Is Brown or Columbia harder to get into?

Columbia is harder to get into than Brown. Columbia's 3.9% acceptance rate is lower than Brown's 5.4%.

Which is cheaper, Brown or Columbia?

Columbia costs less on average. After grants and scholarships, Columbia's average net price is $21,590 vs $25,184 at Brown.

Which has higher post-graduation earnings, Brown or Columbia?

Columbia graduates earn more on average. Median earnings 10 years after entry are $93,487 at Brown and $102,491 at Columbia.

Brown vs. Columbia: Acceptance Rate, SAT, Cost & Outcomes Compared

Metric	Brown	Columbia
Acceptance rate	5.4%	3.9%
SAT mid-50%	1500–1570	1490–1570
ACT mid-50%	34–35	34–35
Cost of attendance	$90,160	$89,587
Avg net price (after aid)	$25,184	$21,590
Undergrad enrollment	7,639	8,902
6-yr graduation rate	95.7%	96.1%
Median earnings (10yr)	$93,487	$102,491
Setting	Providence, Rhode Island	New York, New York

The Real Differences

Columbia is modestly harder to get into. The 1.5-point gap matters at the margin but doesn't change the overall difficulty tier. Both schools draw similar applicant pools and admit similar profiles.

Columbia graduates earn $9,004 more on average at the 10-year mark. This usually reflects major distribution more than school quality — schools that concentrate in CS, engineering, and finance pull higher medians than schools with more humanities and social science graduates. Brown grads' earnings within the same major category are typically comparable.

Geographic difference matters more than the campus tour suggests. Brown is in Providence, Rhode Island; Columbia is in New York, New York. Climate, cost-of-living, and proximity to job markets in your target field shape the four-year experience and post-grad pipeline more than most prospective students realize.

Columbia has a more international student body (19.7% non-resident students vs 12.7%). For applicants who value global exposure or have international academic interests, that mix shows up in classroom culture and alumni network.

Student Body Composition

The two schools have different student body compositions. Brown is 50.0% women, 12.7% international, and 22.9% Asian-American. Columbia is 49.8% women, 19.7% international, and 18.7% Asian-American.

Demographic	Brown	Columbia
Women	50.0%	49.8%
International	12.7%	19.7%
White	32.9%	28.7%
Asian	22.9%	18.7%
Hispanic	12.1%	15.4%
Black	8.2%	7.5%

Personalized estimate

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The Verdict

Pick Brown if

Your odds are realistic at Brown (slightly easier admit)
the Open Curriculum

Pick Columbia if

Net price matters: Columbia costs $3,594 less per year on average
Higher median post-grad earnings ($102,491 vs $93,487)
Higher 6-year graduation rate
the Core Curriculum

Headline numbers favor one school or the other on each axis, but neither is unambiguously “better.” The right answer depends on your major fit, geographic preference, financial need, and personal odds at each. Most applicants who get into one of these schools also get into the other.

Full School Pages

For complete admissions data, supplemental essay strategy, and class profile breakdowns:

Full profile

Brown University

5.4% accept · Providence, Rhode Island

Full profile

Columbia University

3.9% accept · New York, New York

Sources

U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard for acceptance rates, test ranges, financial aid, demographics, completion, and earnings.
IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) for the underlying federal data.
Each school's most recent published Common Data Set for cycle-specific admissions stats.

Last verified May 2026. Stats reflect each school's most recent publicly published admit cycle.

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