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
23
Average class size
77%
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
2-9
2-9
437
10-19
424
20-29
139
30-39
66
40-49
45
50-99
106
100+
55
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
77%
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
International Relations and Affairs
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
73.8
107.64
141.48
175.32
209.16
243
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- Architecture 16
- Architecture 5
Area
- East Asian Studies 18
- East Asian Studies 9
- Slavic Studies 6
- Ethnic Studies 5
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 5
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 5
- African Studies 5
- American Indian/Native American Studies 4
- German Studies 4
- French Studies 4
- French Studies 4
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 4
- African Studies 4
- Ethnic Studies 3
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 3
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 3
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies 2
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
- American Indian/Native American Studies 1
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies 1
- Slavic Studies 1
- Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 0
- African-American/Black Studies 0
- Italian Studies 0
- South Asian Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 102
- Neuroscience 76
- Biochemistry 36
- Computational Biology 10
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 9
- Biophysics 2
- Computational Biology 2
- Biophysics 1
- Neuroscience 1
Business
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 5
- Organizational Behavior Studies 0
Communication
- Mass Communication/Media Studies 41
- Mass Communication/Media Studies 15
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 243
- Computer Science 44
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 39
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 1
Education
- Education, General 15
- Education, General 14
Engineering
- Engineering, General 68
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 34
- Engineering, General 12
- Industrial Engineering 2
- Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 0
- Engineering, Other 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 64
- English Language and Literature, General 26
- Creative Writing 23
- Creative Writing 18
Foreign Languages
- Comparative Literature 14
- Comparative Literature 12
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 11
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 11
- Linguistics 9
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 7
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 7
- Spanish Language and Literature 7
- Linguistics 6
- Spanish Language and Literature 3
- Portuguese Language and Literature 1
- Portuguese Language and Literature 1
- French Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Community Health and Preventive Medicine 0
History
- History, General 38
- History, General 26
Mathematics And Statistics
- Applied Mathematics, General 159
- Computational Mathematics 30
- Applied Mathematics, General 27
- Mathematics, General 17
- Mathematics, General 16
- Statistics, General 4
- Statistics, General 1
- Computational Mathematics 1
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Human Biology 46
- Behavioral Sciences 30
- Science, Technology and Society 11
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 11
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 11
- MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 11
- Human Biology 9
- Behavioral Sciences 7
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 7
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 7
- MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 7
- Cognitive Science, General 6
- Contemplative Studies/Inquiry 6
- Contemplative Studies/Inquiry 4
- Science, Technology and Society 3
- Cognitive Science, General 2
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 2
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies 1
- Ancient Studies/Civilization 0
- Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology 0
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Studies 28
- Environmental Science 27
- Environmental Studies 9
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 21
- Religion/Religious Studies 8
- Philosophy 7
- Religion/Religious Studies 3
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 2
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
- Physics, General 32
- Chemistry, General 18
- Geology/Earth Science, General 9
- Physics, General 8
- Geology/Earth Science, General 5
- Geophysics and Seismology 4
- Geochemistry 2
- Chemistry, General 1
- Astronomy 1
- Astronomy 1
- Chemical Physics 0
- Theoretical and Mathematical Physics 0
Psychology
- Experimental Psychology 35
- Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 31
- Experimental Psychology 14
- Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 4
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Public Policy Analysis, General 1
Social Sciences
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 174
- International Relations and Affairs 111
- International Relations and Affairs 67
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 56
- Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 55
- Political Science and Government, General 44
- Sociology, General 29
- Political Science and Government, General 19
- Urban Studies/Affairs 15
- Anthropology, General 15
- Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 14
- Urban Studies/Affairs 11
- Sociology, General 10
- Anthropology, General 8
- Social Sciences, Other 8
- Social Sciences, Other 8
- Archeology 4
- Archeology 3
- Development Economics and International Development 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Art/Art Studies, General 32
- Art/Art Studies, General 21
- Music, General 18
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 13
- Music, General 12
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 8
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 7
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 6
- Music Technology 0
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