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Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA · City · 3,618 students
WebsiteCommon AppForbes rankingScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$35,736
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
86%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
70% typical
$77,231
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$63,395 typical
41%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
73% typical · not scored
Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education
About

Founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community as a nonsectarian institution committed to social justice, Brandeis University combines the advanced research opportunities of an R1 institution with the tight-knit, personalized environment of a liberal arts college. The university is widely recognized for its powerhouse programs in neuroscience, biochemistry, and life sciences, alongside top-tier offerings in politics, economics, and international and global studies. Student life is defined by a deeply engaged, collaborative, and socially conscious campus community where undergraduates actively participate in activism, community service, and original research. Located just nine miles west of Boston, Brandeis gives students seamless access to the city's rich academic, cultural, and professional resources while maintaining a focused suburban residential experience.

Wikipedia:Brandeis University is a private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a non-sectarian, coeducational university, Brandeis was established on the site of the former Middlesex University. It is named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Location
Waltham, MA, 02454-9110 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
BOS · Boston
13 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$68,080
Housing & food (on campus)$19,944
Books & supplies$1,000
Cost of attendance$97,758
Average net price$35,736
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$68,080
Housing & food (on campus)$19,944
Books & supplies$1,000
Cost of attendance$97,758
Average net price$35,736
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.brandeis.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Brandeis University’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$73,080
Fees$598
Housing$13,180
Food$8,700
Books & supplies$1,000
Personal expenses$1,200
Total of the above$97,758
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$13,363
$30–48k
$15,135
$48–75k
$20,536
$75–110k
$26,784
$110k+
$54,885
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
86%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
77%
Back for yr 2
87%
Transferred
8%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
88% graduated · 8% transferred · 4% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$52,967
10 yrs after entry$77,231
Debt
Median at graduation$25,648
Monthly payment$272
Middle 50% owe$17.5k–$30k
90th percentile$34,000
Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral University: 70% graduate within 6 yrs, $63,395 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
41%
Test policy
Test optional
Per College Scorecard
SAT average
1462
R 690–750 · M 700–770
ACT midpoint
33
Comp 31–34 · E 31–35 · M 27–34
SAT middle 50%: 1390–1520
40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Brandeis University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 43%Women 57%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell grant
15%
First-gen
16%
Family income
$72,611
Independent
3%
Age at entry
19.0
Part-time
0%
Race & ethnicity
White
41%
Hispanic
9%
Black
6%
Asian
18%
Two or more
4%
Non-resident
19%
Unknown
2%
Varsity sports
NCAA Division III without football · EADA 2024-25
  • Baseball
    Men's
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Fencing
    Men's · Women's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Softball
    Women's
  • Swimming
    Men's · Women's
  • Tennis
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Women's
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$52,967
After 10 yrs
$77,231
Biology, General170
Economics141
Business/Commerce, General111
Research and Experimental Psychology109
Public Policy Analysis101
Computer Science92
Political Science and Government60
Neurobiology and Neurosciences54
Applied Mathematics52
Area Studies51
International/Globalization Studies38
Sociology37
English Language and Literature, General32
Chemistry28
History28
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies27
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$1.3B
Full-time faculty
74%
Faculty salary
$14,570/mo
Teaching spend
$21,670
per student
Federal loans
28%
Classification
Carnegie type
Doctoral University
Research activity
R1 — very high research
$107M research spending · 76 research doctorates a year
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

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