Brown University

Brown University, also referred to as Brown, is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island, and a member of the Ivy League.

Brown was established in 1764 as the College of Rhode Island. Although having a Baptist affiliation, it was the first institution in the U.S to accept students regardless of religious affiliations. U.S.

There are nearly 9,000 students currently in the undergraduate college, graduate school and medical school--representing all 50 states and many foreign countries. For 2010, more than 18,000 students applied for 1,450 places in the freshman class.

News & World Report rankings (2008 edition) placed Brown, tied with Stanford, as the seventh most selective college in the nation.

Brown's campus consists of more than 230 buildings and sits on 143 acres. The library system contains more than 6,000,000 items.

The university offers a wide variety of degrees and programs through the following academic divisions:

• College and Graduate School
• Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women
• Warren Alpert Medical School
• Watson Institute for International Studies

Brown's uniquely self-directed undergraduate curriculum dates back to 1969-1970, when it was conceived by college-level students and ratified by the faculty.

Brown's campus is home to more than 300 registered student organizations. The university has an active Greek life; more than 12%students are members of various fraternities or sororities.

The Brown Bears compete in the Ivy League and against other colleges and universities at the NCAA Division I level. The university has one of the nation's broadest arrays of varsity teams--37 in all. Of these, 17 are for men, 19 for women (the nation's largest athletic program for women), and 1 coeducational. U.S. News and World Report recently named Brown athletics to the College Sports Honor Roll as one of the top 20 U.S. sports programs.

Among the famous alumni of Brown are Richard C. Holbrooke, top-level diplomatic, special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan under president Obama; Robert Conley, founder of NPR; Aaron T. Beck, father of cognitive behavioral therapy; John Hope, college president, founder of the Niagara Movement (became NAACP); Judith Jacobson, cofounder of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East; Otto Kerner, Governor of Illinois, chair of commission investigating race riots in 1960s; authors Nathaniel West, Susan Cheever; Erich Kunzel, conductor, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; Mary Chapin Carpenter, Country singer-songwriter; Mark Donohue, professional racing driver; John V. Heisman, football player/coach, namesake of Heisman Trophy; Jeffrey Haynes, producer, "Law & Order"; Kathryn S. Fuller, former CEO, World Wildlife Fund; playwrights Burt Shevelove and Alfred Uhry; John D. Rockefeller, Jr., philanthropist; and Ted Turner, billionaire philanthropist who founded CNN, TBS, TNT, and TCM.

Highlights

Where the school stands out most compared to other schools (details below):

• Many students concentrating in science, mathematics, liberal arts, medicine, drama and performing arts, and fine arts.
• High faculty salary.
• Selective admissions.
• High SAT scores (combined Verbal and Math).
• Large number of programs of study offered.
• Good faculty-to-student ratio.
• Number of dorm rooms for students.
• Large number of students.
• High male/female ratio.
• High yield: the portion of accepted students who enroll.

Other important characteristics:

• Faculty tenure system
• Library on-campus
• Campus housing available
• Study abroad option
• Part-time classes available

Degrees Awarded (in 2008-2009)

Students

Student enrollment was 8,167 in 2007-2008 (7,506 full-time equivalent).

About 47% of the freshmen class in 2008-2009 was male and women were 53% of the class.

Undergrads are 75% of enrolled students, graduate students are 21%, and those seeking first-professional graduate degrees represent 4%.

About 10% of freshmen are from countries other than the US. Students living in the US make up 90% of incoming freshmen.

Tuition and Other Costs (2008-2009)

Financial Aid: Brown participates in US Title IV financial assistance programs.

Please refer to BrainTrack's financial aid articles section for background information.

Housing and Meals

Brown provides on-campus housing for 4,643 of its 7,506 (full-time) students (as of 2008-2009). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.

Athletics

School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Ivy Group for major sports.

Admissions (2008-2009)

SAT Test Scores: