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Brown University

Providence, RI
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Brown University

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Brown University boasts a diverse and lively student body of several thousand undergraduates each year. Students hail from all 50 states and over 100 countries, bringing varied backgrounds and perspectives to the campus community. The university is composed of the undergraduate and graduate colleges, as well as four specific schools for different areas of study: Alpert Medical School, School of Public Health, School of Engineering, and the School of Professional Studies.

Students at this highly selective university can look forward to a wide variety of disciplines available for study. Faculty and students work closely together, building knowledge through collaboration, shared research, and free inquiry. Hands-on opportunities to apply academic learning are available through internships, study abroad, and community service. As a renowned research institution, students can work with faculty members who are cutting edge in their fields to participate firsthand in the discovery and acquisition of new knowledge.

School History

Brown University is the seventh oldest college in the United States. Founded in 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island, the college has served as an independent and coeducational institution for nearly three centuries. Initially established as a Baptist college, the university was named for Nicholas Brown, Jr., the son of a member of the founding organization. Classes began in 1765 with the first and only student, and four years later the university held its first commencement where they awarded degrees to seven students. Brown University commencement traditions that are still in practice today, such as graduates engaging in a debate and the ceremony being held in Bristol County, were both started at the initial graduation event.

As enrollment grew over the course of the 19th century, the campus, students, and subjects offered at Brown University evolved as well. In 1847, the college was the first of the Ivy League schools to establish its engineering program, which remains one of the most popular majors at the university. In 1881, the first advanced degrees were bestowed upon graduate students by the college. The first female students at Brown University were enrolled in 1891, and were provided similar but separate instruction to their male counterparts.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, Brown University continued diversifying and increasing its student body and committing to public service. During World War II, Brown trained Army and Navy men on its campus, accelerating their degree programs and operating year-round. Faculty members also served in the war and conducted research to contribute to the war efforts. In 1971, the separate colleges for men and women were merged into one institution. In 2013, Brown opened the School of Public Health, which has provided education and support for substance abuse and public healthy policy.

Campus Life

Students at Brown University have the opportunity to develop close and lasting friendships through the residential system. First year undergraduate students live with a roommate in units of other freshman or newly transferred students. Upperclassmen have the chance to select their residence hall and room through a lottery system, with the option to live alone or with a friend. Students can choose between themed housing, Greek residences, and dormitories for special circumstances, such as single sex or substance free.

Engagement in extracurricular activities, community service, and athletics is strongly encouraged at Brown University. With more than 300 student groups to choose from, there is at least one organization that will meet the passion and interest of every student on campus. Students who do not play sports can demonstrate their school spirit by cheering on any of the 38 NCAA Division I athletic teams. Brown University students can also support their creative classmates by attending art shows, watching theater productions, and listening to musical performances.

Students on campus are supported by several health and wellness services. In order to exercise and maintain physical fitness, students have access to two fitness centers. The university also offers confidential and free psychological assessment, intervention and short-term therapy for students in need of counseling and mental health support. Students in need of medical services, whether routine or urgent, can receive comprehensive health care right on campus. The University Health Services also offers emergency services and medical advice 24 hours a day.

Financial Aid

Brown University offers significant financial aid support to students who require it. The college is committed to meeting 100% of an undergraduate’s eligible financial need. Just under half of the undergraduate class receives financial support through grants, scholarships and work study employment through the college.

Overview

54 students have given us feedback on this college.

Despite college rankings and beautiful college websites, most students and families know very little about the actual student experience at particular schools. College websites, campus tours and conversations with high school guidance counselors provide very limited information.

The Voice of the Student Survey compares the responses of over 7,500 liberal arts college undergraduates on more than 40 questions about college life. As a result, we learned what “real life” looks like at individual schools.

Despite scripted campus tours designed to get you to say, “It just feels right,” no college is perfect. Two campuses that you are comparing might seem very similar on the surface when, in fact, the students tell a very different story.

That is why we surveyed thousands of liberal arts students, to help you get the real scoop about the student experience… the good, the bad and the ugly. As a Liberal Arts Insider member, you have access to the data we’ve collected from these Liberal Arts Colleges students.

Campus Community Coach & Safety Sherpa

How safe, accepted, and comfortable students feel on their college campus is one of the largest influencing factors as to how satisfied they feel with their college experience. Having a tight-knit college community is the cornerstone of a successful college experience, as proven by our Voice of the Students survey.

We can compare what the college brochures advertise to what students are actually experiencing; sometimes the admissions representatives have no idea how students on their campus really feel. This “Community” section is a way to find out exactly what students think about their campus, in their own words. Here, we have data about student satisfaction, housing, social cliques, and student’s sense of safety.

What do you like best about your school? (you can have more than 1 answer)

Here is a representative sample of what students (in their own, unedited words) told us what they liked best about their school.
What students have to say?
Reponse
flexibility of classes
The Open Curriculum/Grading system Friendliness of students Academic learning environment Relaxed atmosphere Proximity to the city
Open curriculum
Resources to do whatever you wish with your degree
The atmosphere is very relaxed and the student body is diverse and fun.
Open curriculum (no general education requirements) Creativity, passion of students culture of cooperation
Great professors, resources, and education
The amazing diverse student body and passionate professors
Open curriculum (and shopping period): everyone is passionate about all their classes! High academic rigor The teachers are great and love to teach
The student's passion about their studies and research.
The Open Curriculum is lit. Professors are fantastic, as are fellow students.
We have lots of money and virtually no academic limits
How it's normal to be interested in seemingly opposite things

What would you change about your school? (you can have more than 1 answer)

Here is a representative sample of what students (in their own, unedited words) told us what they would change about their college.
What students have to say?
Reponse
greater socioeconomic diversity
Everyone always dresses really nicely all the time, and that's mildly annoying pressure.
Wish all the freshman lived in one part of campus and had more unity Wish there was more sports spirit (although people are super supportive of friends in sports, in general sports events don't have great attendance) Make it easier to get involved with student organizations (lots of them require applications and can be competitive)
The hyper-PC culture. People crucify you if you have a different opinion while hypocritically claiming open mindedness and diversity
The students. There is no political diversity here and not nearly as much entrepreneurship or business as I would like. The students are way too sensitive as well and way too politically correct. It's suffocating especially when they get militant about forcing people to be overly nice. They drive me crazy.
I wish it were more accessible to a city with internships during the academic year
Improve athletics and school spirit
housing, dining to some extent
I would increase financial aid. Given the recent New York Times studies regarding students' financial backgrounds, there is a clear and unfair advantage given to the elite families of society.
Openness to civil debate on contentious issues. Less shaming of non conforming ideals
Needs more political diversity (and a better engineering department)
Currently, the free mental health services on campus are focused on short term help. I would love to see an expanded program to help with ongoing therapy efforts.
Too white and wealthy, needs to support low income and minority students more
The social atmosphere is bland. It's full of lefty know-it-alls who are extremely self important and fragile.
It might be cool if sports were a bigger thing
Where to begin - This school is obsessed with social issues. According to the "advocates" here: racism is rampant at Brown, extorting $100m from spineless university officials is simply too easy, and everyone should celebrate not being the all-oppressive white, cisgendered male.
I would change the way in which orientation is managed at the beginning of the school year. It can be extremely stressful or pressuring to find a friend group or feel like you belong immediately, so I would enhance the fact that it is okay to not get caught up in everything that is occurring and take the time to breathe.
The political climate
Single sided viewpoints that hinder academic discourse
Strong currents of anti-Semitism, often disguised as anti-Zionism, which have frequently prevented me (as a Zionist Jew) from being involved with various social justice causes, including those with no relevance to Israel or Judaism.
This school is great when everything is going well in your life, but if something in your personal life goes wrong and you need accommodations, there is a lot of confusing bureaucracy to go through. I would make the higher levels of the administration more personable and less bureaucratic.
Fairly large introductory classes and long waitlists for capped courses.
Food options are solidly meh, although I haven't been to the Ratty since it was renovated. If you don't think you can do snow/cold/winter, Providence is not the place for you.
The wealth gap and elitism expressed by some students and even faculty, for instance the presumption that "you're at Brown, of course you're rich." That culture adds a layer of stress that is extremely psychologically taxing and hard to manage when coursework is already a sizeable commitment.
I dislike the campus culture
Socio-Political climate
I wish there was a more centralized student experience.

Overall, how satisfied are you with your college experience and why?

Students were asked to rate their satisfaction with their college experience on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being "not satisfied at all" and 10 being "extremely satisfied." What you see here is the college's average Satisfaction Score, a representative indicator of students’ feelings about the overall experience.

Sense of Community

"Sense of community" is defined as a feeling members have that they belong and they matter to one another and to the group. We asked students how they would rate the sense of community on campus.
Very weak
0%
Weak
18.5%
Average
31.5%
Very strong
50%

Housing Satisfaction

Student housing is often touted as a big selling point during the college recruiting process, even though often times the best housing is only available to a small percentage of students. So, we asked students, across the board, how satisfied are you with your housing?
Not Satisfied
11.3%
Somewhat Satisfied
30.2%
Satisfied
26.4%
Very satisfied
32.1%
What students have to say?
Reponse
Housing definitely varies here, but I got pretty lucky.
The dorms are almost all terrible. We pay 60k a year. We should live in the Ritz Carlton and have 5 star meals. Instead I live in a bland, old, unattractive, garbage dorm. Almost every dorm here except some freshman ones are garbage.
living off campus because I hated the housing so much
Housing is a little hit or miss, but they're working on renovating the older dorms
My housing has been fine. But I have been lucky. Most dorms struggle with heat, cleanliness, and proximity to major class buildings.
I live like a king. I have a sink in my room AND I can go downstairs to get pizza at almost any time of the day.
Buildings are old and crappy
My dorm is not as big as some of the other first year dorms, which should be changed since we all pay the same room and board fees, but overall it is a suitable living space.
I just visited Yale and it made me feel like we got the short end of the stick
Huge rooms; reasonable roommate selection process (I coexisted with my freshman year roommate and then picked my best friend as a roommate sophomore year); I'm a member of a program house with a great community and convenient location
I need a single but all freshman rooms are double. I'm sure it'll be better next year. My roommate is fine and my room is otherwise nice.

Safe on Campus (Even at Night)?

We asked students: How safe do you feel on campus, even at night? This is an incredibly important set of data, because we found high correlation between a high sense of safety and the likelihood of liberal arts students to recommend their school to others. In fact, when students indicated they felt “very safe” on campus, they were nearly twice as likely to recommend their school to others as those who said they felt “somewhat safe.”
Unsafe
0%
Somewhat Safe
23.1%
Very Safe
76.9%

Ever Felt Discriminated Against?

Students deserve to feel safe and accepted on their college campus. This is especially a concern for underrepresented groups of students, which at Liberal Arts Colleges tend to be students of color and/or international students. To help you make the right decision about school choice and find out the truth that not all schools will share, we asked students, “Have you ever felt discriminated against based on social or physical characteristics? (e.g. gender, ethnicity, family background, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin).”
Never.
57.7%
A couple of times, but nothing major.
26.9%
Yes, sometimes. It happens more than I wish it did.
9.6%
Yes, often. It happens all the time.
5.8%
What students have to say?
Reponse
I'm not an ultra-leftist social justice warrior so I don't fit in here. Being a white, cisgendered, heteronormative, straight, capitalist, business loving male isn't exactly the "ideal" for Brown.
Religion is mocked at times. Conservative viewpoints are mocked hourly.
I don't fit into the social justice scene.
people are too critical of conservatives in general
I have faced significant discrimination because I am Jewish.
Any problems that I have experienced are things that the university is actively working on.

Liberal or Conservative?

Which way does the campus lean? We ask students... In general, “liberal” people in the US tend to promote social justice and equality, and ask the government to help make society more fair. “Conservative” people tend to promote traditional social values and prefer less government involvement. In your opinion, is your school more liberal or more conservative?
Very liberal
92.2%
Liberal
7.8%
Neutral. Neither liberal nor conservative.
0%
Conservative
0%
Very conservative
0%
I'm not sure
0%

Academics Advisor

Without a doubt, academics are a major focus, if not the top priority, for many college students. Schools will often advertise their classrooms as collaborative, but we’ve found that students sometimes describe the academic environment as highly competitive. Are students helping each other with academic work or trying to get ahead? Do students spend every waking moment with their nose in a book?

We asked students both qualitative and quantitative questions to find out how the academics at this school challenge them, and contribute to their college experience. Find out directly from the students how they feel about academics, challenging or otherwise, at their school.

Workload

To get a qualitative measure of the way students feel about academics at their school, we asked “How manageable is the workload at your school?”
Easily Manageable - not difficult at all
0%
Very Manageable - occasionally difficult
3.7%
Manageable - reasonable amount of work
38.9%
Difficult - it consumes most of my time
51.9%
Extremely Difficult - it consumes all my time
5.6%

Studying Time

College is primarily about learning, but some colleges seem to require much more study time than others. For a more quantitative idea of the academic challenge at this college, we asked students, on average, how much time they spend studying.
Less than 7 hours per week, or less than an hour a day.
9.6%
7-17 hours per week, or about 1-2.5 hours per day.
21.2%
18-32 hours per week, or about 2.5-4.5 hours per day.
46.2%
33 hours per week or more, or more than 5 hours per day.
23.1%

Relationships with Professors

The opportunity to take advantage of small class sizes and accessibility of professors is a huge draw of many Liberal Arts Colleges, though some schools are better in this area than others. We asked students how they would describe their relationships with professors (not including other instructors).
Very distant. I don’t know my professors and they don’t know me.
0%
Distant. We acknowledge each other on campus but that’s it.
23.9%
Somewhat close. I’m pretty comfortable going to office hours or chatting with professors after class.
54.3%
Close. I am comfortable asking for advice and feel I have many professors I can turn to for guidance.
21.7%

Excitement About Learning

College is all about learning - both in and out of the classroom. The people that students are surrounded by, especially their professors, can have a huge impact on their learning experience. In a very large study, the researchers found excitement about learning was tied to long term career success. We asked students: “To what extent do you agree with the following: I have at least one professor who makes me excited about learning.” In our research, we found that students who "strongly agreed" with that statement were twice as likely to recommend their school to others as those who only "agreed."
Strongly Disagree
1.9%
Disagree
3.8%
Agree
21.2%
Strongly Agree
73.1%

Collaborative vs. Competitive

The learning environment of a college will certainly have a large impact on any student’s experience. No school will advertise a cutthroat environment, but we’ve found that some colleges are more competitive than they say. To find out how students perceive the environment on their campus, we asked if they would describe it as more competitive or collaborative.
Highly Competitive. Most students put their own success above others, and often compare their achievements to their peers in a competitive way.
5.9%
Competitive. Students work hard and have a competitive mentality, but can still work together when necessary.
5.9%
Collaborative. Overall, students work together well and don’t see school as a competition.
58.8%
Highly Collaborative. Working together to come up with the best solution is the norm. This is more important that trying to stand out individually.
29.4%
What students have to say?
Reponse
Everyone supports each other academically and it is SO not cut throat against each other.
People work together a lot.
Students are very supportive of each other. I hardly see anything being treated as a competition.
Peers have helped me a lot in a number of my classes. It's because for the most part we're not graded vs each other but rather on the merits of our own work. In most classes, there's not a set % of students who get each grade. Theoretically, everyone could get an A if they earned it or vice versa.
Brown is not competitive at all. I have never seen or heard any of my peers compare or even mention their grades to each other, except in the context of providing help or support to other students.

Climate of Political Activism

Political climate on a college campus can affect the way students learn and interact with each other, especially if a student body is particularly politically active. We asked, “What is the climate of political activism at your school?” to find out about this school.
Uninvolved/nonexistent
0%
Somewhat existent. Every once in a while you see students protesting something or passing out political leaflets.
0%
Visible. Some students are politically involved, and may protest sometimes, but the protests are usually small and short-lived.
25.5%
Prominent. You can’t be here without being involved in the world’s politics on this campus in one way or another.
74.5%

Social Life Navigator

In addition to academics, social life is integral to the campus experience, and it’s dictated by a few different elements. Do students feel discriminated against based on their identities? Where do students spend most of their time socializing? Do drugs and alcohol dominate the social scene? This is the kind of information that schools will NOT advertise.

So, to find truthful answers these to questions, we asked students for their perspectives. We looked into social aspects such as extracurricular involvement, opportunities in the local community, and alcohol/drug culture on this campus.

Social Cliques

A "social clique" is a small group of people who spend time together and who are not friendly to other people. Students told us how prevalent social cliques are on their campus.
Nonexistent
9.8%
There are a few groups like this, but not many
43.1%
They exist, but don't play a big part in campus life
29.4%
They play a big part at this school
17.6%
I don’t know
0%
What students have to say?
Reponse
There are a lot of separate friend groups I'd say, but people are super friendly and open to meeting new people
I'm very different than most people here so my group of people is large but we avoid the regular sort of Brown students since they're ultra-leftist militant social justice warriors.
People find their groups and don't really stray from them.
Social justice groups dominate the social cliques
Certain groups of athletes tend to keep to themselves, but for the most part, people aren't cliquey. Friend groups are certainly a thing but it's rare to find an exclusionary one.
People have friend groups but they aren't super closed or hierarchical

Socialize On or Off Campus?

Depending on the location of the college, as well as the climate on campus, each school will vary as to where the students find their social life. Do people party on campus? Or does campus tend to feel deserted at night or on the weekends? We asked students to tell us where they socialize for the most part: on or off campus?
Mostly on-campus
63.5%
Slightly more on-campus
19.2%
Equal balance between on and off-campus
15.4%
Slightly more off-campus
1.9%
Mostly off-campus
0%

Student Involvement in Local Community

In addition to student social life off campus, at Liberal Arts Colleges there are often opportunities to get involved in their surrounding community, through internships, etc. We asked students how involved their student body is in the local community.
Not at all. There’s like an invisible wall around campus.
3.8%
A little. Some people work, have internships, or volunteer off campus.
28.8%
Quite a bit. A lot of people work, have internships, and/or volunteer in the community.
50%
Very involved. I know a lot of people who work, have internships, and/or volunteer in the community.
17.3%

Alcohol

Alcohol is present on nearly all college campuses, though its influence varies across different schools. Colleges won’t advertise these kinds of statistics themselves, and often times they aren’t even asking the right kinds of questions. To find out the truth, we asked students, “How important is alcohol to social life on your campus?”
Vital, if you don't drink then you will stand out.
20%
Somewhat Important, drinking is part of most activities.
0%
Somewhat Unimportant, alcohol doesn't play much of a role at this school.
80%
Insignificant, hardly anyone drinks at social events.
0%
What students have to say?
Reponse
There is alcohol in many social activities, but Brown culture specifically tries to makes sure that no one feels pressured to drink or to not drink. It is not uncommon for most people at a party to be drinking whIle others stay sober and everyone is fine with that.
Brown has a very diverse party scene, so alcohol is important for some people, but not across the board.
Although alcohol is pretty prevalent, no one cares if you party and don't drink. There is virtually no peer pressure, people always respect your choices.
No one pressures you, but if you don't go to parties, it is a LOT harder to make friends.
This really depends on your social group and what you are comfortable with. There are many students who do not go out (i.e. pregames, house parties, and clubs) and do not drink. However, it's totally fine to go out and not drink too. Students who don't drink when they go out have to have a very outgoing attitude however, or they won't have a good time.
There are definitely communities on campus where drinking doesn't play as much of a role that students can seek out (there's even substance-free housing) but overall drinking is popular
I would say important in that alcohol is present at most of the social events in my social circles, but I know there are events without it, and even when it is present, there is certainly no pressure ever to drink.
Drinking can always be found at social activities such as parties, but it is certainly no big deal if you do not drink. Personally, I am not a drinker, and I can still have fun at many events, regardless of if they have alcohol or not.
I don't drink and I definitely stand out. I have a hard time finding social activities where I can have fun and am included. It's not that I'm pressured to drink but just that I'm left out if I'm not.
For the majority of my time here, I did not drink alcohol. I went to many parties or social events where alcohol was present, and I was never, NEVER pressured to drink. In fact, I have been discouraged from drinking when I wondered if I should try alcohol to fit in. Alcohol is present, but it is not a big deal and no one will ever pressure you into doing anything you're not comfortable doing.
Alcohol is present and people do drink, but they will never pressure you to drink, and will even actively encourage others not to drink if they're unsure about wanting to.
Drinking is a significant part of party culture here, but if you don't drink, there are plenty of people who do the same.

Drugs (Excluding Marijuana)

Similar to the influence of alcohol on college campuses, illegal drugs can affect the social life as well. Students told us, in their experience, how prevalent are illegal drugs on campus? (NOT including marijuana).
Nonexistent. I never see these.
23.9%
Somewhat around. It’s there but not a lot of it.
76.1%
Important. One or more of these drugs are a part of most activities.
0%
Vital. If you don’t partake you won’t fit in.
0%
What students have to say?
Reponse
Weed everywhere. People don't know how to hotbox and ruin the smell of the entire floor.
Cocaine
psychedelics and pills

Extracurricular and Organizational Activity

The involvement of students on campus is tied to sense of community - the more involved the students, the higher the sense of community. To gauge the involvement of the student body in different activities on their campus, we asked students, “How active are you in extracurricular activities and organizations at your school?”
Not active. I don’t participate in these programs.
3.9%
Somewhat active. I am involved monthly in one activity or organization.
5.9%
Pretty active. I am involved weekly in one or a combination of activities and organizations.
37.3%
Extremely active. I am involved daily or almost daily in activities and organizations.
52.9%

School Norms Toward Sexual Behavior

To find out the climate of this college regarding sexual behavior, including openness and hookup culture, we asked students, “What is your school’s norm toward sexual behavior in general?”
Abstinence is the promoted option.
0%
Discreet. Most encounters kept quiet and/or most couples are monogamous.
3.9%
Average. There are plenty of hookups but it’s usually within the norms of greater society.
49%
Sexual activity is everywhere and people are open about it.
47.1%

Climate Toward Homosexual Behavior

We asked students about their school's attitude towards homosexual behavior, intending to gauge the college's acceptance of the LGBT+ community.
It is forbidden at this school.
0%
It is frowned upon here.
0%
It is tolerated here.
2%
This school is gay-friendly.
98%

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