Brown SAT & ACT Score Requirements: What You Need to Get In (2026)

Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island is one of the smallest and most distinctive Ivy League schools, with a Class of 2029 acceptance rate of about 5.5 percent and the famous Open Curriculum that lets undergraduates design their own paths through the liberal arts. Brown has reinstated its standardized test requirement starting with the 2024 to 2025 cycle, and admitted students score in the 1470 to 1550 range on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT. If you are aiming for College Hill, this guide walks you through the score ranges, the binding ED advantage, the Brown Promise no-loan aid program, and what the Open Curriculum actually means for your application.

Brown SAT Score Requirements

The middle 50 percent SAT range for admitted Brown students is 1470 to 1550, with an average composite around 1510 to 1520. A 1470 puts you at the 25th percentile and a 1550 lands in the top quartile. Brown super-scores the SAT and accepts Score Choice, so you can submit your strongest sittings and have your highest section scores combined.

Brown does not publish a minimum score and reviews every application holistically. That said, the practical reality at a 5 percent admit rate is that scores meaningfully below the 25th percentile require a very strong rest of file to overcome.

Our SAT Math practice and SAT Reading and Writing practice drills target the question types that move scores into the 1500+ range. Our SAT score calculator shows exactly how many additional questions you need to clear that bar.

Brown ACT Score Requirements

The middle 50 percent ACT range is 33 to 35, with an average around 34. Brown does not have a preference between the SAT and ACT, super-scores both, and treats the SAT Essay and ACT Writing sections as completely optional.

If you have not committed to one test yet, our SAT vs ACT comparison walks through how the two tests differ in pacing and content emphasis.

Brown is Test-Required Again

Brown shifted back to required testing for the 2024 to 2025 cycle (Class of 2029 onward) after several years test-optional. For Fall 2026 applicants, SAT or ACT scores are required. Practical timing rules:

• Early Decision applicants: Testing must be completed by the last October test date for scores to arrive in time.
• Regular Decision applicants: Testing must be completed by the last December test date.
• Brown super-scores both the SAT and ACT, so multiple sittings can only help.
• The SAT Essay and ACT Writing sections are not required.
• Brown accepts Score Choice. You can choose which dates to send.

Brown Application Deadlines

Brown uses two application rounds: binding Early Decision and Regular Decision. There is no Early Action or non-binding early option.

The Early Decision Advantage

Brown's ED admit rate has run roughly four times higher than RD in recent cycles. For the Class of 2029, Brown admitted 907 students out of 5,048 ED applicants (about 18 percent), compared to roughly 4 percent for Regular Decision.

Two important caveats:

• ED is binding. If admitted, you must withdraw all other applications and enroll. Only commit if Brown is your clear first choice and you have run the net price calculator.
• The ED pool is stronger. Recruited athletes, legacy applicants, and applicants from highly resourced schools are overrepresented in ED. The headline rate gap is partly self-selection. The genuine bump from applying ED if you are not in those buckets is closer to a 1.5x to 2x boost than a 4x boost.

The Open Curriculum: What It Means for Your Application

Brown's Open Curriculum is its signature feature. Undergraduates have no general education or distribution requirements outside of their concentration. Students design their own paths through the liberal arts, take any course Satisfactory/No Credit if they want, and pursue self-designed concentrations.

What this means for your application:

• Brown reads supplements for fit with the Open Curriculum. Generic essays about loving "freedom" or "flexibility" are filtered out fast. Specific reflection on what you would actually do with the freedom (which courses, which combinations, which questions you want to chase) reads as authentic.
• Demonstrated intellectual range matters. Brown likes students who pursue more than one area deeply. A polished applicant with five years of one activity and nothing else can read as a worse fit than a student with sustained engagement in two genuinely different areas.
• The "Why Brown" supplement does heavy lifting. Engage with the Open Curriculum specifically and with named courses, professors, or research opportunities.

The Brown Promise: No-Loan Need-Based Aid

Through the Brown Promise initiative, Brown has eliminated packaged loans from all undergraduate financial aid awards. Brown meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need with grants and scholarships, no loans required.

• Family income $125,000 or below (with typical assets): Aid covers full tuition.
• Family income below $60,000 with assets below $100,000: Brown covers tuition, fees, room, and meals (a full ride).
• For most Brown Scholarship-eligible students, required books and course materials are also covered.
• Need-based aid scales for higher-income families based on the FAFSA and CSS Profile financial review.

Brown does not offer broad merit-based scholarships. The trade-off is deeper need-based packages: for most middle-income families, Brown's actual cost is meaningfully lower than the sticker price.

Cost of Attendance

For the 2025 to 2026 academic year:

• Tuition: $71,700
• Total cost of attendance: approximately $102,228 (tuition, fees, housing, meal plan, books, personal expenses, health insurance)

The sticker price is meaningful only if your family income is above the Brown Promise thresholds. Below them, the actual cost can be a fraction of the published number, often less than a state flagship for the same student.

What Else Matters Beyond the Score

At a 5 percent admit rate, the score is necessary but not sufficient. The application elements that move the needle:

• Course rigor. Admitted students typically take the most demanding course load their high school offers, with most senior-year courses at AP, IB, or post-AP level.
• The Brown supplements. Brown asks several short prompts, each with limited word counts. Specificity and voice matter more than polish.
• Demonstrated intellectual independence. Brown looks for students who would actually use the Open Curriculum, not students who just like the idea of it.
• Recommendations. Two teacher recommendations and one counselor letter. Specific, substantive letters matter more here than they do at large state universities.

For a wider view of similarly selective Ivy League schools, see our guides on Cornell SAT and ACT requirements, Penn SAT and ACT requirements, Yale SAT and ACT requirements, and Columbia SAT and ACT requirements.

If Your Score Is Below the 25th Percentile

If your composite is below 1470 SAT or 33 ACT, applying is still worth considering, but be honest about what your application needs to overcome. Students admitted with scores below the 25th percentile typically have at least one of: a stand-out GPA in the most rigorous courses your school offers, deep research or competition placement, recruited athletics, or significant first-generation or socioeconomic context.

If you have time before applying, sitting one more test under timed conditions and doing focused prep on your weakest section is almost always worth it. Most Brown admits did not hit their best score on the first attempt.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brown SAT and ACT Requirements

What is the average SAT score at Brown?

The average SAT composite at Brown is around 1510 to 1520, with the middle 50 percent of admitted students scoring between 1470 and 1550.

What is the average ACT score at Brown?

The middle 50 percent of admitted students scored between 33 and 35 on the ACT, with an average around 34.

Does Brown require the SAT or ACT?

Yes, beginning with the 2024 to 2025 application cycle (Class of 2029) Brown requires SAT or ACT scores from all first-year applicants. The SAT Essay and ACT Writing sections are not required.

What is Brown's acceptance rate?

The overall acceptance rate is around 5.5 percent. The Class of 2029 saw an Early Decision admit rate of about 18 percent (907 admits from 5,048 applicants) and a Regular Decision rate of approximately 4 percent.

Does Brown super-score the SAT and ACT?

Yes, Brown super-scores both tests, considering your highest section scores across multiple administrations. Brown also accepts Score Choice, so you can choose which dates to send.

Should I apply Early Decision to Brown?

Apply ED only if Brown is your clear first choice and you have run the net price calculator. ED is binding: if admitted you must withdraw other applications and enroll. The ED admit rate is meaningfully higher than RD, but a portion of the gap is self-selection by well-prepared applicants.

What is the Brown Promise?

The Brown Promise is Brown's no-loan financial aid policy. Brown meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need with grants and scholarships only, no loans required. Families earning $125,000 or less (with typical assets) pay no tuition; families earning below $60,000 with assets below $100,000 receive a full ride covering tuition, fees, room, and meals.

Does Brown offer merit scholarships?

No. Brown awards aid only on the basis of demonstrated financial need. The trade-off is deeper need-based packages: 100 percent of demonstrated need is met with grants and scholarships, no loans required.

What is the Open Curriculum?

Brown's Open Curriculum allows undergraduates to design their own paths through the liberal arts with no general education or distribution requirements outside of their concentration. Students may take any course Satisfactory/No Credit. The Open Curriculum is Brown's signature feature and the application is read for genuine fit with it.

What GPA do I need for Brown?

Brown does not publish an official cutoff, but admitted students typically have unweighted GPAs in the 3.9 to 4.0 range, in the most rigorous course load their school offers.

When are Brown's application deadlines?

Early Decision is November 1, with decisions in mid-December. Regular Decision is January 5, with decisions released in early April. Brown does not offer Early Action.