This winter, we’re highlighting early round acceptance rates at top colleges. Next up in our series is Brown University, an Ivy League institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is currently ranked #9 on the U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings guide and is known for its open curriculum.
See Highlights From The Brown Daily Herald’s article Below:
With an acceptance rate of 14.4%, the Class of 2028 early decision cycle was the second-most selective in Brown University’s history. 898 students were admitted through Brown’s binding ED round.
While Brown received its second-largest early applicant pool in history this year, last year’s early decision cycle still holds the record for the most applicants and the lowest acceptance rate in the college’s history.
16.8% of applicants were deferred to the regular decision round, continuing a pattern of decreasing deferral rates in recent years — 30% for the class of 2025, 25% for the class of 2026 and 19% for the class of 2027. 22 students, just 3% of those who applied, gained admission to Brown’s combined undergraduate and medical school program.
52% of the incoming ED cohort was female. In recent years, data shows that women have accounted for nearly twice as many applications as men, despite being admitted at a similar rate. Brown University’s gender disparity in acceptance rates is the largest among the Ivy League.
The Class of 2028 may be the last to be admitted under early decision at Brown after university President Christina Paxson convened an ad-hoc committee in September to reconsider admissions policies. In past years, approximately 50% of incoming classes were enrolled through the early decision admissions process.
TTA Takeaway: Brown University's Class of 2028 achieved the second-highest selectivity in early decision admissions, but its future, and that of the university's long-standing Early Decision policy, hangs in the balance as President Paxson examines potential changes to mitigate racial and class inequities.
At Top Tier Admissions, we are committed to making the college admissions process more transparent. Easy access to clear data helps families understand trends in college admissions to make more informed decisions. We’re collecting early acceptance rate data at selective schools and providing insight and analysis of our own. For historical data, see our collection of Ivy League and Top College Acceptance Rates and Admissions Statistics, including the Class of 2027 Ivy League admissions data and admissions stats for a range of additional selective schools.
Want To Read More About Brown’s Acceptance Rate?
- Get Into Brown University
- Brown University: Acceptance Rates & Statistics
- Get Into Brown: 5 Insider Tips from TTA Senior Private Counselor and former Associate Director of Admissions at Brown University, Nellie Brennan Hall.
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