Brown University
Brown University is a private, nonprofit Ivy League research university in Providence, RI, founded in 1764, serving roughly 11,275 students across undergraduate, graduate, medical, and executive programs, funded by an $8 billion endowment, tuition, federal research, and philanthropy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1764
- HeadquartersProvidence, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Brown University does
Brown University is a private, nonprofit research university founded in 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island, and the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. It enrolls approximately 11,275 students across 80+ undergraduate concentrations, 51 doctoral programs, 33 master's programs, and the Warren Alpert Medical School, supported by 866 regular faculty and 2,462 clinical faculty that produce a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Brown is a founding member of the Ivy League and NCAA Division I institution, distinguished by its Open Curriculum, need-blind admissions for U.S. applicants, and the Brown Promise — meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need with no loans.
The university's research enterprise spans multidisciplinary areas including brain-computer interfaces, neural operator AI/ML frameworks, biomedical devices, solid-state and sodium-ion batteries, quantum materials, and AI policy. Platforms such as the Carney Institute for Brain Science, Data Science Institute, Initiative for Sustainable Energy, Legorreta Cancer Center, and Brown Technology Innovations anchor technology-transfer activity that produced 482 invention disclosures, 365 provisional patents, and 16 startups between 2020-2024; three of four U.S. federal post-quantum cryptography standards are co-developed by Brown researchers. Operationally, Brown holds an $8 billion endowment, attracted $1.2 billion in cumulative federal research funding across 2020-2024, and invested $374 million in R&D in 2024.
Brown generates revenue through tuition and fees (cost of attendance approaching $100,000), endowment investment returns, federal and sponsored research, philanthropic donations, executive and online master's programs, industry partnerships and licensing, and auxiliary services such as the Ocean State Labs life-sciences incubator. Distribution spans direct undergraduate and graduate admissions, pre-college summer programs, edX MOOCs, executive education through the School of Professional Studies, global study-abroad programs across 58 institutional collaborations in 31 countries, and technology commercialization via Brown Technology Innovations. Recent operating context includes a December 13, 2025 campus shooting, a $510 million federal research funding freeze partially resolved via a $50 million workforce-development commitment, an ongoing Clery Act review, and a Pentagon ban on Tuition Assistance use at Brown effective 2026-2027.
Brown University firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brown University
- Legal name
- Brown University
- Website
- https://brown.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1764
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Brown University is a private, nonprofit Ivy League research university in Providence, RI, founded in 1764, serving roughly 11,275 students across undergraduate, graduate, medical, and executive programs, funded by an $8 billion endowment, tuition, federal research, and philanthropy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brown University industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities (EDAHABAD), Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG), STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)
Keywords
Where Brown University is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Providence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Brown University business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from undergraduate, graduate, and medical student tuition; cost of attendance nearing $100,000; offset by Brown's need-blind admissions and the Brown Promise of meeting 100% demonstrated need with no loans.
- Endowment Investment Returns: $8 billion endowment generates investment returns supporting operations; actively managed across public, private credit (e.g., Blue Owl), and other asset classes.
- Federal and Sponsored Research Funding: Research grants and contracts from federal agencies; $1.2 billion in federal research funding, 4,052 research awards between 2020-2024; $844M from HHS/NIH, $168M from NSF, $99M from DoD, $27M from DOE.
- Philanthropic Donations: Major gifts from alumni and foundations, e.g., $12M from Orlando Bravo and Bravo Family Foundation; $25M from Pablo and Almudena Legorreta; $50M workforce development pledge to Trump administration.
- Industry Partnerships and Licensing: Industry-sponsored research collaborations, technology transfer via Brown Technology Innovations, 482 invention disclosures and 365 provisional patent applications (2020-2024), and 16 startups founded on Brown IP.
- Executive Education and Online Programs: Revenue from executive master's programs (Healthcare Leadership, Technology Leadership, IE Brown Executive MBA), certificate programs (MBSR, MBCT, Applied AI & Data Science, Leadership Coaching), and Pre-College Summer Programs.
- Real Estate and Auxiliary Services: Brown invests in commercial real estate (e.g., $13M, 10-year lease for Ocean State Labs at 150 Richmond St., Providence) and provides housing/dining services to students.
- Online Master’s Programs: Online master's program in biostatistics with concentration in health data science, offered through the School of Public Health in partnership with the School of Professional Studies; five-semester, 20-month format.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Undergraduate tuition and fees (cost of attendance near $100,000 per news reports) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Doctoral student funding (5-year guaranteed) |
| Subscription | Annual | Master's program tuition (varies by program) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Executive Education open enrollment programs |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-College Programs for high school students |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | No-cost, no-credit online courses (BrownX via edX) |
| Subscription | Annual | Medical school tuition & fees |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels10 records
Brown University product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brown University is a private nonprofit research university that provides undergraduate, graduate, medical, professional, and non-degree education across multiple schools including the College, Graduate School, Warren Alpert Medical School, School of Engineering, School of Public Health, School of Professional Studies, and Watson School. The university conducts federally sponsored research across disciplines and operates executive education, pre-college summer programs, and online MOOCs through its BrownX/edX partnership.
Product overview
No product or service offering details with resolvable source identifiers were available in the provided input data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brown Bears: Intercollegiate athletics program of Brown University.
Products and services
- Undergraduate Education (The College)
- Graduate and Doctoral Education
- Medical Education (Warren Alpert Medical School)
- Executive Education and Professional Master's Programs
- Online Master of Science in Biostatistics
- Pre-College Summer Programs
- BrownX MOOCs (via edX)
- Global Education / Study Abroad Programs
- Industry Engagement and Technology Licensing
Quantifiable outcome
- 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio
- +15 more outcomes
Companies that use Brown University
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brown University technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature16 records
Brown University partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators32 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brown University competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Harvard University: Harvard is Brown's closest Ivy League research university peer, operating a similar multi-school structure, large endowment, and federal research funding profile. Both compete for top-tier applicants and research talent.
- Yale University: Yale is a founding Ivy League research university with comparable scale of endowment, undergraduate college, and graduate/professional schools. Brown and Yale compete head-to-head for the same applicant pool and faculty talent.
- Princeton University: Princeton is a peer private research university in the Ivy League with similar undergraduate focus, robust financial aid, and federal research funding. Brown and Princeton compete for similar applicants and research prestige.
- Columbia University: Columbia is a New York-based Ivy League research university with comparable research scale and federal funding exposure (also had $400M in 2025 federal freezes). Brown and Columbia share regulatory and political headwinds in 2025-2026.
- Dartmouth College: Dartmouth is a smaller Ivy League research university with a comparable undergraduate liberal-arts focus and graduate/professional schools (Tuck, Geisel). Brown and Dartmouth compete for similar applicants and share Ivy League brand positioning.
- University of Pennsylvania: UPenn is an Ivy League research university with comparable scale, multi-school structure, federal research funding, and a major health system affiliate. Brown's medical school mirrors Penn's research-medical ecosystem.
- Cornell University: Cornell is a founding Ivy League research university with mixed public/private funding and comparable research scale across engineering, life sciences, and social sciences. Brown's School of Engineering and Carney Institute compete with Cornell programs.
Broad incumbents
- Stanford University: Stanford is a larger private research university with comparable research scale, federal funding, and IP commercialization engine (16 Brown IP startups vs Stanford's deep spinout ecosystem). Both share HHS/NIH and DoD funding exposure and tech transfer focus.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT is a peer private research university with comparable federal research funding scale, technology transfer engine, and IP commercialization track record. Both co-developed post-quantum cryptography standards and face similar Pentagon policy headwinds.
Others
- Massachusetts General Brigham: Mass General Brigham is a research-clinical partner that co-developed Brown's brain-computer interface technology with paralyzed ALS patients. It functions as a translational research collaborator rather than a competitor, anchoring Brown's clinical research pipeline.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Brown University social profiles
Digital presenceBrown University financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brown University leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Brown University subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Brown University funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brown University M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brown University
What does Brown University do?
Brown University is a private nonprofit research university that provides undergraduate, graduate, medical, professional, and non-degree education across multiple schools including the College, Graduate School, Warren Alpert Medical School, School of Engineering, School of Public Health, School of Professional Studies, and Watson School. The university conducts federally sponsored research across disciplines and operates executive education, pre-college summer programs, and online MOOCs through its BrownX/edX partnership.
Is Brown University a public or private company?
Brown University is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Brown University founded?
Brown University was founded in 1764. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Brown University based?
Brown University is headquartered in Providence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brown University make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are endowment Investment Returns, federal and Sponsored Research Funding, philanthropic Donations, industry Partnerships and Licensing, executive Education and Online Programs, real Estate and Auxiliary Services and online Master’s Programs.
Who are Brown University's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University. Broad incumbents are Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Massachusetts General Brigham is listed as an others.
Does Brown University have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brown University.
What industry is Brown University in?
Brown University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHABAA, Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary), with a secondary code of EDAHABAD, Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.