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Brown University
Academics

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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
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
Applied Mathematics, General
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
International Relations and Affairs
70.6
93.88
117.16
140.44
163.72
187

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architecture 14
Area
  • African Studies 10
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 9
  • Ethnic Studies 9
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 6
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 4
  • East Asian Studies 4
  • Latin American and Caribbean Studies 2
  • Italian Studies 1
  • German Studies 1
  • French Studies 1
  • Slavic Studies 1
  • South Asian Studies 0
  • Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 0
  • African-American/Black Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 96
  • Neuroscience 74
  • Biochemistry 31
  • Computational Biology 21
  • Biophysics 2
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 0
Business
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 34
  • Organizational Behavior Studies 0
Communication
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 23
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 187
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 35
Education
  • Education, General 15
Engineering
  • Engineering, General 73
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 26
  • Engineering, Other 0
  • Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 53
  • Creative Writing 29
Foreign Languages
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 12
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 12
  • Comparative Literature 11
  • Spanish Language and Literature 4
  • Linguistics 1
  • Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Portuguese Language and Literature 0
  • French Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Community Health and Preventive Medicine 0
History
  • History, General 43
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Applied Mathematics, General 141
  • Computational Mathematics 17
  • Mathematics, General 14
  • Statistics, General 7
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Human Biology 41
  • Behavioral Sciences 23
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 15
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 15
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 15
  • Science, Technology and Society 10
  • Cognitive Science, General 4
  • Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2
  • Contemplative Studies/Inquiry 2
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
  • Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology 0
  • Ancient Studies/Civilization 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 19
  • Environmental Science 15
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 12
  • Religion/Religious Studies 8
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 24
  • Chemistry, General 10
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 9
  • Geophysics and Seismology 3
  • Geochemistry 3
  • Chemical Physics 3
  • Theoretical and Mathematical Physics 0
  • Astronomy 0
Psychology
  • Experimental Psychology 31
  • Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 24
  • Psychology, General 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 12
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 123
  • International Relations and Affairs 90
  • Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 56
  • Political Science and Government, General 40
  • Sociology, General 18
  • Anthropology, General 16
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 14
  • Archeology 3
  • Social Sciences, Other 1
  • Development Economics and International Development 0
  • Economics, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Music, General 19
  • Art/Art Studies, General 16
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 11
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
  • Music Technology 0

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