Brown University

Brown is a leading nonprofit research university distinct for its student-centered learning and deep sense of purpose. Our students, faculty and staff are driven by the idea that their work will have an impact in the world.

Founded in 1764, Brown is a leading nonprofit research university, home to world-renowned faculty, and also an innovative educational institution where the curiosity, creativity and intellectual joy of students drives academic excellence.

The spirit of the undergraduate Open Curriculum infuses every aspect of the University. Brown is a place where rigorous scholarship, complex problem-solving and service to the public good are defined by intense collaboration, intellectual discovery and working in ways that transcend traditional boundaries. As a private, nonprofit institution, the University advances its mission through support from a community invested in Brown's commitment to advance knowledge and make a positive difference locally and globally.

Providence, Rhode Island — Brown's home for more than two and a half centuries — is a vibrant place to live, work and study, a stimulating hub for innovation, and a city rich in cultural diversity. 

7,272

undergraduate students

3,130

graduate students

602

medical school students

6,000

summer students (on campus, online and on location)

1,281

medical residents and fellows

866

regular faculty

2,462

clinical faculty

Solutions to critical, complex problems

Brown students and faculty are tackling the nation’s opioid crisis. Planning the next Mars landing site. Uncovering the locations of ancient civilizations. Advising world leaders on new political models. Exploring new frontiers in multimedia arts. In each of their intellectual endeavors, our scholars and researchers are uncommonly driven by the belief that their work must — and will — have an impact in their communities, in society and the world.

We are a learning community grounded in a commitment of respect for the diversity of viewpoints that is fundamentally essential to intellectual discovery. We encourage the right of all individuals to express ideas and perspectives — and we embrace the value of vigorous debate in pursuit of knowledge.