Founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Brown University is an Ivy League research university and the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Spanning a 143-acre campus atop College Hill in Providence featuring colonial red-brick halls, wrought-iron gates, and modern science centers, Brown connects theoretical physics, computer science, medicine, creative writing, and Ivy League athletic traditions. You can examine its founding charter, colonial origins, and campus development through the Brown University Wikipedia historical entry.
When you attend Brown, you step into an intellectually renowned academic community world-famous for its Open Curriculum, which allows you to design your own course of study without mandatory general education requirements. Living in Providence places you inside a historic East Coast capital city renowned for culinary arts, tech incubators, and coastal sailing.
Premier Academic Programs
Brown organizes its instruction across specialized undergraduate and graduate academic schools holding top global reputations:
- Warren Alpert Medical School: World-class medical research facility pioneering clinical oncology, neuroscience, and pediatrics. Explore degree paths on the Warren Alpert Medical School portal.
- School of Engineering: Nationally recognized leader in biomedical engineering, materials science, computer vision, and robotics.
- School of Public Health: Global research center addressing biosecurity, health equity, epidemiology, and environmental health.
- Department of Computer Science: Historic innovator in graphics theory, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and algorithms.
- Literary Arts Program: Globally acclaimed center for fiction, poetry, playwriting, and digital narrative arts.
"In God We Hope, translated from Latin as In Deo Speramus, serves as Brown University's official motto."
Campus Culture and Mascot
Your daily undergraduate student experience centers on the Main Green, the John Hay Library, and the Stephen Robert Campus Center. School spirit revolves around Bruno the Bear, the historic costumed mascot who leads student cheers during NCAA Division I Ivy League athletic events. You can read about spirit traditions and athletic programs on the official Brown Bears Athletics portal. Cheering inside Brown Stadium for football games, watching Spring Weekend concerts, and joining over 400 student clubs creates an extraordinary campus culture.
Research Infrastructure and Brain Science
Brown operates a multi-billion-dollar research enterprise credited with major breakthroughs in brain-computer interfaces and planetary geology:
- Carney Institute for Brain Science: Interdisciplinary research center pioneering neuro-technology, ALS treatments, and artificial neural networks.
- Center for Computation and Visualization (CCV): High-performance supercomputing laboratory supporting complex data science research. Learn more via Brown Research Operations.
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES): Evaluates coastal climate resilience, ecosystem dynamics, and global environmental policy.
Notable Alumni Legacy
You walk in the footsteps of Nobel laureates, Governors, Olympic champions, and cultural icons, including:
- John Hay: U.S. Secretary of State and private secretary to Abraham Lincoln who earned his degree at Brown.
- Janet Yellen: 78th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Chair of the Federal Reserve who earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Brown.
- Emma Watson: Acclaimed actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador who earned her degree in English literature at Brown.
- Ted Turner: Media mogul, philanthropist, and founder of CNN who attended Brown University.
Brown meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all admitted undergraduate students through full grant aid without loans. Review complete application steps and deadlines on the official Brown Undergraduate Admissions portal.