Brown University
#1 Best Colleges in Rhode Island- Graduation Rate
- 96% A+
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $93,487 A+
- Top 1% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $25,184 D
- 47% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 5% A+
- Rejects about 95 of every 100 applicants
Bottom line: A B overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 22.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $22.7 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Colleges in Rhode Island.
Every $1 spent returns $22.7 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,188,522.
What The Data Says
-
A B overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 129% more than the national college median.
-
A 96% graduation rate — 67% above the national average.
-
Inventor rate in the top 12% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.
-
Admits just 5% of applicants — one of the most selective institutions in the country.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 2.1%
- Top 12%
- Patents
- 195
- Linked to graduates
- World Rank
- #55
- Times Higher Education
- Patent Citations
- 138
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 57/100
- Times Higher Education
Why Brown University Matters
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, RI ranked #55 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by exceptional admissions selectivity, a top-tier research enterprise, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 1% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R1 · Very High Research
- Enrollment
- 7,226
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Social Sciences, Computer Science & IT, Biology & Biomedical, Mathematics & Statistics
Why students choose Brown University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Highly selective — admits about 5% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1510–1580. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $25,184 a year after grants and scholarships — 47% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $93,487 ten years after enrolling — 129% above the typical college, against $11,428 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.4% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 56% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.84 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an acceptance rate of just 5%, Brown University in Providence, RI, is a selective option that attracts students driven to excel academically and personally. It’s a place for those who thrive in a collaborative environment and are eager to dive into programs like Social Sciences, Computer Science, Biology, Mathematics, and Engineering. The high graduation rate of 96% speaks to the strong support system in place, making it a solid choice for ambitious students.
After graduation, Brown alumni see impressive earning potential, with a median income of $93,487 ten years post-graduation. This financial trajectory suggests that graduates are not just securing jobs, but often moving into roles that reward their hard work. While this school may come with a price tag, the outcomes reflect a community that values education and shapes successful careers.
When it comes to the finances, the net price after aid stands at $25,184, and the median debt is relatively manageable at $11,428. This is encouraging, especially for students who may be concerned about student loans. Those who tend to thrive here are often self-motivated and ready to engage deeply with their studies, taking full advantage of the opportunities that come their way.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Brown University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Brown University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a private institution in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 5%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,546. The graduation rate is roughly 96%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Retention Rate
- 99%
- SAT Average
- 1546
- ACT Midpoint
- 34
- SAT Range
- 1510–1580
- ACT Range
- 34–35
- Full-Time Faculty
- 92%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $17,839
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 6:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.80
- First-Gen Students
- 17%
- Applicants
- 50,649
- Admitted
- 2,562
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Brown University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 63% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school more than half of admitted students choose.
- Yield Rate
- 63%
- of admits enroll
- Submitted SAT
- 77%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 28%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Early Decision Admit Rate
- 17.9%
- vs 6.3% overall
Applying early pays off here. Of 5,062 Early Decision applicants, 907 were admitted — a 17.9% admit rate, roughly 2.8× the 6.3% rate for the overall pool. That binding round alone filled about 53% of the entering class (907 of 1,719 first-years). The catch: Early Decision is a commitment you make before you can compare aid offers.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Brown University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Brown University is $71,412, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $25,184. For the lowest-income families, those earning under $30,000, need-based grants can fully cover tuition, leaving little or nothing to pay out of pocket. The median graduate leaves with about $11,428 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $71,412
- Out-of-State
- $71,412
- Avg Net Price
- $25,184
- Median Debt
- $11,428
- Pell Grant Rate
- 14%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 10%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $-420
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $2,031
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $5,858
- Family Income $110K+
- $44,937
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Brown University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Brown University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Brown University earn a median of $93,487, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $79,131
- 8 Years
- $84,208
- 10 Years
- $93,487
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.12x
- Earning > $25K
- 79%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (1,306)
- 84%
- 100% (1,306)
- 84%
- 100% (1,306)
- 84%
- 100% (1,306)
- 84%
How Brown Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Brown University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Brown University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $25,184/year ($100,736 total). Graduates earn $93,487 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,289,258 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,188,522 (22.7× your investment). The median debt is $11,428, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 96% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $100,736
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $2,289,258
- Net Return
- $2,188,522
- ROI Multiple
- 22.7×
- Cost Per Year
- $25,184
- Median Debt
- $11,428
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 96%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Brown University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Brown University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.36%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $67,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.36%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 11.9%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 11.5%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $92,116
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Research & Teaching
Data: Times Higher Education World University Rankings
How Research-Intensive Is Brown University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Brown University at #55 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 57/100, teaching at 60/100, and citation impact of 78/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
- World Rank
- #55
- Teaching
- 59.7
- Research
- 57
- Citations
- 77.7
- International
- 60.5
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Brown University produces inventors at an above-average rate (top 12% nationally), with 195 patents tied to its graduates, and ranks among research universities with a 57/100 research score.
- Inventor Rate
- 2.07%
- Top 12% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 195
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 138
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 57/100
- Times Higher Ed
- Academic Influence
- 78/100
- Citation impact (THE)
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 1.16%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-354,201,000
Top Programs
The fields Brown University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Social Sciences 25% $75,215 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 16% $182,646 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 12% $36,992 early-career
- Mathematics & Statistics 11% $105,162 early-career
- Engineering 5% $90,209 early-career
- English & Literature 5% $55,595 early-career
- Psychology 3% $44,719 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 2% $39,121 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Brown University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Brown University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a private institution in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 5%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,546. The graduation rate is roughly 96%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Brown University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Brown University is $71,412, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $25,184. For the lowest-income families, those earning under $30,000, need-based grants can fully cover tuition, leaving little or nothing to pay out of pocket. The median graduate leaves with about $11,428 in federal student loans.
Is Brown University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Brown University earn a median of $93,487, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Brown University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Brown University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.36%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $67,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Brown University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Brown University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.84, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 13% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
How Research-Intensive Is Brown University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Brown University at #55 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 57/100, teaching at 60/100, and citation impact of 78/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
Does Brown University offer Early Decision, and does it improve admission chances?
Yes. Brown University offers a binding Early Decision plan, and it carries a real advantage: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 18%, about 2.8 times the overall 6% acceptance rate, and ED filled roughly 53% of the entering class. Because ED is binding, it makes sense only if Brown University is a clear first choice and you can commit before comparing aid offers (2025-26 Common Data Set).
Is Brown University really test-optional?
Brown University reports test-optional admission, but most enrolled students still submit scores: about 1% of first-year students sent an SAT or ACT (2025-26 Common Data Set). Submitting strong scores is the norm here.
What percentage of admitted students enroll at Brown University?
About 63% of admitted students choose to enroll at Brown University — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
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Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Brown University.
- Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Close peer96% grad $100,533 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Duke UniversityDurham, NC · Close peer96% grad $97,800 earn 6% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · Close peer93% grad $91,565 earn 6% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · Close peer96% grad $89,363 earn 8% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · Close peer96% grad $97,434 earn 5% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of ChicagoChicago, IL · Close peer95% grad $91,885 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Brown University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Brown University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.84, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 13% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note