Brown University

Brown traces its roots to 1764, when Baptists established the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the U.S. and the first Ivy to welcome students of all religious backgrounds. Nestled in Providence, a midsize city with gritty charm, performing arts vibrancy, and a renowned culinary scene, the campus offers a compact Collegiate Gothic core amid urban energy. Independent thinkers who crave flexibility and self-direction flourish here, charting unconventional paths without rigid requirements, while students who prefer structured guidance or hand-holding might find the freedom overwhelming.