Established in 1764, Brown is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island. It is known for its distinctive Open Curriculum, which allows students great flexibility in designing their course of study.
Brown University was chartered in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and it moved to Providence in 1770. It is the seventh-oldest college in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Its name changed to Brown in 1804, after the merchant Nicholas Brown Jr., who made a large gift. The campus lies on College Hill, above downtown Providence, with University Hall, built in 1770, and the green as its centre. It has about 10,000 students and 3,000 staff.
The university is best known for the Open Curriculum, introduced in 1969 after a student-led proposal by Ira Magaziner and Elliot Maxwell. Undergraduates have no distribution requirements and may choose courses freely, with advisers, and may take most courses on a satisfactory or no-credit basis. Brown also merged with Pembroke College, its women’s college, in 1971. The system suits independent and curious students and has shaped the culture of the campus.
The John Hay Library and the John Carter Brown Library hold rare books and manuscripts on the early Americas, and the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs is a centre for the study of world politics and development. The Warren Alpert Medical School trains doctors in partnership with hospitals in Providence. Applied mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, Egyptology and public health are strong, and the engineering programme is small and open to the humanities.
Students may take courses at the Rhode Island School of Design across the hill, and a joint dual degree exists. Alumni include John Hay, the secretary to Abraham Lincoln, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. Admission is selective, and financial aid is need-based. Check the current tariff for tuition. Teaching is in English.
Providence is a compact city with a food scene and low rents compared with Boston, which is about one hour away by train.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Ivy League institution with a unique Open Curriculum (no general education requirements, students design their own concentrations). Strong focus on undergraduate education and interdisciplinary studies. Member of AAU.
Research:
A leading research university with strengths across arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences, particularly in computer science (graphics, AI), brain science, and public health.
Famous Alumnis:
John F. Kennedy Jr., Emma Watson, Ted Turner, Janet Yellen, John Krasinski, Laura Linney
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3000
Current students***:
10000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
90000
Pros
Distinctive Open Curriculum fostering intellectual exploration, strong undergraduate focus within an Ivy League setting, collaborative and creative environment.
Cons
Extremely competitive admissions, located in a smaller city (Providence), less pre-professional emphasis than some other Ivies.
Best For
Intellectually curious and independent students seeking an Ivy League education with the freedom to design their own course of study through an Open Curriculum.
In terms of fields, Princeton University is the nearest neighbour, with physics, mathematics and life sciences again at the core; it is also a private institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
For students who like the physics, mathematics and life sciences focus of this institution but want another option nearby, University of Chicago fits well: it covers statistics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 18,000 students against roughly 10,000 here.
Among national alternatives, Harvard University stands out for its focus on physics, mathematics and life sciences, and it is also a private institution and also offers mba programmes.
Where this university leans on physics, life sciences and data analytics, Columbia University does the same, and it is also a private institution and also offers mba programmes.
Stanford University is the closest domestic counterpart for physics, life sciences and data analytics; it is larger, enrolling about 17,800 students against roughly 10,000 here, and is also a private institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In the United Kingdom, University of Oxford teaches much the same core subjects, physics, mathematics and life sciences, and it is larger, enrolling about 26,500 students against roughly 10,000 here, and is public, whereas this institution is private.
The closest overseas parallel on physics, mathematics and life sciences is Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, located in Hong Kong; it is public, whereas this institution is private, and also offers mba programmes.
Abroad, Royal Holloway, University of London (the United Kingdom) covers physics, mathematics and life sciences in a comparable way, and it is public, whereas this institution is private, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Yonsei University (South Korea) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly physics, mathematics and life sciences; it also offers mba programmes and covers finance and chemistry as well.
On content, University of Granada in Spain and this university are close, as both teach physics, mathematics and life sciences; it is far larger, with about 60,000 students against roughly 10,000 here, and is public, whereas this university is private.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Brown University?
On College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island.
When was it chartered?
In 1764, and it moved to Providence in 1770.
Why is it called Brown?
The name was adopted in 1804 after the merchant Nicholas Brown Jr., who made a large gift.
How large is it?
About 10,000 students and 3,000 staff.
What is the Open Curriculum?
A system introduced in 1969 in which undergraduates have no distribution requirements and choose their courses freely, with advisers.
Who proposed the Open Curriculum?
Students Ira Magaziner and Elliot Maxwell.
What is the Watson Institute?
A centre for the study of world politics and development.
Can students take courses at RISD?
Yes, at the Rhode Island School of Design across the hill, and a joint dual degree exists.
How far is Boston?
About one hour by train.
How is financial aid decided?
It is need-based. Check the current tariff for tuition.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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