Brown University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Brown University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
6:1
Student to faculty ratio
24
Average class size
80%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
Brown has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
10-19
2-9
389
10-19
436
20-29
142
30-39
62
40-49
50
50-99
100
100+
54
Honors Programs
Brown University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
Learn more about honors options on Brown's website.
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Brown University:
99%
First-year retention rate
80%
4-year grad rate
96%
6-year grad rate
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Brown University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Computer Science
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Applied Mathematics, General
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Engineering, General
45.8
78.44
111.08
143.72
176.36
209
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- Architecture 8
- Architecture 1
Area
- African Studies 11
- African Studies 9
- East Asian Studies 9
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies 7
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 7
- Ethnic Studies 7
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 6
- East Asian Studies 6
- French Studies 5
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 4
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 3
- German Studies 3
- German Studies 3
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 3
- Ethnic Studies 3
- Slavic Studies 2
- Italian Studies 2
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1
- South Asian Studies 1
- Slavic Studies 1
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies 1
- South Asian Studies 0
- French Studies 0
- Italian Studies 0
- African-American/Black Studies 0
- Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 94
- Neuroscience 51
- Biochemistry 28
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 17
- Computational Biology 10
- Biophysics 1
- Computational Biology 1
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 0
Business
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 49
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 2
- Organizational Behavior Studies 1
Communication
- Mass Communication/Media Studies 19
- Mass Communication/Media Studies 6
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 209
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 48
- Computer Science 41
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 1
Education
- Education, General 25
- Education, General 12
Engineering
- Engineering, General 73
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 23
- Engineering, General 5
- Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 4
- Engineering, Other 1
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 43
- Creative Writing 27
- English Language and Literature, General 17
- Creative Writing 11
Foreign Languages
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 11
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 11
- Comparative Literature 8
- Spanish Language and Literature 8
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 6
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 6
- Spanish Language and Literature 4
- Comparative Literature 3
- Linguistics 2
- Linguistics 1
- Portuguese Language and Literature 1
- Portuguese Language and Literature 1
- French Language and Literature 0
- Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Public Health, General 58
- Public Health, General 16
- Community Health and Preventive Medicine 0
History
- History, General 60
- History, General 23
Mathematics And Statistics
- Applied Mathematics, General 148
- Applied Mathematics, General 20
- Mathematics, General 13
- Computational Mathematics 10
- Mathematics, General 8
- Statistics, General 4
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Behavioral Sciences 30
- Human Biology 30
- MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 12
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 12
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 12
- MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 9
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 9
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 9
- Science, Technology and Society 8
- Behavioral Sciences 7
- Science, Technology and Society 5
- Cognitive Science, General 5
- Human Biology 5
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies 3
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2
- Cognitive Science, General 2
- Contemplative Studies/Inquiry 2
- Contemplative Studies/Inquiry 2
- Ancient Studies/Civilization 0
- Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology 0
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Studies 17
- Environmental Science 13
- Environmental Studies 6
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 14
- Philosophy 11
- Religion/Religious Studies 9
- Religion/Religious Studies 5
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 2
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 2
Physical Sciences
- Physics, General 18
- Chemistry, General 14
- Geology/Earth Science, General 9
- Geophysics and Seismology 7
- Chemical Physics 3
- Physics, General 3
- Astronomy 1
- Astronomy 1
- Chemistry, General 1
- Geology/Earth Science, General 1
- Geochemistry 0
- Theoretical and Mathematical Physics 0
Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 22
- Experimental Psychology 22
- Experimental Psychology 11
- Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 3
- Psychology, General 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Public Policy Analysis, General 21
- Public Policy Analysis, General 9
Social Sciences
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 154
- International Relations and Affairs 73
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 60
- Political Science and Government, General 37
- International Relations and Affairs 27
- Political Science and Government, General 21
- Anthropology, General 15
- Sociology, General 14
- Sociology, General 9
- Urban Studies/Affairs 9
- Urban Studies/Affairs 9
- Anthropology, General 7
- Archeology 4
- Archeology 2
- Social Sciences, Other 2
- Development Economics and International Development 1
- Social Sciences, Other 1
- Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 0
- Economics, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Art/Art Studies, General 16
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 13
- Music, General 13
- Music, General 12
- Art/Art Studies, General 11
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 11
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 6
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 1
- Music Technology 0
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