Acceptance Rate
41%
Avg. SAT
1520
75th percentile
“Brandeis invites activist-minded intellectuals to dive into social justice and rigorous science on a leafy suburban campus just outside Boston.”
Waltham, MA
Location
Small City
Campus Setting
You step onto Brandeis's campus knowing its roots run deep in mid-20th-century American Jewish optimism: founded in 1948 by community leaders as the nation's only nonsectarian university explicitly established by Jews after the Holocaust, it honors Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who championed progressive causes from his perch in nearby Boston. This legacy infuses everything—social justice pulses through the veins of the student body, drawing thinkers who debate ethics over coffee and rally for causes from climate action to Palestinian rights. You'll thrive here if you're curious, vocal, and unafraid of nuance, but the hyper-progressive vibe can feel echo-chamberish to conservatives or those craving a more apolitical haven.
Nestled in Waltham, a quiet Boston suburb of 60,000 with falafel joints and indie bookstores but few nightlife thrills, Brandeis offers a bubble of intensity 20 minutes from the T to Harvard Square or Fenway. The tradeoff hits hard: sublime fall foliage and bikeable paths to Moody Street's dives, yet you'll trek into Boston for big-city energy, missing the constant urban hum of NYU or BU.
Photo Gallery
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In Brandeis's seminars, professors like Nobel economist Michael Kremer challenge you to dissect real-world puzzles, from poverty traps in Kenya to neural networks in the brain—expect lively debates where your voice shapes the syllabus, backed by an 11:1 ratio that means no faceless lectures. Shine in neuroscience (home to pioneering Alzheimer's research), anthropology's ethnographic deep dives, or politics' policy simulations; undergrads snag paid summer research gigs early, co-authoring papers that land PhDs at Stanford. The intellectual culture buzzes with interdisciplinary sparks—pair computer science with creative writing—but tradeoffs emerge: humanities get star treatment while engineering lags, and Waltham's isolation means fewer industry internships without the commute.
Classrooms feel intimate and urgent, like joining a think tank where midterms double as activism primers.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
3,632 undergrad • 1,573 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
40%
Black / African American
6%
Hispanic / Latino
8%
Asian
14%
Other / Multi-racial
33%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Waltham, MA
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Your week pulses with rhythm: Monday protests at the Shapiro Campus Center, Wednesday a cappella jams in Usdan's basement, Friday hikes to the on-campus farm for sustainable eats. Brandeis's social scene thrives on diversity—40% students of color, strong LGBTQ+ alliances—but Greek life barely exists, so bonds form through 275 clubs like Justice Brandeis for animal rights or the Comedy Workshop that roasts campus sacred cows. Residential life clusters you into Village quads with suite-style doubles, fostering late-night Talmudic arguments, though thin walls test patience.
Vibe skews earnest and eclectic—think klezmer concerts amid hackathons—but winters bury the quad in snow, and Waltham's sleepy strip malls demand Boston escapes for dates or dances, challenging homebodies who dislike schlepping.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
University Athletic Association
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
No
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$11,623
$30K – $48K
$12,733
$48K – $75K
$18,911
$75K – $110K
$27,016
$110K+
$50,064
Apply for Financial Aid
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Costs shown are before financial aid. Most students receive some form of aid. Complete the FAFSA to see what you qualify for.
Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
87%
4 Years Graduation Rate
84%
6 Years Graduation Rate
88%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$77,231
87% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Brandeis University and return in the fall. 84% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 88% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
84%
4-6 years
4%
Non-grad
12%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$61,724
Acceptance
41%
Undergrads
3,632
4-Year Grad Rate
84%
Endowment
$1.2B
Waltham, MA 02454-9110