How Big Is Brown University?
Is Brown A Large Campus?
The seventh-oldest college in the United States and a top research institution is Brown. Academic excellence, intellectual freedom, and having an impact on people, communities, and society are values at the core of the University’s teaching, research, and scholarship.
The University is renowned for its unique undergraduate experience, which is based on its open curriculum, which is both flexible and demanding. Numerous graduate programs, the Warren Alpert Medical School, the School of Public Health, the School of Engineering, and the School of Professional Studies are all located on the university’s campus in thriving Providence, Rhode Island.
Students might be curious about “Is Brown a large campus?” Brown’s past and future are defined by constant change, despite the university’s strong tradition-based culture. For instance, Brown’s first structure, the red-brick University Hall, was constructed in 1770 and is still standing today on the College Green.
The university is comprised of undergraduate and graduate programs, the Warren Alpert Medical School, School of Public Health, School of Engineering, Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership, and the IE Brown Executive MBA. After years of changes, how big is Brown University? With 230 buildings and a span of 150 acres, Brown’s vibrant and diverse community includes 6,792 undergraduates, 2,561 graduate students, and 595 medical students.
The housing options at Brown reflect the lively, diverse community on campus. Seventy-four percent of undergraduates and all first-year students live on campus. First-year undergrads reside with roommates in tight-knit communities of 50–60 students in residence halls. Through a lottery system, returning students select their housing arrangements, which can range from private single rooms to suites and apartments for friends and groups.
As the primary access point to the scholarly record and the local repository for current information, the Brown University Library assists the university’s educational and research goals.
More than 3.8 million books and 6 million other items are housed in the library, including printed and electronic books, periodicals, e-journals, maps, microforms, videos, sound recordings, sheet music, manuscripts, electronic media, official documents, and other materials in various formats.
One of New England’s largest and most renowned academic libraries, the Brown University Library currently houses a number of internationally renowned special collections. Five libraries on campus and the Library Collections Annex, a high-density storage facility about four miles from campus, make up the University library system. On the Brown University campus is another independent research library called the John Carter Brown Library.
Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology is a museum of cultural history with two locations: one in Bristol, Rhode Island, and the other in Manning Hall on Brown’s Main Green, which is close to the Joukowsky Institute. The Haffrenreffer mounts fresh exhibits frequently, and is frequently assisted in planning and installation by undergraduate and graduate student interns or volunteers.
But wait, there’s more. For recreation, how big is Brown University’s space for facilities? Numerous on-campus facilities are used by the 34 varsity athletic teams at Brown University for practice, competition, and training. Many of those teams host intercollegiate contests on campus, with the Wendell R. Erickson Athletic Complex serving as the primary venue for most of them.
The Erickson Athletic Complex, which is situated on the Brown campus at the intersection of Hope Street and Lloyd Avenue, is named after former Brown baseball player Wendell R. Erickson ’19, whose $6 million gift to the University would go toward maintaining athletic facilities. Meehan Auditorium, Pizzitola Sports Center, Olney-Margolies Athletic Center, and Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center are the complex’s four primary athletic facilities.
What Is The Area Around Brown Like?
We’ve discussed how big is Brown University. Now, let’s tackle what is the area around Brown like? Providence, Rhode Island is an exciting place to live, work, and study; it is also a city that is rich in cultural diversity; Brown University is situated in the middle of Providence.
Downtown
The Fleet Library and the CIT/Fletcher Building are located in downtown (also known as “Downcity”) Providence, which is located across the Providence River from the main portion of campus.
Two transportation hubs, the Kennedy Plaza bus station and the Providence rail station, are nearby in addition to the area being walkable and bikeable. The Strand and The Dean are just two examples of the numerous eateries, lodging options, bars, and venues. Waterfire is popular in the summer, and the “Dunk” next to Providence Place Mall is where you can watch hockey and basketball games in the winter.
Additionally located downtown are Johnson & Wales, Roger Williams, Brown, and the University of Rhode Island.
East Side
There are several small neighborhoods on the town’s East Side, which is distinct from East Providence, which is located across the Seekonk River.
Both RISD and Brown University are located in College Hill, and its main commercial street, Thayer Street, offers a variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment options (the well-loved East Side Pockets and Avon Cinema among them).
The Fox Point neighborhood, which has Wickenden Street and India Point Park at its base, is to the south of College Hill. On Wickenden, there are fantastic eateries and stores as well. Festivals and concerts are held at India Point Park, which also serves as the starting point of the 14.5-mile East Bay Bike Path that runs alongside Narragansett Bay to Bristol, Rhode Island.
East of College Hill is the Wayland Square neighborhood, which is also home to a number of shops and eateries.
A little further to the east is the Blackstone neighborhood, where the Hope Street Farmers Market is held in Lippitt Park during the warmer months. North of College Hill in Providence’s northeast is where you’ll find Mount Hope. It is traversed by Hope Street, which is a fantastic location for dining and shopping.
West Side
The West Side (or West End) of Providence is located just beyond Interstate 95, which runs to the west of the city.
The Broadway/Armory district and Federal Hill are the two neighborhoods that give this area its identity. Federal Hill, a well-known Italian-American neighborhood, has a wide array of eateries, bars, and markets lining Atwells Avenue, its main thoroughfare.
A lot of the restaurants on Broadway, a commercial street south of Federal Hill, are vegetarian-friendly. The historic Columbus Theatre is also located there. In the warmer months, a farmers’ market is held every Thursday at the Dexter Parade Grounds, which is close to the Armory.
Olneyville
Olneyville, a neighborhood west of the Armory neighborhood, is well-known for its mill buildings and for having influenced art and music in the 1990s as the headquarters of the Fort Thunder Arts collective. You’ll discover some excellent eateries, such as Olneyville New York System, the place to go for the city’s renowned hot wieners. The Steel Yard, The Wurks, and other places are great places for designers and artists to get involved in this area of the city.
How Many People Apply To Brown In A Year?
Comparing the applicant pool to last year’s record of 46,568 applicants, it increased by an astounding 9 percent. The 896 students admitted during the early decision round in December 2021 joined the 1,651 regular round admits.
To calculate your chances of getting in, you would want to know how many people apply to Brown in a year? The number of applications to Brown University significantly increased two years ago. This year, Brown’s Class of 2026 received a little bit more applications than the Class of 2025 did. The test-optional policy, the growing number of financial aid initiatives, and the pressing global issues are probably to blame for the consistent growth over the past two years.
For its incoming Class of 2026, Brown received 44,503 applications during the regular admissions round but only admitted 1,651 students.
Early Admissions for the Class of 2026
In December 2021, Brown University released its Early Admission results for the Class of 2026. Just 896, or 10.31 percent, of the 6,146 applicants who submitted applications in the first round were accepted by the university.
Regular Admissions for the Class of 2026
Although there were a lot more applicants to Brown in 2021 than there were in 2020, there were still 50,649 applications in 2022, a 9 percent increase.
What Is Brown’s Acceptance Rate?
How big is Brown University’s admissions over the years? Out of the 6,146 early applications received for the Class of 2026, Brown University accepted 896 applicants. In comparison to the Class of 2025, applications through the program increased by 11%. Brown accepted 885 of the 5,540 early decision applications it received last year.
Brown has accepted 14.6 percent of early applicants for the Class of 2026, 16 percent for the Class of 2025, 18 percent for the Class of 2024, and 18 percent for the Class of 2023 in the last five years.
On the other hand, 5.03 percent of applicants were accepted by Brown University for the Class of 2026, which is a decrease from the 5.45 percent acceptance rate for the Class of 2025 last year. The 2,546 students were accepted out of a pool of 50,649 applicants, the largest in Brown’s history. The 896 students admitted in December were joined by the 1,651 students accepted through the regular decision process. Admission rates for the ED round were 14.58 percent.
In contrast to the 6.88 percent acceptance rate for the Class of 2024, Brown only admitted 5.45 percent of applicants last year. Out of the 46,568 applicants, 2,537 students were accepted. A total of 885 students were admitted in the ED round in December, bringing the total number of students admitted for the Class of 2025 to 1,652. Let’s take a look at the data for the past 5 years showing “What is Brown’s acceptance rate?
| Class | Overall Applications Accepted | Overall Applications Received | Overall Admissions Acceptance Rate |
| 2026 | 2,546 | 50,649 | 5.03% |
| 2025 | 2,537 | 46,568 | 5.45% |
| 2024 | 2,533 | 36,794 | 6.88% |
| 2023 | 2,551 | 38,674 | 6.60% |
| 2022 | 2,566 | 35,438 | 7.24% |
What Is the Average Class Size At Brown University?
At Brown University, the ratio of students to teaching staff is 6 to 1. In addition, all faculty members are involved in the instruction of first-year students. To give you a clearer picture of what is the average class size at Brown University, seventy percent of the faculty members’ first-year classes have fewer than twenty students.
The professors, who are some of the most accomplished lecturers and researchers in their respective fields, will spend a significant amount of face-to-face time with you.
How Many Majors Does Brown Have?
One of the seven oldest universities in the United States is Brown University. The university, which was established in 1764 and is based in historic Providence, Rhode Island, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in addition to programs through the Alpert Medical School, School of Public Health, School of Engineering, and School of Professional Studies. Let’s answer one of the most common queries about Brown, “How many majors does Brown have?”
| Majors/Degrees |
| Architecture and Related Services |
| Architecture |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences |
| Biochemistry |
| Biology Biological Sciences |
| Biophysics |
| Biostatistics |
| Cell Cellular and Molecular Biology |
| Computational Biology |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
| Epidemiology |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography |
| Molecular Medicine |
| Neuroscience |
| Pathology Experimental Pathology |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services |
| Business Managerial Economics |
| Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurial Studies |
| Communication and Journalism |
| Mass Media Studies |
| Computer Information Sciences |
| Computer and Information Sciences |
| Education |
| Bilingual and Multilingual Education |
| Education and Teaching |
| General Science Teacher Education |
| Social Studies Teacher Education |
| Urban Education and Leadership |
| Engineering |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering |
| Engineering Physics (applied Physics) |
| General Engineering |
| English Language and Literature Letters |
| Creative Writing |
| English Language and Literature |
| Ethnic, Cultural and Group Studies |
| African Studies |
| American (u.s.) Studies |
| East Asian Studies |
| Ethnic Studies |
| French Studies |
| German Studies |
| Hispanic-american, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-american Studies |
| Italian Studies |
| Latin American Studies |
| Latin American and Caribbean Studies |
| Near and Middle Eastern Studies |
| Slavic Studies |
| South Asian Studies |
| Women’s Studies |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics |
| Ancient Classical Greek Language and Literature |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics |
| Comparative Literature |
| French Language and Literature |
| Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics |
| Latin Language and Literature |
| Linguistics |
| Portuguese Language and Literature |
| Sanskrit and Classical Indian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics |
| Spanish Language and Literature |
| Health Professions and Related Programs |
| Behavioral Aspects Of Health |
| Bioethics Medical Ethics |
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine |
| Medical Scientist |
| Medicine |
| Public Health |
| History |
| History |
| Mathematics and Statistics |
| Applied Mathematics |
| Computational Mathematics |
| Mathematics |
| Statistics |
| Multi Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Ancient Studies |
| Classical, Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology |
| Cognitive Science |
| Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis |
| Human Biology |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies |
| Multi- Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Museology Museum Studies |
| Science, Technology and Society |
| Natural Resources and Conservation |
| Environmental Science |
| Environmental Studies |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies |
| Jewish Judaic Studies |
| Philosophy |
| Religion Religious Studies |
| Physical Sciences |
| Chemical Physics |
| Chemistry |
| Geochemistry |
| Geology Earth Science |
| Geophysics and Seismology |
| Physics |
| Theoretical and Mathematical Physics |
| Psychology |
| Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics |
| Psychology |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions |
| Public Policy Analysis |
| Social Sciences |
| Anthropology |
| Archeology |
| Development Economics and International Development |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics |
| Economics |
| International Relations and Affairs |
| Political Science and Government |
| Social Sciences |
| Sociology |
| Urban Studies Affairs |
| Visual and Performing Arts |
| Acting |
| Art Art Studies |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation |
| Directing and Theatrical Production |
| Drama and Dramatics Theatre Arts |
| Music |
| Music Technology |
| Musicology and Ethnomusicology |
| Playwriting and Screenwriting |
Computer science and economics have consistently been among Brown’s top two undergraduate degree programs over the past few years. You may wonder how big is Brown University’s percentage of admissions to these majors. Recently, 21.8 percent of the graduating class received computer science diplomas from Brown!
A few of Brown University’s most recent computer science graduates go on to hold fascinating jobs at Disney, Deloitte, the Washington Post, and Google.
The department of economics offers a number of combined tracks that allow students to combine their studies in economics with those in computer science, mathematics, or applied mathematics. Based on her most recent book, The Family Firm, professor of economics at Brown University Emily Oster was recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People for 2022.
It is not surprising that both majors remain popular today given that the university is home to the oldest engineering and applied mathematics programs in the country.
Students studying applied mathematics frequently have the chance to conduct interdisciplinary research. For instance, applied mathematics students and academics may work together on projects at the Carney Institute for Brain Science to investigate neural networks in the brain, brand-new biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, or retinal imaging. Three student organizations specifically focus on assisting and fostering relationships between students studying applied mathematics.
Engineering majors at Brown can concentrate in one of six areas to earn their degree. Brown University provides a supportive environment for a traditionally male-dominated field because 41% of engineering majors are female. Recent engineering student research at Brown has been on heart surgery, creating robotic arms that can fit inside spacecraft, and carbonated beverage bubble growth.
The Open Curriculum is the foundation of a Brown education. Students are not subject to any distribution or core curriculum requirements under this liberal educational philosophy.
The following are the only requirements for graduation:
- Finish the concentration and all related requirements.
- Finish at least 30 classes
- Be registered for a minimum of eight semesters.
- Demonstrate writing ability
The open curriculum gives students the freedom to investigate a variety of topics and activities, even those that might not directly relate to their area of study. Instead of choosing a pre-existing concentration, students may choose to pursue an independent concentration that they design with advice and approval from faculty.
If you are interested to join the Open Curriculum (or any other specific concentration) in Brown, you need to step up! AdmissionSight can help you boost your application materials and prepare yourself for interviews and other college admissions processes. Contact AdmissionSight and let’s discuss your future with us.
