Brown University Rankings 2026: Global and Subject Rankings

Brown University Overall Rankings 2027

Brown University appears on every major global ranking with overall positions ranging from #42 on Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 to #144 on US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027. The 102-place spread between the highest and lowest reading reflects how different bodies weight reputation, teaching and research volume.

QS and THE place Brown within one position of each other in their current editions, an unusually tight match for any Ivy League school. US News and ARWU sit much lower because both prioritise raw publication and citation counts where Brown’s compact research footprint loses ground. The takeaway for Indian applicants: if your shortlist criteria match reputation and teaching, Brown reads as a top-70 global pick; if it matches research scale, the lower bands matter more.

Brown University Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students

Brown University’s rank pattern carries five concrete signals for an Indian applicant building a US shortlist. The table below pairs each signal with what it changes about your application decision.

Brown University QS World University Rankings 2027

Brown University is ranked #66 in QS World University Rankings 2027, climbing 13 positions since its 2025 low point. QS, which ranks universities based on academic reputation, employer opinion and research, has placed Brown inside the global top 80 for every year in the last five.

The five-year average sits at #70, with the sharpest movement between 2025 and 2026 when Brown gained 10 places in a single cycle. The current #66 reading is 3 places shy of Brown’s 2023 high of #63, meaning the recent rise has nearly closed the dip that followed the 2024 methodology revision. For an Indian student weighing Brown against the higher-ranked Ivies in QS 2027, the trend line shows momentum on the upside.

Key insight: The 13-place QS climb since 2025 is the single largest rank movement for Brown across any major ranking, signalling its reputation score is recovering faster than its research-output score.

Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of Brown University

Collegedunia Study Abroad places Brown University at #42 out of 824 universities globally in its 2026 edition. Within the USA, Brown ranks #23 out of 357 universities, putting it inside the top 7% of US institutions covered.

The CD rank of #42 is 24 places ahead of Brown’s QS 2027 position of #66. That gap captures India-specific weighting that the global bodies do not measure: F-1 visa outcomes for Indian applicants, OPT placement for Indian graduates and the depth of the South Asian alumni network on the Brown campus. For an Indian applicant treating CD as the India-tilted reference, Brown reads as a top-25 USA pick.

Brown University Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings

Brown University is ranked #65 in THE World University Rankings 2026, slipping 7 places from its 2025 position. THE, which scores universities on teaching, research environment, citations, industry income and international outlook, has moved Brown across a narrow 7-place band over three editions.

The 3-year average sits at #62, with 2025 marking the high point and 2026 returning to roughly the 2024 baseline. The slip is driven by research citation metrics, not by reputation: THE’s separate World Reputation Rankings still place Brown at #56 in 2025, ahead of its overall position. For Indian applicants, this gap means the Brown name carries more weight on a resume than the research-loaded headline rank reads.

What it signals: A 7-place THE slip paired with a 13-place QS climb in the same two-year window points to reputation gains being stronger than research output gains, an outcome that favours applicants targeting consulting, finance and policy roles in India.

Brown University U.S. News Best Global University Rankings

Brown University is ranked #144 in US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027, recovering 6 places from #150 in the prior edition. US News Best Global, which weighs research papers, citations and international collaboration, places Brown lower than QS and THE because the methodology rewards research volume more than reputation.

The 3-year average sits at #138, and the 31-place slide between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 is the sharpest movement on any major ranking for Brown. The 6-place rebound in 2026-2027 has narrowed the loss but not erased it. Indian applicants should read this number alongside Brown’s much higher US News National rank of #13 in 2026, the figure most relevant for US peer comparisons and hiring conversations.

Note: US News National #13 and US News Global #144 measure two different things; the National rank dominates US recruiter perception, which matters for Indian students staying in the US after graduation on OPT or H-1B.

Brown University ARWU (Shanghai) Rankings

Brown University sits in the #101-150 band on ARWU 2025, the third consecutive year in that bracket. ARWU, which scores universities almost entirely on research outputs like Nobel and Fields medal counts, top-cited researchers and Nature and Science publications, has shifted Brown one band down since its 2022 peak.

Brown spent 2021 and 2022 just inside the top 100 before slipping one band in 2023 and holding there for three editions. The flat 3-year band reading at #101-150 signals stability rather than further decline. ARWU’s overall position is the weakest of any major body for Brown, but its subject results tell the opposite story: Sociology #6, Economics #28 and Mathematics #30 are top-30 global signals that the headline ARWU number does not surface.

Trend signal: The 3-year flat band combined with three top-30 ARWU subject finishes shows where Brown’s research strength concentrates; specialist applicants in those fields should weight subject ARWU above the headline rank.

Brown University Subject Rankings

Brown University posts top-50 finishes in 9 subjects across QS, THE and ARWU 2025 to 2026 editions. The strongest pockets are Sociology, Economics, Mathematics and English Language, where Brown sits inside the global top 30 on at least one body.

Brown University Economics Rankings

Brown University ranks #28 in ARWU Economics 2025 and #44 in QS Economics and Econometrics 2025. The Economics department holds steady at #44 across both 2024 and 2025 QS cycles, a flat reading that signals stability in faculty and citation output.

The 16-place gap between ARWU Economics #28 and QS Economics #44 reflects ARWU’s heavier weighting of research output, which favours Brown’s Economics faculty publication record. For Indian PG applicants targeting a US economics PhD or MA, Brown reads as a top-30 specialist pick on the research-weighted ranking.

India-relevance: An ARWU #28 Economics finish sits 38 places ahead of Brown’s overall QS #66, meaning the subject signal beats the headline number for an Indian applicant building an economics-focused application.

Brown University Computer Science Rankings

Brown University ranks #67 in THE Computer Science 2026 and #107 in QS Computer Science and Information Systems 2025. The QS Computer Science line has climbed 21 places in one cycle, from #128 in 2024 to #107 in 2025.

THE Computer Science has moved from #74 in 2024 to #71 in 2025 to #67 in 2026, a steady 7-place gain over two cycles. Both bodies show the same direction: Brown’s CS reputation is rising faster than its overall rank. For Indian CS applicants, this matters more than the headline figure since CS is the most popular Brown PG program for Indian students.

Trend signal: A 21-place QS jump plus a 7-place THE climb in the same window mark Computer Science as Brown’s fastest-rising subject, even though the headline numbers still trail Brown’s overall position by 1 to 41 places.

Brown University Other Subject Rankings

Brown holds top-50 positions on THE 2026 in Psychology (#46), Arts and Humanities (#54) and Physical Sciences (#56). Mathematics ranks #30 ARWU 2025 and Public Health ranks #50 ARWU 2025, two specialist pockets that match Brown’s interdisciplinary Open Curriculum.

The spread across 17 ranked subjects ranges from #6 to #181, a 175-place band that reveals where Brown concentrates strength. Sociology, Economics and Mathematics carry top-30 weight; CS, Engineering and Biological Sciences sit in the lower bands and are not Brown’s primary draw. Indian applicants should match their target subject to this map before treating the overall rank as their decision anchor.

Brown University Rankings: Indian Student Outlook

For Indian students, Brown University’s rank pattern reads strongest in the social sciences and economics, where its subject finishes are 30 to 60 places ahead of its overall global position. The university’s #42 Collegedunia Study Abroad rank and #13 US News National rank matter more for Indian recruiter perception than the lower US News Global #144.

Popular Brown University Programs for Indian Students

Indian applicants most often choose these five Brown programs, each tied to a top-50 or top-100 subject ranking:

• MS Computer Science: Linked to THE Computer Science #67 in 2026 and a 21-place QS climb in one cycle.
• MS Data Science: Linked to QS Data Science and AI #51-100 in 2025, a top-100 specialist signal.
• MS Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering: Linked to THE Life Sciences #101-125 in 2026 and Brown’s medical school reputation.
• MA or PhD Economics: Linked to ARWU Economics #28 and QS Economics #44 in 2025.
• MPH (Master of Public Health): Linked to ARWU Public Health #50 in 2025.