Brown University is consistently ranked among the top 150 universities by various ranking bodies. According to QS World University Rankings, Brown has moved from #60 in 2021 to #79 in 2025. The US News and World Report Rankings for Best Global Universities also showed a decline, from #101 in 2021 to #153 in 2024, with no ranking available for 2025. However, the Times Higher Education Rankings have stayed fairly consistent, remaining around #61 to #64 from 2021 to 2025.

In subject-specific rankings, Brown University's computer science program has been recognized by both QS and Times Higher Education. The QS rankings for computer science have varied, moving from #126 in 2021 to #107 in 2025. Times Higher Education has consistently ranked Brown's computer science program around #61 to #64 over the years. Additionally, Brown's engineering programs have seen mixed trends. Mechanical engineering improved slightly from the #151-200 range to #148 in 2025, while engineering and technology dropped from #150 to #212. Chemical engineering and electrical engineering have also seen fluctuations, with chemical engineering ranking between #151-200 and #201-250, and electrical engineering remaining steady at #251-300.

Also Check: Brown University Admissions


Brown University World Rankings

Listed below are the World Ranking trends of Brown University by different ranking bodies:

brown_university_world_rankings

Ranking Agency 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
QS World University Rankings #60 #60 #63 #73 #79
US News and World Report Rankings (Best Global Universities) #101 #119 #129 #153 -
Times Higher Education Rankings #61 #64 #61 #64 #64

Brown University has seen a gradual drop in QS Rankings, moving from #60 in 2021 to #79 in 2025, while the US News Global Rankings also slipped from #101 in 2021 to #153 in 2024. On the other hand, Times Higher Education Rankings stayed quite steady, holding around #61 to #64 over five years.


Brown University Computer Science Ranking

The computer science specializations have been ranked by QS and Times Higher Education. The table below shows Brown University computer science ranking over the years:

Subject 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Brown University Computer Science and Information Ranking - QS #126 #117 #106 #128 #107
Brown University CS rankings - THE #61 #64 #61 #64

Brown University Engineering Rankings

The popular Brown University engineering specializations include mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering. Among these, mechanical engineering ranking has improved as compared to the previous year. Given below are Brown University engineering rankings and their comparison:​

Subject 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Mechanical Engineering (QS) #151-200 #151-200 #151-200 #147 #148
Engineering and Technology (QS) #150 #220 #189 #195 #212
Chemical Engineering (QS) #151-200 #151-200 #201-250 #251-300 #201-250
Electrical and Electronic Engineering (QS) #251-300 #251-300 #251-300 #251-300 #251-300

Brown University Business Courses

Brown University offers executive MBA and other business specializations to its students. The program has been ranked #5 by QS under the category Executive MBA Joint Programs. The other popular specializations of Brown University business ranking are given below:

Subject 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Business and Management Studies (QS) #301-350 #351-400 #401-450 #401-450 #351-400
Economics and Econometrics (QS) #44 #35 #33 #44 #44
Executive MBA (QS) - - - #5 -

*Brown University is ranked #1 as per Financial Times 2025 Ranking for the Best MBA programs for entrepreneurship.


Brown University Science Rankings

The popular science specializations that received rankings from QS include data science, natural sciences, biological sciences, life sciences, etc. The ranking of environmental sciences has improved from last year. The below given information shows Brown University ranking in the world for the most popular science courses to study in USA :​

Subject 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (QS) - - - #51-70 #51-100
Earth and Marine Sciences (QS) #51-100 #51-100 #101-151 #151-200 #101-151
Natural Sciences (QS) #122 #149 #136 #147 #159
Biological Sciences (QS) #151-200 #151-200 #201-250 #151-200 #181
Life Sciences and Medicine (QS) #115 #132 #142 #163 #158
Environmental Sciences (QS) #301-350 #351-400 #301-350 #251-300 #251-300
Chemistry (QS) #201-250 #201-250 #201-250 #251-300 #251-300

Brown University Humanities Ranking

The humanities subjects of Brown University have also been ranked QS agency. The ranking of “Arts and Humanities” has improved up to four places in QS World University rankings for 2025. The other popular specializations that ranked well include philosophy, politics, linguistics, etc. Here, listed below are some popular Brown University academic rankings for arts and humanities courses:

Subject 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Anthropology #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #45 #47
Arts and Humanities #49 #65 #57 #53 #56
Philosophy #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100
Politics #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #51-100 #85
Linguistics #201-250 #201-250 #251-300 #201-250 #251-300
English Language and Literature #39 #45 #50 #48 #45

Brown University US News Subject Rankings

Listed below are the US News & World Report, 2024 subject-wise rankings for international students to arrive at an informed decision:

Subject Ranking Subject Ranking
Arts and Humanities #112 Biology and Biochemistry #179
Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems #167 Cell Biology #135
Chemistry #388 Clinical Medicine #157
Computer Science #141 Endocrinology and Metabolism #218
Engineering #448 Environment/Ecology #310
Geosciences #116 Immunology #234
Infectious Diseases #122 Materials Science #255
Mathematics #37 Molecular Biology and Genetics #240
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology #307 Neuroscience and Behavior #72
Oncology #228 Pharmacology and Toxicology #354
Physical Chemistry #333 Physics #111
Psychiatry/Psychology #83 Public, Environmental and Occupational Health #149
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging #120 Social Sciences and Public Health #102
Surgery #187

Brown University ranks #37 in Mathematics, #72 in Neuroscience and Behavior, #83 in Psychiatry/Psychology, and #102 in Social Sciences and Public Health, placing them in the global top 100–110. Subjects like Physics (#111), Radiology (#120), Infectious Diseases (#122), and Geosciences (#116) also hold strong positions. Fields like Biology, Computer Science, and Clinical Medicine have moderate rankings, which still reflect a solid academic reputation of the university.

Brown University acceptance ranking is also quite low for international students. The university accepts applications on an acceptance rate of just 5%. It follows a strict selection policy. Meeting the admission requirements will not guarantee a seat in this university. You need to have extracurricular skills, community involvement, and recommendation letters from teachers to stand out from other applicants.