History of Brown University in Timeline
Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island, is a private Ivy League research university and the seventh-oldest higher education institution in the United States, established in 1764. As one of the nine colonial colleges founded before the American Revolution, Brown holds the distinction of being the first US college to embrace religious neutrality in admissions and instruction, marking a significant step towards inclusivity in education.
1900: Cross-Registration with Rhode Island School of Design
Since 1900, Brown and RISD students have been able to cross-register at the two institutions, with Brown students permitted to take as many as four courses at RISD to count towards their Brown degree.
1901: Construction of Van Wickle Gates
In 1901, the Van Wickle Gates, a set of wrought iron gates, were built at the western edge of Brown's campus. The larger main gate is flanked by two smaller side gates.
1903: Construction of Annmary Brown Memorial Begins
Construction of the Annmary Brown Memorial was started in 1903 by General Rush Hawkins as a mausoleum for his wife, Annmary Brown. The Memorial also includes works of art from Hawkins's private collection.
1903: Establishment of a Graduate Department
In 1903, Brown University established a Graduate Department.
1904: Establishment of the John Carter Brown Library
In 1904, the John Carter Brown Library was established as an independently funded research library on Brown's campus. The library's collection was founded on that of John Carter Brown, son of Nicholas Brown Jr.
1904: John Carter Brown Library on Brown's Campus
Since 1904, The John Carter Brown Library, founded in 1846, has been owned by Brown and located on its campus. It is regarded as the world's leading collection of primary historical sources relating to the exploration and colonization of the Americas.
1907: Construction of Smith-Buonanno Hall Completed
In 1907, Smith-Buonanno Hall was completed. It is located on the west side of Pembroke's quadrangle.
1907: Construction of Annmary Brown Memorial Completed
In 1907, the Annmary Brown Memorial was completed. It was constructed by General Rush Hawkins as a mausoleum for his wife, Annmary Brown. The Memorial also includes works of art from Hawkins's private collection, including paintings by Angelica Kauffman, Peter Paul Rubens, Gilbert Stuart, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Benjamin West, and Eastman Johnson, among others.
1909: James Burrill Angell Ends Presidency at University of Michigan
In 1909, James Burrill Angell (Brown class of 1849) concluded his tenure as the president of the University of Michigan, a position he held since 1871.
1910: Construction of Miller Hall Completed
In 1910, Miller Hall was completed. It is located on the east side of Pembroke's quadrangle.
1910: Opening of the John Hay Library
In 1910, the John Hay Library, the second oldest library on campus, opened. The library is named for John Hay (class of 1858), private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State under William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Andrew Carnegie contributed half of the $300,000 cost of construction.
1915: Cammarian Club Transformation
In 1915, the Cammarian Club at Brown University transitioned from a self-perpetuating membership to popular election by the student body, serving as the de facto undergraduate student government.
1916: Merger of engineering departments into a single Division of Engineering
In 1916, Brown's departments of electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering were merged into a single Division of Engineering.
1919: Benjamin Ide Wheeler Ends Presidency at University of California
In 1919, Benjamin Ide Wheeler (Brown class of 1875) concluded his tenure as the president of the University of California, a position he held since 1899.
1919: Construction of Metcalf Hall Completed
In 1919, Metcalf Hall was completed. It is located on the west side of Pembroke's quadrangle.
1925: Construction of Brown Stadium
Built in 1925, Brown Stadium is the home of the school's football team and is located approximately a mile and a half northeast of the university's central campus.
1926: Construction Period of Core Historic Campus
Brown's core, historic campus, constructed primarily between 1770 and 1926, is defined by three greens: the Front or Quiet Green, the Middle or College Green, and the Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle (historically known as Lincoln Field).
1927: Construction of Alumnae Hall Completed
In 1927, Alumnae Hall was completed. It is located on the east side of Pembroke's quadrangle.
1927: Establishment of a full Graduate School
In 1927, Brown University established a full Graduate School.
1933: Member of the Association of American Universities
Since 1933, Brown University has been a member of the Association of American Universities.
1937: Thomas Watson Jr. graduated from Brown.
In 1937, Thomas Watson Jr. graduated from Brown University. He later endowed the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
1941: Establishment of Brown's applied mathematics program
In 1941, Brown's program in applied mathematics was established, making it the oldest such program in the United States.
1942: National championships
The Brown University coed sailing team won 2 national championships in 1942 and 1948.
1947: Construction of Andrews Hall Completed
In 1947, Andrews Hall was completed. It culminates the north end of the Pembroke quadrangle.
1948: National championships
The Brown University coed sailing team won 2 national championships in 1942 and 1948.
1950: Spring Weekend Established
In 1950, Brown University established Spring Weekend, an annual spring music festival for students.
1956: Brown began offering computer science courses
In 1956, Brown began offering computer science courses through the departments of Economics and Applied Mathematics after it acquired an IBM machine.
January 1958: Brown added an IBM 650
In January 1958, Brown added an IBM 650, which was the only one of its type between Hartford and Boston.
1960: Brown opened its first dedicated computer building
In 1960, Brown opened its first dedicated computer building, the Brown University Computing Laboratory, designed by Philip Johnson.
1960: Brown Concert Agency organizes Spring Weekend
Since 1960, Spring Weekend at Brown University has been organized by the student-run Brown Concert Agency.
1962: Richard Holbrooke graduated from Brown
In 1962, Richard Holbrooke graduated from Brown. He would later become an American diplomat and author of the Dayton Peace Accords, and a faculty member at the Watson Institute.
1966: Formation of First Group Independent Study Project (GISP)
In 1966, the first Group Independent Study Project (GISP) at Brown was formed, involving 80 students and 15 professors. The GISP sought ways to "put students at the center of their education" and "teach students how to think rather than just teaching facts".
December 5, 1968: Black students' walkout
On December 5, 1968, several Black women from Pembroke College initiated a walkout in protest of the colleges' atmosphere after feeling the colleges were non-responsive to their concerns. In total, 65 Black students participated in the walkout.
1968: Lars Onsager Nobel Prize in Chemistry
In 1968, Lars Onsager, a faculty member at Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
1968: Establishment of Special Committee on Curricular Philosophy
In 1968, university president Ray Heffner established a Special Committee on Curricular Philosophy. Composed of administrators, the committee was tasked with developing specific reforms and producing recommendations.
May 7, 1969: New Curriculum Approved
On May 7, 1969, the faculty voted the New Curriculum into existence. Its key features included the elimination of all distribution requirements, students being permitted to take all courses on a Satisfactory/No Credit basis, and students being permitted to cross-register at Rhode Island School of Design.
1969: Adoption of Open Curriculum
In 1969, Brown University adopted its Open Curriculum after student lobbying. The Open Curriculum eliminated mandatory general education distribution requirements.
1969: Brown Purchases Bryant University's Providence Campus
In 1969, as Bryant University was preparing to relocate, Brown purchased their Providence campus for $5 million. The transaction expanded the Brown campus by 10 acres (40,000 m) and 26 buildings.
1970: Anne Fausto-Sterling and Kenneth R. Miller Obtain Ph.D.
In 1970, both Anne Fausto-Sterling and Kenneth R. Miller, who later became notable biologists, obtained their Ph.D. degrees from Brown University.
1971: East Campus Renamed
In 1971, Brown renamed the former Bryant University campus as East Campus. Today, the area is largely used for dormitories.
1971: Merger of Pembroke College into Brown University
In 1971, Pembroke College, Brown's coordinate women's institution, was fully merged into the university.
1971: Cammarian Club Dissolved
In 1971, the Cammarian Club at Brown University was dissolved and ultimately succeeded by a formal student government.
1972: Leon Cooper Nobel Prize in Physics
In 1972, Leon Cooper, a faculty member at Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
1972: Brown Center for Students of Color (BCSC) Established
In 1972, the Brown Center for Students of Color (BCSC) was established at Brown University at the demand of student protests to provide support for students of color.
1972: Reorganization of the Program in Medicine
In 1972, the Program in Medicine at Brown was reorganized.
1974: First undergraduate Computer Science degrees were awarded
In 1974, the first undergraduate Computer Science degrees were awarded at Brown.
1975: First M.D. degrees awarded from the new Program in Medicine
In 1975, the first M.D. degrees from the reorganized Program in Medicine were awarded to a graduating class of 58 students.
1976: Early Identification Program (EIP) established
In 1976, Brown University established the Early Identification Program (EIP) to encourage Rhode Island residents to pursue careers in medicine by recruiting sophomores from Providence College, Rhode Island College, the University of Rhode Island, and Tougaloo College.
1979: Computer sciences granted full Departmental status
In 1979, computer sciences was granted full Departmental status at Brown.
1980: George Snell Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
In 1980, George Snell, a faculty member at Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
1981: Establishment of the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women
In 1981, Joan Wallach Scott established the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women at Brown as an interdisciplinary research center on gender.
1982: George Stigler Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
In 1982, George Stigler, a faculty member at Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
1984: PLME Inauguration
In 1984, Brown University inaugurated the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME), an eight-year combined baccalaureate-M.D. medical program.
1985: Henry David Abraham Nobel Peace Prize
In 1985, Henry David Abraham, a faculty member at Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
April 1987: Student Protest
In April 1987, "dozens" of students interrupted a university corporation meeting, leading to 20 being put on probation, due to dissatisfaction with partial divestment from certain companies involved in South Africa.
1990: Relocation of Incunabula Collection to John Hay Library
In 1990, General Rush Hawkin's collection of over 450 incunabula was relocated from the Annmary Brown Memorial to the John Hay Library.
1991: Official renaming to Brown University School of Medicine
In 1991, the school was officially renamed the Brown University School of Medicine.
1995: Tony Horwitz wins Pulitzer Prize
In 1995, Tony Horwitz ('80) won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.
1996: David Rohde wins Pulitzer Prize
In 1996, David Rohde ('90) won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.
1997: Jerry White '87 Nobel Peace Prize
In 1997, Jerry White, a Brown University alumnus from the class of 1987, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.
1999: Ivy League Championship
Brown University football, under coach Phil Estes, won Ivy League championships in 1999, 2005, and 2008.
1999: Women's rowing championship title
Brown University's women's rowing has won 7 national titles between 1999 and 2011.
October 2000: Renaming to Brown Medical School
In October 2000, the Brown University School of Medicine was renamed Brown Medical School.
2000: Brownian Motion Wins National Championship
In 2000, Brown University's men's ultimate frisbee team, Brownian Motion, won a national championship.
2000: Start date for Pulitzer Prize count
Since the year 2000, Brown Alumni have won numerous writing prizes.
2002: Vernon L. Smith Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
In 2002, Vernon L. Smith, a faculty member at Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
2003: Jeffrey Eugenides wins Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
In 2003, Jeffrey Eugenides, a Brown alumnus from the class of '82, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
2003: Steering committee to research ties to slavery launched
In 2003, then-university president Ruth Simmons launched a steering committee to research Brown's eighteenth-century ties to slavery.
2003: Steering committee to investigate ties to slavery established
In 2003, under the tenure of President Ruth Simmons, the university established a steering committee to investigate the university's ties to slavery and recommend a strategy to address them.
2004: Acceptance of AMCAS applications begins
In 2004, Brown University's medical school began accepting applications from premedical students at other colleges and universities via AMCAS, aligning with the standard practices of most other medical schools.
2004: Establishment of the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World
In 2004, the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World was established at Brown as an interdisciplinary research center.
2005: Ivy League Championship
Brown University football, under coach Phil Estes, won Ivy League championships in 1999, 2005, and 2008.
2005: Brownian Motion Wins National Championship
In 2005, Brown University's men's ultimate frisbee team, Brownian Motion, won a national championship.
2005: Marilynne Robinson and Gareth Cook win Pulitzer Prizes
In 2005, Marilynne Robinson ('66) won the British Orange Prize, while Gareth Cook ('91) won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.
October 2006: Release of Report on Ties to Slavery
In October 2006, the steering committee launched in 2003 by then-university president Ruth Simmons released a report documenting its findings regarding Brown's eighteenth-century ties to slavery.
2006: Formation of the Department of Egyptology and Assyriology
In 2006, Brown's departments of Egyptology and History of Mathematics merged to form the Department of Egyptology and Assyriology.
2006: Craig Mello '82 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
In 2006, Craig Mello, a Brown University alumnus from the class of 1982, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
2006: James Risen wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2006, James Risen ('77) won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.
2006: Rejection of plus/minus grading proposal
In 2006, the reintroduction of plus/minus grading was proposed in response to concerns regarding grade inflation at Brown University. The idea was rejected by the College Curriculum Council after canvassing alumni, faculty, and students.
January 2007: Renaming to the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
In January 2007, after a $100 million donation from Warren Alpert, Brown Medical School was renamed the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
2007: Reduction of Greenhouse Emissions Begins
Between 2007 and 2018, Brown reduced its greenhouse emissions by 27 percent; the majority of this reduction is attributable to the university's Thermal Efficiency Project which converted its central heating plant from a steam-powered system to a hot water-powered system.
2007: Brown and RISD formally established a dual degree program
In 2007, Brown and RISD formally established a five-year dual degree program after several years of discussion and unofficial dual degrees.
2007: Usha Lee McFarling wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2007, Usha Lee McFarling ('89) won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.
2008: Ivy League Championship
Brown University football, under coach Phil Estes, won Ivy League championships in 1999, 2005, and 2008.
2008: First class matriculated in the Brown|RISD Dual Degree Program
In the fall of 2008, the first class matriculated into the Brown|RISD Dual Degree Program.
2009: Graduate Degrees Earned by Alumni
For the Class of 2009, 56 percent of all undergraduate alumni have since earned graduate degrees.
2009: Brown graduates occupied four of the top five places in American Theater magazine's ranking
In 2009, American Theater magazine ranked the most-produced American plays, and Brown graduates Peter Nachtrieb, Rachel Sheinkin, Sarah Ruhl, and Stephen Karam occupied four of the top five places.
2009: IBM and Brown announced the installation of a supercomputer
In 2009, IBM and Brown announced the installation of a supercomputer (by teraflops standards), the most powerful in the southeastern New England region.
2009: Founding of the Brown Institute for Brain Science
In 2009, John Donoghue founded the Brown Institute for Brain Science.
2009: Lynn Nottage and Marilynne Robinson win Pulitzer Prizes
In 2009, Lynn Nottage ('86) won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Marilynne Robinson ('66) won the British Orange Prize.
2009: Development of an Executive MBA program with IE Business School
Since 2009, Brown has developed an Executive MBA program in conjunction with IE Business School in Madrid.
2010: LGBT identification level
In 2010, 14% of Brown University students identified as LGBT.
2010: Elevation of the Division of Engineering to a School of Engineering
In 2010, the Division of Engineering at Brown was elevated to a School of Engineering.
2010: LEED Standards Required for New Buildings
Since 2010, Brown University has required all new buildings meet LEED silver standards, as part of a commitment to minimize energy use, reduce negative environmental impacts, and promote environmental stewardship.
2011: Women's rowing championship title
Brown University's women's rowing has won 7 national titles between 1999 and 2011.
2011: First release of the Costs of War Project
In 2011, the Watson Institute first released its Costs of War Project, which has been continuously updated since. The project examines the economic costs, human casualties, and impact on civil liberties of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan since 2001.
2011: Warren Alpert Medical School Relocates
Since 2011, Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School has been located in Providence's historic Jewelry District, near the medical campus of Brown's teaching hospitals, Rhode Island Hospital and the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.
2012: Start of Computer Science concentrator tripling
Between 2012 and 2018, the number of concentrators in Computer Science at Brown tripled.
2012: Men's rowing national championship race
Brown University men's rowing perennially finishes in the top 5 in the nation, most recently winning silver, bronze, and silver in the national championship races of 2012, 2013, and 2014.
2012: Madeline Miller and Quiara Alegría Hudes win Pulitzer Prizes
In 2012, Madeline Miller ('00) won the British Orange Prize, and Quiara Alegría Hudes ('04) won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
2012: Christina Hull Paxson Becomes President
Since 2012, Christina Hull Paxson has served as president of Brown University. Paxson had previously served as dean of Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs and chair of Princeton's economics department.
2013: Men's rowing national championship race
Brown University men's rowing perennially finishes in the top 5 in the nation, most recently winning silver, bronze, and silver in the national championship races of 2012, 2013, and 2014.
2013: Ivy League tournament
Brown University women's gymnastics won the Ivy League tournament in 2013 and 2014.
2013: Ayad Akhtar wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2013, Ayad Akhtar ('93) won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
2013: MOOC development started
In 2013, Brown University invested in MOOC development, launching two courses: Archeology's Dirty Little Secrets and The Fiction of Relationship, which attracted thousands of students.
2013: School of Public Health Founded
In 2013, Brown University officially founded the School of Public Health as an independent school, growing out of the Alpert Medical School's Department of Community Health.
2013: Protest during Raymond Kelly's Speech
In 2013, students and Providence community members protested and disrupted a speech by then-NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly at Brown University.
2014: Ivy League tournament
Brown University women's gymnastics won the Ivy League tournament in 2013 and 2014.
2014: Reports of rape
In 2014, Brown University tied with the University of Connecticut for the highest number of reported rapes in the nation, with its "total of reports of rape" on their main campus standing at 43.
2014: Women's rugby promoted to varsity team
In 2014, Brown University's women's rugby team was promoted from club-sport status to a varsity team.
2014: Forbes Ranking of Entrepreneurial Universities
In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Brown University 7th on its list of "America's Most Entrepreneurial Universities."
2015: David Kertzer wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2015, David Kertzer ('69) won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
2016: Critical Documentary Released
In 2016, Brown University alumnus Rob Montz released a short critical documentary about the 2013 protest during Raymond Kelly's speech.
2016: Fulbright recipients recognized
In 2016, Brown University produced the most Fulbright recipients of any university in the nation.
2016: J. Michael Kosterlitz Nobel Prize in Physics
In 2016, J. Michael Kosterlitz, a faculty member at Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
2016: Kathryn Schulz and Peter Balakian win Pulitzer Prizes
In 2016, Kathryn Schulz ('96) won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism, and Peter Balakian (PhD '80) won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
2016: Need-based scholarships awarded
In 2016–17, Brown University awarded need-based scholarships worth $120.5 million.
2017: New courses released on edx
By 2017, Brown University released new courses on edx, two of which were The Ethics of Memory and Artful Medicine: Art's Power to Enrich Patient Care.
2017: Brown Promise Announced
In 2017, Brown University announced that loans would be eliminated from all undergraduate financial aid awards starting in 2018–2019, as part of a new $30 million campaign called the Brown Promise.
2017: Fulbright recipients recognized
In 2017, Brown University produced the most Fulbright recipients of any university in the nation.
2017: Graduate School Acceptance Rate
In 2017, Brown University's Graduate School accepted 11% of 9,215 applicants.
2017: Lynn Nottage wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2017, Lynn Nottage ('86) won her second Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
2017: Computer science overtook economics as the most popular concentration
In 2017, computer science became the most popular undergraduate concentration at Brown, overtaking economics.
2017: Research Expenditure
In FY 2017, Brown University spent $212.3 million on research.
January 2018: "Game-ified" course published
In January 2018, Brown University published its first "game-ified" course called Fantastic Places, Unhuman Humans: Exploring Humanity Through Literature, which featured out-of-platform games to enhance learning.
2018: Greenhouse Emission Reduction Achieved
Between 2007 and 2018, Brown reduced its greenhouse emissions by 27 percent; the majority of this reduction is attributable to the university's Thermal Efficiency Project which converted its central heating plant from a steam-powered system to a hot water-powered system.
2018: End of Computer Science concentrator tripling
Between 2012 and 2018, the number of concentrators in Computer Science at Brown tripled.
2018: Andrew Sean Greer and James Forman Jr. win Pulitzer Prizes
In 2018, Andrew Sean Greer ('92) won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and James Forman Jr. ('88) won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
2018: Fulbright recipients recognized
In 2018, Brown University produced the most Fulbright recipients of any university in the nation.
2018: Cara Mund '16 Crowned Miss America
In 2018, Cara Mund, a Brown University alumna from the class of 2016, was crowned Miss America.
2018: Renaming of the Brown Institute for Brain Science to the Carney Institute
In 2018, the Brown Institute for Brain Science was renamed the Carney Institute in recognition of a $100 million gift, establishing it as one of the best-endowed university neuroscience programs in the country.
2018: Brown Promise begins
Loans are eliminated from all undergraduate financial aid awards starting in 2018-2019, as part of a new $30 million campaign called the Brown Promise.
2019: Transfer Applications Received
For the academic year 2019–20, Brown University received 2,030 transfer applications, of which 5.8% were accepted.
2019: Brownian Motion Wins National Championship
In 2019, Brown University's men's ultimate frisbee team, Brownian Motion, won a national championship.
2019: Jackie Sibblies Drury wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2019, Jackie Sibblies Drury (MFA '04) won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
2019: National championships
The Brown University women's sailing team has won 5 national championships, most recently in 2019.
2020: Most Popular Concentrations
For the graduating class of 2020, the most popular concentrations were Computer Science, Economics, Biology, History, Applied Mathematics, International Relations, and Political Science.
2020: Andrew Yang '96 Presidential Candidacy
In 2020, Andrew Yang, a Brown University alumnus from the class of 1996, was a candidate for President of the United States.
2020: Benjamin Moser wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2020, Benjamin Moser ('98) won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
2020: Divestment from Fossil Fuel Investments
In 2020, Brown University announced it had sold 90 percent of its fossil fuel investments as part of a broader divestment from direct investments and managed funds that focus on fossil fuels.
2020: Establishment of a new joint Master of Arts in Design Engineering program
In 2020, Brown and RISD announced the establishment of a new joint Master of Arts in Design Engineering program (MADE), combining RISD's industrial design programs with Brown's engineering programs.
2020: U.S. News & World Report ranked Brown's medical school
In 2020, U.S. News & World Report ranked Brown's medical school the 9th most selective in the country, with a 2.8% acceptance rate, 38th for research, and 35th for primary care.
2020: Alpert Medical School Ranking
In 2020, U.S. News ranked Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School the 9th most selective in the country, with an acceptance rate of 2.8 percent.
2020: Acceptance rate for the Brown|RISD Dual Degree Program was 2.7%
In autumn 2020, the Brown|RISD Dual Degree Program offered admission to 20 of 725 applicants, resulting in an acceptance rate of 2.7%.
2020: Average need-based award for the class of 2020
The average need-based award for Brown University's class of 2020 was $47,940.
2021: Funding in NIH awards
In 2021 Brown's School of Public Health received the 4th most funding in NIH awards among schools of public health in the U.S.
2021: Adoption of Carbon Reduction Goals
In 2021, Brown University adopted the goal of reducing quantifiable campus emissions by 75 percent by 2025 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
2021: Fulbright recipients recognized
In 2021, Brown University produced the most Fulbright recipients of any university in the nation.
2021: Record Applications for Master of Public Health Degree
In 2021, Brown University received a record 948 applications for roughly 90 spots in its Master of Public Health Degree.
2021: Yield Rate Reported
In 2021, Brown University reported a yield rate of 69%.
2021: PLME Selectivity
In 2021, Brown University's Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) program reported an admission rate of only 2% of applicants, making it one of the most selective programs of its type in the country.
2021: Guido Imbens Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
In 2021, Guido Imbens, who earned an AM ('89) and PhD ('91) from Brown University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
2021: Marcia Chatelain wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2021, Marcia Chatelain (PhD '08) won the Pulitzer Prize for History.
2021: Brown University ranked 5th
In 2021, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranked Brown University 5th in the "Best Colleges 2021" edition.
March 2022: Affiliations and Achievements
As of March 2022, Brown University has been affiliated with notable individuals, including 11 Nobel Prize winners, 1 Fields Medalist, 7 National Humanities Medalists, and 11 National Medal of Science laureates as alumni, faculty, or researchers. Alumni also include 29 Pulitzer Prize winners, 21 billionaires, 4 U.S. Secretaries of State, over 100 members of the United States Congress, 58 Rhodes Scholars, 22 MacArthur Genius Fellows, and 38 Olympic medalists.
2022: Free speech ranking
In 2022 Brown University ranked 114 of 257 top colleges in free speech rankings by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and "College Pulse".
2022: Douglas Diamond '75 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
In 2022, Douglas Diamond, a Brown University alumnus from the class of 1975, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
2022: Salamishah Tillet wins Pulitzer Prize
In 2022, Salamishah Tillet (MAT '97) won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.
2022: U.S. News & World Report Global Ranking
In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked Brown University 129th globally.
November 2023: Sit-in at University Hall
In early November 2023, twenty students of Jewish background staged a sit in at University hall, resulting in their arrests. The students were protesting the Gaza war and calling for a ceasefire, as well as for the university to divest from companies that "facilitate the 'Israeli military occupation' in Gaza."
December 2023: Sit-in for ceasefire in Gaza
In early December 2023, forty-one more students held a sit-in at Brown University with similar demands to the November protest, resulting in more arrests by the university.
2023: Free speech ranking
In 2023 Brown University ranked 114 of 257 top colleges in free speech rankings by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and "College Pulse".
2023: LGBTQ+ student self-identification level
In 2023, 38% of Brown University's students identified as being LGBTQ+, in a poll by The Brown Daily Herald.
2023: U.S. News & World Report Ranking
In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Brown University 9th among national universities.
February 2024: Hunger strike
In early February 2024, nineteen students participated in an eight-day hunger strike preceding a corporation meeting with the demand to present their case to corporation members.
2024: Free speech ranking
In 2024 Brown University ranked 69 of 257 top colleges in free speech rankings by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and "College Pulse".
2024: Brownian Motion Wins National Championship
In 2024, Brown University's men's ultimate frisbee team, Brownian Motion, won a national championship.
2024: Washington Monthly Ranking
In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Brown University 30th among 438 national universities in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good.
January 2025: Pause of new student admissions for the Brown/Trinity Rep Master of Fine Arts Programs
In January 2025, The Brown/Trinity Rep Master of Fine Arts Programs in Acting and Directing indefinitely paused its new student admissions, effectively ending the program.
2025: Target Date for Reducing Campus Emissions by 75%
In 2021, Brown University adopted the goal of reducing quantifiable campus emissions by 75 percent by 2025 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
2025: Free speech ranking
In 2025 Brown University ranked 229 of 257 top colleges in free speech rankings by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and "College Pulse".
2026: Record-Low Acceptance Rate
For the undergraduate class of 2026, Brown University received 50,649 applications and admitted 2,560 students, resulting in an acceptance rate of 5.0%, the lowest in the university's history.
2026: Undergraduate Admissions Selectivity
In 2026, Brown University's undergraduate admissions were among the most selective in the country, with an acceptance rate of 5% for the class of 2026.
2029: Need-blind admission policy extended to international applicants
Brown University's admissions policy will be extended to need-blind for international first-year applicants starting with the Class of 2029.
2040: Target Date for Achieving Carbon Neutrality
In 2021, Brown University adopted the goal of reducing quantifiable campus emissions by 75 percent by 2025 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
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