Brown University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Admissions are highly competitive, with an overall incoming class acceptance rate of 5.65%, while Regular Decision rates hover at around 4%. Brown has a relatively small student body among its peers with roughly 2,600 admitted students annually. The graduation rate after six years is 96%, and Brown graduates ten years after enrollment have an average annual salary of approximately $87,600 (INR 72,00,000).
Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the most well-known Ivy League school globally. The admissions are some of the most difficult in the world with an acceptance rate of 3% for recent cohorts. Harvard has a greater number of undergraduate students than Brown, with approximately 7,000 undergrads and total university enrollment over 30,000 when considering graduate schools.The six-year graduation rate is roughly 97%, and the median salary upon graduation is around $136,700 (INR 1,13,21,000) ten years after graduation.
| Brown University | Harvard University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 6.7 Out of 10 | 10 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 65 Times Higher Education 2026 # 69 QS World University 2026 # 58 Times Higher Education 2025 | # 5 Times Higher Education 2026 # 5 QS World University 2026 # 1 Center for World University Rankings 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 90 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 51 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025 # 63 for Medicine by Collegedunia.com 2026 | # 1 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 6 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025 # 2 for Medicine by Collegedunia.com 2026 |
| Programs | UG Programs -59 PG Programs -26 Doctorate Programs -7 | UG Programs -40 PG Programs -53 Doctorate Programs -9 |
| Acceptance Rate | 5.0 % | 3.0 % |
| Exam Score | IELTS-8 SAT-1500 TOEFL-100 | GMAT-620 GRE-300 IELTS-7 SAT-1470 TOEFL-80 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 59254 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 59254 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 9774 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 86926 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 71030 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 32724 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Brown University is one of the top private universities in Providence, United States. It is ranked #63 in QS World University Rankings 2023. It ranks #55 in the graduate employability rank Brown University Graduates & Alumni Salaries - By Degree
| Harvard University is one of the top private universities in Cambridge, United States. It is ranked #5 in QS World University Rankings 2023 and ranked #1 in US UNI.
|
| application requirements | School Report; Counsellor’s recommendation for UG admission; Letters of Recommendation; Writing Sample | Teacher Evaluation forms (as additional LORs); Sample of academic work, potfolio, music recordings, art work, etc (supplementary documents); IELTS/TOEFL; Standardized test scores |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 6.9/10 Read 2 reviews | 7.2/10 Read 6 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 37 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 351 for Business by QS World University 2025 | # 1 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 6 for Business by US News 2025 # 7 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 |
| application | - | #9856 Applicants # 930 Admissions # 9 % Acceptance Rate |
| exam scores | GMAT - 700/800IELTS - 7/9TOEFL - 90/120 | Duolingo - 145/160GMAT - 740/800GRE - 326/340IELTS - 7.5/9PTE - 75/90TOEFL - 109/120 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Jan 19, 2026 (Priority Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) Feb 15, 2026 (Final Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) | Sep 3, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Intake) Dec 10, 2025 (Round 1 Decision Date for Fall 2026 Intake) Jan 5, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Intake) Mar 25, 2026 (Round 2 Decision Date for Fall 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | Brown University | Harvard University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1764 | 1636 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 7:1 |
| Male:Female | 46% Male, 54% Female | 52% Male, 48% Female |
| Location Facts | Campus is located in College Hill and Jewelry District; Main campus is situated on the east side of Campus Hill and has 235 buildings | Harvard Yard: Campus’s historic hub, Harvard Square: Campus’s personal hagout destination with restaurants, cafe, bookstores, theater, shops. Well connected to the local neighborhood of Boston by public transport, the campus traverses the Charles River to near by Allston. |
| Library | One of the USA’s oldest library; has 6 million items including bound volumes, periodicals, maps, sheet music, digital objects, manuscripts, and electronic resources; 6 libraries ie. John D. Rockefeller Jr Library for humanities and social science, Science Library, John Hay Library for special collections, Orwig Music Library, Art Slide Library and Library Collections Annex | Largest academic library in the world. 20.4 million volumes, 400 million manuscript items, 180,000 serial titles. The library offers various grants and fellowships for both students and faculty. |
| Campus Life | 38 varsity sports team having more than 900 student-athletes; Over 400 student organizations including Capella groups and community services, 4100 intramural sports participants and 60 public service groups; Main campus centuries-old-structures, labs and world-class ibraries | Students from over 50 states and 80 countries are offered assistance by over 400 official student organization. The campus has its own museum, radio station, magazine and newspaper. Along with student clubs for Aikikai, archery, dance, theatre/drama, music, etc, campus also offers cultural & racial initiatives, asian student centric-projects, etc. Varsity sports, crimson pride and various atheletic teams. |
| Hostel | #On campus - $9774 | #Medium Single - $10719 #Large Single - $13644 #Standard Single - $8361 |
| Famous Alumni | John Hay (US Secretary of State); Charles Evans Hughes (Chief Justice and US Secretary of State); John D Rockefeller Jr (philanthropist); Jim Yong Kim (World Bank President); Ted Turner (CNN founder and America’s Cup yachtsman); Dara Khosroswshahi (Uber CEO); Emma Watson (actress); Mary Chapin Carpenter (humorist); Samuel Gridley Howe (historian) | Eight US Presidents, 62 living billionaires, 242 Marshall Scholars, 359 Rhodes scholars. Barak Obama (ex-president of USA), Michelle Obama (Former First Lady of USA), Mark Zuckerberg, Natalie Portman (Actress), Bill Gates, Conan O’ Brien (comedian writer), Al Gore (Winner-Peace Prize), Matt Damon (Actor), Helen Keller, Subramaniam Swami (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha) |
| City Life | Providence is the capital city of Rhode Island; Originally was known as Providence Plantations; One of the first industrialized cities in the USA; known for textile manufacturing, machine tool, jewelry, and silverware industries; Unemployment rate was 4.1% in January 2020 | Cambridge- city in Massachusetts; home to a huge student community; city offers a great nightlife with gastropubs, live music, and cocktail bars. Boston’s cosmopolitan excitement is bus-ride away. Average salaries offered within the state are up to 97,5000 USD; Famous tourist attractions: Charles River, Harvard Square, Mount Auburn Cemetery, MIT Museum, CambrdgeSide, John Harvard Statue, Sanders Theatre; Unemployment rate- 3.2% |
| Weather |
Brown University vs Harvard University
Subject Strength & World Rankings (2025/2026)
Harvard University is among the world's top universities, ranked in the world's top 3 world rank across most systems. It is strongest in law, business, medicine, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, frequently topping subject tables.
Brown University is placed approximately 58 world rank globally, deeply esteemed in liberal arts, applied mathematics, economics, public policy, and the humanities. Although Brown is well-positioned in itself, Harvard towers in almost every field in worldwide reputation and research impact.
General Information
Harvard, established in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the oldest university in the United States and enrolls about 23,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. It boasts an enormous academic universe, from the College to professional schools in law, medicine, business, design, and education.
Brown, established in 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island, is much smaller with around 11,000 students and is most noted for its Open Curriculum under which undergraduates are free to create their own course of study with minimal required courses.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
Both are very selective.Harvard accepts around 3% of applicants, and it is one of the most difficult universities in the world to get into.Brown accepts around 5.65%%, also very competitive but with a marginally better acceptance rate.
Research Impact & Facilities
Harvard is a world research leader, with sprawling labs, hospitals, libraries, and innovation spaces. It excels in medical research, sciences, business, law, and humanities, churning out pioneering breakthroughs and Nobel laureates.
Brown focuses on research in neuroscience, applied math, public policy, and humanities, with a smaller yet very collaborative research setting where undergraduates frequently take an active part.
Cost & Financial Aid
Both are private institutions with fees of about USD 65,000–67,000 annually.
Both have need-blind admission for American students and extremely generous need-based financial aid. Harvard has a bigger endowment, enabling it to fund very heavily low- and middle-income students, while Brown also gives good aid but on a lesser scale.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
Harvard graduates fill practically every major field—politics, business, academia, medicine, law, and science—with one of the strongest international networks.
Brown graduates are particularly prominent in arts, media, public service, and academia, known for producing imaginative and socially conscious leaders. Harvard's alum network is wider and more widely influential, whereas Brown's is tighter but much smaller.
