Brown University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Brown University, a private college in Rhode Island, reports a 5% acceptance rate and sits in the most selective band. In practice that means it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Brown University weighs, where it ranks among Rhode Island schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1560, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Brown University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Brown University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Brown University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Brown University?
Your odds at Brown University are not the same as its 5% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Brown University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Brown University hard to get into?
Brown University is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 5% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Brown University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Brown University, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. Brown University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Brown University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Brown University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Brown University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1550 SAT?
About 10% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1550 SAT, the middle of Brown University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1580 SAT comes out near 11%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/brown-university.
How to get into Brown University
Built from Brown University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Brown University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Brown University carries about a 3.95 core GPA and a 1530 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1510 to 1580 SAT (34 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1545 or higher; below 1510, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Brown University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Brown University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Brown University's exact dates at www.brown.edu.
How many students apply to Brown University, and how many get in?
Brown University admitted 2,686 of the 51,316 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 5.2%. 1,695 enrolled. A yield that high means most admitted students choose Brown University over their other options, a sign the school is a first choice rather than a backup. Brown University enrolls about 7,226 undergraduates in total, 50% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Brown University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Brown University scored between 1510 and 1580 on the SAT (average 1546). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 34 to 35. A score above 1580 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1510 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Brown University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Brown University looks for
What Brown University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Brown University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Brown University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Brown University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Brown University cost after financial aid?
Brown University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $87,648 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $71,412. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $25,184 a year, and it ranges from $0 for families earning under $30,000 to $44,937 for families earning over $110,000. 14% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Brown University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Brown University student who received federal aid earns $93,487 a year, up from $79,131 at six years. 96% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 99% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $11,428; 10% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Brown University compares in Rhode Island
Brown University ranks #1 most selective of 7 schools in Rhode Island in our database.
Among the 7 Rhode Island schools we track, Brown University ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes Providence College at 51%.
Similar to Brown University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Brown University often weigh Dartmouth College, Northeastern University, and Princeton University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
More data for Rhode Island: Brown University engineering admissions
Frequently asked questions
What is Brown University's acceptance rate?
Brown University admitted 2,686 of 51,316 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 5.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 63% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Brown University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1510 to 1580 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1580 is in the top quarter of admits. Brown University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Brown University test-optional?
Yes. Brown University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Brown University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Brown University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $25,184 a year against a sticker price of about $87,648. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $0 on average.
What do Brown University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Brown University are $93,487 a year among students who received federal aid, and 96% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Brown University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Brown University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Brown University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Brown University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Brown University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Brown University specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.