PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In acknowledgement of Brown’s exceptional teaching, high-impact research, generous financial aid and distinctive student experience, the University continued in 2024 to place among top schools and receive new recognitions in rankings of colleges and universities.

U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide for 2024-25 ranked Brown No. 13 among colleges and universities across the nation. Brown placed No. 3 among national universities for the “Undergraduate Teaching Programs” rank, which recognizes schools with an “unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.” 

The annual U.S. News rankings, published on Tuesday, Sept. 24, placed Brown at No. 1 for “Writing in the Disciplines” for the sixth year in a row, and ranked Brown No. 3 for “Best Colleges for Veterans,” which recognizes affordability and support for students who are military veterans and active-duty service members. Brown was ranked No. 4 for its senior capstone program, up one spot from last year, and ranked No. 8 for “First-year Experiences,” among other ratings based on student experience and academic program attributes.

Amid widespread debate about the influence of rankings in students’ college choices, University officials noted the limitations of formulaic rankings, even as Brown continued to place among the world’s top universities. 

“Rankings continue to be of interest to our community, and we’re pleased to see a wide range of rankings recognize Brown’s research, teaching and student experience,” University officials said. “At the same time, we recognize and acknowledge the limitations that prevent them from capturing the breadth of an educational experience and comprehensively conveying whether a school is a good match for a prospective student.” 

In other rankings released in the last year, Brown placed No. 18 on Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges List,” for which schools rank highly if their students graduate on time, secure high salaries after graduation and complete degrees with little student debt.

In the U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” 2024-25 guide, Brown appeared on a broad array of lists recognizing the University’s strengths in public health, English, public affairs, economics, mathematics and social sciences, including No. 4 for Brown’s doctoral program in applied mathematics, No. 6 for its Ph.D. in Earth, environmental and planetary sciences, and No. 9 for its doctoral program in sociology.

Recognitions for student support, high-impact academics and research

Various education guides continued to recognize Brown’s wide-ranging support for students, from academics to financial aid.

In the Princeton Review’s “Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition,” Brown ranked No. 7 nationally for “Best Quality of Life” for attributes including friendliness, safety, location and students’ overall happiness. Princeton Review also ranked Brown No. 4 for “Best College Theater” and No. 6 for “Making an Impact.”

In its review of Brown, Princeton Review highlighted its emphasis on undergraduate academic freedom and signature Open Curriculum, a culture that enables open dialogue and debate, and engaging and dedicated faculty members who are “at the top of their fields and are working on research that pushes those fields forward.”

Brown placed No. 8 on Niche’s 2025 list of “Best Colleges in America,” up two spots from last year, in recognition of the University’s strong research, academics, diversity and value. Niche also ranked Brown No. 2 nationally for “Public Health,” No. 3 for “Global Studies,” No. 4 for “English” and No. 6 in four distinct areas: “Best Professors,” “Education,” “Environmental Science” and “International Relations.”

With 39 Fulbright scholarships awarded to Brown students and recent alumni in 2023-24, the University was the No. 2 producer of awardees among doctoral institutions across the nation — reflecting Brown’s commitment to equipping students to build knowledge across cultures and engage in global teaching and research.

U.S. News ranked Brown No. 12 for “Best Value” in recognition of the average level of need-based financial aid for schools “that are above average academically.” Among a range of financial aid and access initiatives, Brown has replaced loans with grants in University financial aid packages for students, eliminated consideration of a family’s home equity as an asset when calculating a student’s available financial resources, and created health insurance scholarships as part of financial aid packages for uninsured students. Brown also launched a sweeping initiative that has nearly tripled the enrollment of student military veterans since 2019 and permanently funded full scholarships for current and future generations of undergraduate veterans.

Princeton Review ranked Brown No. 16 among private schools in the nation for “Best Schools for Financial Aid,” up three spots from last year, and No. 15 for “Best Value Colleges” in recognition of stellar academics, generous financial aid and strong career prospects for graduates. Additionally, Money awarded Brown its maximum 5-star rating on its “Best Colleges in America 2024” list for generous financial aid and high graduation rate for both transfer and first-time students.

Brown was the sole Rhode Island school placed on Scholarships360’s “Top College for Affordability in 2024” and its “Top Colleges for Students in 2024,” based on graduate income, student debt and graduation rates. Brown also topped SmartAsset’s “Best Value Colleges” list for colleges and universities in Rhode Island.

PitchBook ranked Brown No. 12 globally for graduating the most women entrepreneurs on its 2024 “Female Founders” list, up two spots from last year — and No. 22 globally for graduating the most entrepreneurs who have raised venture capital in the last decade in its 2024 “University Rankings.”

Additional U.S. News and World Report rankings placed Brown at No. 10 for “Service Learning,” No. 18 for “Most Innovative” and No. 21 for “Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects.” U.S. News ranked Brown No. 11 nationally for “Best Undergraduate Economics,” No. 14 for “Best Undergraduate Psychology,” up six spots from last year, and No. 25 for “Best Undergraduate Computer Science.”

Niche ranked the University No. 4 for “2025 Best Colleges for English in America.” 

Internationally, Brown gained a spot and placed No. 5 for best executive MBA in the “QS Executive MBA Rankings 2024” for its joint executive MBA program with IE Business School in Spain.

In College Factual’s “Best Colleges” 2025 rankings, Brown placed No.1 in Rhode Island and No. 23 nationally based on factors including graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, value, and breadth and depth of degree offerings. College Factual also rated a range of Brown’s bachelor’s degree programs among the top 10 in the nation, including mathematics, engineering, ethnic studies, comparative literature, gender and sexuality studies, and business and entrepreneurship.

Ensuring an inclusive and healthy community, enabling lifelong success

Brown placed No. 10 among the nation’s “Top 10 Dream Schools for Parents” and “Top 10 Dream Schools for Students” in Princeton Review’s annual “College Hopes and Worries Survey,” which rated topics including financial aid, academic reputation and best programs to support students’ career interests.

As part of its sustained and ever-expanding support for student and alumni success, Brown launched the new BrownConnect+ digital hub in September 2024 to enable Brunonians worldwide to cultivate lifelong relationships and strengthen career development. The rollout of the platform was the most recent step in a series of steps to expand career support, and it followed the 2023 launch of the Center for Career Exploration.

Brown was also recognized for its role as an employer. The University was ranked the No. 6 “Best Employer” in Rhode Island on Forbes’ 2024 “America’s Best Employers by State” list, based on criteria including safe work environment, diversity, competitive compensation, opportunities for advancement and company reputation. 

Nationally, Forbes ranked Brown No. 30 on its 2024 list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” which recognizes employers that support workers “who historically have been underrepresented and underpaid” and advance diversity and inclusion through employee resource groups, the publication of employee demographic data, the percentage of women in leadership roles and supplier diversity. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island named Brown an “exemplary winner” of its “Worksite Health Award,” which acknowledges businesses that have taken steps to improve their employees’ health in 2024.

“Rankings and numerical lists are just one of many ways to assess and reflect a school’s attributes and the ways that students, alumni and employees can grow and thrive,” University officials said.