Brown University
Get to know Brown University
School Profile
Urban campus setting
7,741 undergraduate students
3,775 graduate students
1,724 first-year students
15% first-generation students
Students hail from 50 U.S. States plus D.C. as well as 113 nations and territories.
Admissions
Academics
2,000+ courses and 80 academic concentrations
70+ special seminars capped at 20 students for first-year students
Student-to-faculty ratio 6:1
67% of classes have fewer than 20 students
Introduction to Brown University
Brown is a leading research university distinct for its student-centered learning and deep sense of purpose. Brown’s students are driven by the idea that their work will have an impact in the world. The spirit of the Open Curriculum infuses every aspect of the undergraduate experience. Brown is a place where rigorous scholarship, complex problem-solving, and service to the public good are defined by intense collaboration, intellectual discovery, and working in ways that transcend traditional boundaries.
Students can pursue degrees in 80 concentrations, ranging from Egyptology to Cognitive Neuroscience, and supplement their learning with certificate programs from Entrepreneurship to Engaged Scholarship. Whether you are interested in exploring the humanities, STEM fields, or perhaps even both, you will have plenty of personal interaction with faculty and live among students like yourself who are lifelong learners and leaders. Advising is available for students pursuing pre-med or pre-law. You can also extend your passions beyond Rhode Island by studying abroad through Brown’s programs or taking part in faculty-led international opportunities through an academic department.
Famous alumni include: Tom Watson '37 (President of IBM); Debra Lee '76 (President of BET); Ted Turner '60 (Founder of CNN); Brian Moynihan ’81 (Chairman/CEO of Bank of America); Jim Yong Kim '82 (President of the World Bank); Tracee Ellis Ross '94 (Actor); John Krasinski '02 (Actor); and Emma Watson '14 (Actor).
The Open Curriculum encourages students to follow their interests without being restricted by core requirements.
Brown’s U-FLi Center (Undocumented, FirstGeneration College and Low Income Center) is one of many campus centers that celebrate student identity and help build community.