George Washington University (GWU) vs Brown University

When it comes to higher education, George Washington University (GWU) and Brown University stand out as two prestigious institutions with distinct offerings. GWU, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a vibrant urban campus and strong connections to government and international affairs. Brown, nestled in historic Providence, Rhode Island, offers a more traditional Ivy League experience with a focus on liberal arts and research. With acceptance rates of 35% and 7%, respectively, both universities are highly selective, attracting top students from around the world. While GWU is known for its popular majors in political science, international affairs, and business, Brown excels in fields such as biology, computer science, and engineering. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Brown University logo

Brown University

George Washington University logo

George Washington University

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Washington, District of Columbia
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
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 98.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 49.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $80
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1310 - 1490
ACT range 33 - 35 30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 18.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 27,236
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 13,539
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 2,571
Yield rate 66.4% 19.0%
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 Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $78,335
Average net price $25,028 $31,240
Tuition $60,944 $59,780
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $15,260

Meal plan: $3,240
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
74.0%
Average amount $31,678
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
30.0%
Average amount $5,150
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
5.0%
Average amount $25,366

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
11,502
Men 36.3% Women 63.7%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
14,955
Men 38.1% Women 61.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% 98.7%
International students 18.6% 11.6%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,013 6,693
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 New York New Jersey Virginia California Pennsylvania

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 83.7%
Dropout rate 3.7% 16.1%
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
Systems Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $160,692
  • Year 2: $146,893
  • Year 3: $153,607
Human Resources Management and Services (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,764
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $130,306
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,241
  • Year 2: $127,142
  • Year 3: $127,952
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,834
  • Year 2: $114,046
  • Year 3: $119,393
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,809
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $112,813
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,922
  • Year 2: $104,061
  • Year 3: $111,679
Public Health (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $84,962
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $105,816
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,747
  • Year 2: $96,405
  • Year 3: $105,562
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,274
  • Year 2: $101,254
  • Year 3: $103,350
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,345
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $102,875

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