Brown University vs Duke University

Brown University and Duke University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences to their students. Brown, located in Providence, Rhode Island, is known for its open curriculum, allowing students to design their own academic paths. Duke, situated in Durham, North Carolina, emphasizes interdisciplinary studies and offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. While both universities boast impressive academic reputations, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Brown University logo

Brown University

Duke University logo

Duke University

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Durham, North Carolina
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 5.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1468 - 1558
ACT range 33 - 35 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 47.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 46.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 49,703
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 2,927
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 1,744
Yield rate 66.4% 59.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $79,860
Average net price $25,028 $27,297
Tuition $60,944 $58,085
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $9,164

Meal plan: $6,862
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
46.0%
Average amount $50,731
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
20.0%
Average amount $4,537
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
3.0%
Average amount $22,957

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
6,883
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
10,737
Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% N/A
International students 18.6% 21.4%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,013 5,718
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Legal Profession
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 95.9%
Dropout rate 3.7% 4.0%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581
International Business (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,472
  • Year 2: $213,978
  • Year 3: $201,782
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $155,031
  • Year 2: $168,098
  • Year 3: $200,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $143,622
  • Year 2: $148,189
  • Year 3: $163,560
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $163,977
  • Year 2: $138,342
  • Year 3: $159,598
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,135
  • Year 2: $106,898
  • Year 3: $134,542
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,138
  • Year 2: $116,541
  • Year 3: $124,406
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,817
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $117,262
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,699
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $112,646
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,661
  • Year 2: $91,078
  • Year 3: $108,736
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $104,348

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