Brown University vs Boston University (BU)

Brown University and Boston University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Brown, an Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, boasts a lower acceptance rate (8.6%) compared to Boston University's (22.5%) in Boston, Massachusetts. While Brown's student body is smaller and more diverse, Boston University's larger student population provides a vibrant and diverse campus community. Both universities excel in various academic disciplines, with Brown known for its strengths in the social sciences and humanities, and Boston University renowned for its programs in health sciences, business, and engineering. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the best fit for your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Boston University logo

Boston University

Brown University logo

Brown University

Overview

Location Boston, Massachusetts Providence, Rhode Island
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 94.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 18.6% 5.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $95
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1360 - 1520 1460 - 1570
ACT range 31 - 34 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 32.0% 51.0%
Students submitting ACT score 13.0% 30.0%
Total number of applicants 75,778 46,568
Total number of admissions given out 14,129 2,568
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,011 1,705
Yield rate 28.4% 66.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $79,606 $82,570
Average net price $25,852 $25,028
Tuition $58,560 $60,944
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,990

Meal plan: $5,850
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

53.0%
Average amount $50,486
46.0%
Average amount $55,420
Students receiving federal student loan 24.0%
Average amount $4,317
9.0%
Average amount $5,159
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $25,248
2.0%
Average amount $27,008

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 18,229
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
Graduate students 17,875
Men 42.5% Women 57.5%
3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 96.5%
International students 26.6% 18.6%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 11,356 5,013
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California New Jersey Connecticut Pennsylvania New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 89.4% 95.8%
Dropout rate 10.3% 3.7%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,398
  • Year 2: $125,611
  • Year 3: $147,490
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,318
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $142,427
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,155
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $117,665
Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,383
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $115,901
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,027
  • Year 2: $106,688
  • Year 3: $113,743
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,380
  • Year 2: $102,306
  • Year 3: $111,308
Insurance (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,170
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $108,260
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,069
  • Year 2: $92,743
  • Year 3: $106,517
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,263
  • Year 2: $96,829
  • Year 3: $104,284
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,137
  • Year 2: $83,848
  • Year 3: $99,636
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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