Brown University vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Brown University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two of the most prestigious universities in the United States, each offering a unique educational experience. Brown, an Ivy League institution located in Providence, Rhode Island, is known for its liberal arts curriculum and open curriculum, while MIT, situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its rigorous STEM programs and research opportunities. With acceptance rates of 5.4% and 4.1%, respectively, both universities are highly selective, attracting top students from around the world. While Brown's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of female and international students, MIT boasts a larger endowment and a higher graduation rate. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into the key differences between these two exceptional institutions, including popular majors, student life, and career outcomes.
Brown University logo

Brown University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology logo

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Cambridge, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 99.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 4.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1460 - 1570 N/A
ACT range 33 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 51.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 33,240
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 1,365
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 1,177
Yield rate 66.4% 86.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $58,920
Average net price $25,028 $30,958
Tuition $60,944 $55,510
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $11,550

Meal plan: $6,550
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
100.0%
Average amount $32,562
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
6.0%
Average amount $5,112
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
1.0%
Average amount $17,891

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
4,638
Men 51.9% Women 48.1%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
7,296
Men 62.0% Women 38.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% N/A
International students 18.6% 29.2%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 5,013 6,280
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas California Texas New York Florida New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Architecture
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 3:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 96.2%
Dropout rate 3.7% 3.0%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $144,716
  • Year 2: $150,045
  • Year 3: $183,153
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $170,089
  • Year 2: $165,236
  • Year 3: $182,183
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,191
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $163,496
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,796
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $155,540
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,685
  • Year 2: $137,214
  • Year 3: $155,079
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,229
  • Year 2: $121,226
  • Year 3: $139,548
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $141,603
  • Year 2: $126,504
  • Year 3: $132,987
Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $112,885
  • Year 3: $124,425
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,266
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $112,404
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,955
  • Year 2: $104,749
  • Year 3: $109,672

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.
Brown University Brown vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Brown University Brown vs University of Southern California University of Southern California
Brown University Brown vs Wesleyan University Wesleyan University
Brown University Brown vs Yale University Yale University
Brown University Brown vs Georgetown University Georgetown University
Brown University Brown vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
Brown University Brown vs University of Chicago University of Chicago
Brown University Brown vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Brown University Brown vs University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame
Brown University Brown vs Tulane University of Louisiana Tulane University of Louisiana
Brown University Brown vs Bowdoin College Bowdoin College
Brown University Brown vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Brown University Brown vs University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-College Park
Brown University Brown vs United States Naval Academy United States Naval Academy
Brown University Brown vs Boston College Boston College
Brown University Brown vs Boston University Boston University
Brown University Brown vs Brandeis University Brandeis University
Brown University Brown vs Harvard University Harvard University
Brown University Brown vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Brown University Brown vs Tufts University Tufts University
Brown University Brown vs Wellesley College Wellesley College
Brown University Brown vs University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Brown University Brown vs Washington University in St Louis Washington University in St Louis
Brown University Brown vs Dartmouth College Dartmouth College
Brown University Brown vs Barnard College Barnard College
Brown University Brown vs Colgate University Colgate University
Brown University Brown vs Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Brown University Brown vs Cornell University Cornell University
Brown University Brown vs Jewish Theological Seminary of America Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Brown University Brown vs New York University New York University
Brown University Brown vs Duke University Duke University
Brown University Brown vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Brown University Brown vs Lehigh University Lehigh University
Brown University Brown vs University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania
Brown University Brown vs Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University
Brown University Brown vs The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Harvey Mudd College Harvey Mudd College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of Southern California University of Southern California
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs United States Air Force Academy United States Air Force Academy
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Yale University Yale University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Florida Institute of Technology Florida Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of Chicago University of Chicago
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-College Park
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs United States Naval Academy United States Naval Academy
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Harvard University Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Wellesley College Wellesley College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Lawrence Technological University Lawrence Technological University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs Barnard College Barnard College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs CUNY Graduate School and University Center CUNY Graduate School and University Center
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs New York University New York University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT vs University of Advancing Technology University of Advancing Technology