
- An Iranian-American biologist, Harvard University.
- Emily Oster
- An American economist.
- Ashish Jha
- An Indian-American physician.
- Jeremy Kahn
- An American mathematician.
- Alissa Quart
- An American writer.
- Alexander Braverman
- A Mathematician.
