Brown University holds a strong position as one of the most prestigious Ivy League institutions in USA. Its latest global rankings reflect that Brown is elite by reputation, yet selectively competitive on the world stage. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, Brown climbed to #69, improving from #79 in 2025, while Times Higher Education (THE) placed the university at #65. At the national level, Brown remains firmly established among the U.S. elite, ranking #13 in U.S. News Best Colleges 2026, but its global positions remain outside the top 50.
At the subject level, Brown University’s rankings highlight clear strengths alongside uneven performance across disciplines. Brown performs competitively in computer science, psychology, economics, humanities, and select life and social science fields, with steady gains in areas such as:
- THE Computer Science (#67 from #71)
- QS Economics and Econometrics (stable in #44)
- THE Business and Economics (debut in 2025 at #37)
- Joint Executive MBA (#5 globally in QS)
For prospective Indian students, this rankings profile points to a clear takeaway: Brown offers top-tier Ivy League education, strong outcomes, and standout programs in liberal arts, economics, computing, and executive education. Overall, Brown’s data-driven performance underscores a university that is academically excellent, student-centric, and selectively strong by subject; rather than uniformly dominant across all global rankings.
Brown University World Rankings
In QS World University Rankings 2026, Brown rose to #69 from #79 in 2025, though it remains below its 2024 position of #73, pointing to volatility rather than sustained momentum. Times Higher Education (THE) places Brown at #65 in 2026, broadly in line with #64 in 2024, but down from #58 in 2025.
According to Brown Daily, Brown University is ranked #13 nationally in US News & World Report's Best Colleges 2026 ranking, marking its second consecutive year at this position. Notable trends of the global rankings of Brown University are as follows:
| Ranking Agency | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings | #69 | #79 | #73 | Based on reputation, research, faculty/student ratios, citations, and international engagement. |
| US News and World Report Rankings (Best Global Universities) | - | #150 | #153 | Uses global research reputation, citation impact, and other research performance indicators. |
| Times Higher Education Rankings | #65 | #58 | #64 | Uses 18 indicators across teaching, research, citations, international outlook, and industry income. |
Brown University Computer Science Rankings
Brown University’s subject rankings in computing and AI show modest improvement but continued placement outside the global top tier. In QS Data Science and AI rankings, Brown sits in the #51-100 band in 2025, slightly wider than #51-70 in 2024. In QS Computer Science and Information Systems rankings, Brown improved to #107 in 2025 from #128 in 2024. Computer Science shows the clearest progress in THE rankings, with Brown rising to #67 in 2025 from #71 in 2024 and #74 in 2023.
| Ranked By | Subject | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS WUR by Subject | Data Science and AI | Not released | #51-100 | #51-70 |
| Computer Science and Information Systems | #107 | #128 | ||
| THE WUR by Subject | Computer Science | #67 | #71 | #74 |
Check out the Computer Science programs offered by Brown University.
Brown University Engineering Rankings
In QS Mechanical Engineering rankings, Brown has moved up from the #151-200 band in 2023 to #148 in 2025. Chemical Engineering also shows improvement, rising from the #251-300 band in 2024 to #201-250 in 2025. Other notable trends of Brown University’s Engineering programs rankings are as follows:
| Ranked By | Subject | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS WUR by Subject | Mechanical Engineering | Not released | #148 | #147 |
| Engineering and Technology | #214 | #195 | ||
| Chemical Engineering | #201-250 | #251-300 | ||
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | #251-300 | #251-300 | ||
| THE WUR by Subject | Engineering | #101-125 | #90 | #87 |
Brown University Rankings Business Courses
Brown University’s business and economics subject rankings show targeted gains alongside stable performance at the high end of economics. In QS Business and Management Studies, Brown improved to the #351-400 band in 2025 from #401-450 in both 2024 and 2023. Notable ranking trends of Brown University for business disciplines are mentioned in the table below:
| Ranked By | Subject | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS WUR by Subject | Business and Management Studies | #351-400 | #401-450 | #401-450 |
| Economics and Econometrics | #44 | #44 | #33 | |
| THE WUR by Subject | Business and Economics | #37 | - | - |
Brown University Executive MBA Rankings
The IE Brown Executive MBA, jointly delivered by Brown University and IE Business School, has retained its #5 global ranking in the 2025 QS Executive MBA Rankings. The program also ranked No. 2 worldwide for both career outcomes and diversity, highlighting its strong return on investment and ability to attract a highly international cohort.
Designed for senior professionals, the 15-month IE Brown Executive MBA program combines online learning with in-person residencies in Madrid, Providence, and Cape Town.
Brown University Rankings for Science Courses
In QS Earth and Marine Sciences rankings, Brown improved to the #101-150 band in 2025 from #151-200 in 2024, returning to its 2023 range. QS Biological Sciences also strengthened, moving to #181 in 2025 from the #151-200 band in 2024 and the #201-250 band in 2023. Notable ranking trends of Brown University’s science courses are as follows:
| Ranked By | Subject | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS WUR by Subject | Earth and Marine Sciences | Not released | #101-150 | #151-200 |
| Natural Sciences | #159 | #147 | ||
| Biological Sciences | #181 | #151-200 | ||
| Life Sciences and Medicine | #158 | #163 | ||
| Environmental Sciences | #251-300 | #251-300 | ||
| Chemistry | #251-300 | #251-300 | ||
| THE WUR by Subject | Life Sciences | #101-125 | #101-125 | #101-125 |
| Physical Sciences | #56 | #50 | #56 | |
| Psychology | #46 | #44 | #48 | |
| Social Sciences | #71 | #64 | #67 |
Brown University Humanities Ranking
Brown University’s arts, humanities, and education subject rankings show targeted gains in several key disciplines. In QS Anthropology, Brown improved to #47 in 2025 from the #51-100 band in 2023, remaining within the global top 50 despite a slight year-on-year dip from 2024. QS English Language and Literature also rose to #45 from #48 in 2024 and #50 in 2023.
On the THE side, Arts and Humanities climbed to #54 in 2025 from #57 in 2024 and #63 in 2023. Check out the trends below:
| Ranked By | Subject | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS WUR by Subject | Anthropology | Not released | #47 | #45 |
| Arts and Humanities | #56 | #53 | ||
| Philosophy | #51-100 | #51-100 | ||
| Politics | #85 | #51-100 | ||
| Linguistics | #251-300 | #201-250 | ||
| English Language and Literature | #45 | #48 | ||
| Education and Training | #95 | #101-150 | ||
| THE WUR by Subject | Arts and Humanities | #54 | #57 | #63 |
| Education Studies | #126-150 | #101-125 | #72 |
While its overall world rankings sit outside the global top 50, Brown delivers strong academic outcomes and student experience. Indian students should align their choice with program-specific rankings, especially if targeting engineering or research-heavy STEM fields, where larger technical universities may offer stronger global positioning.
1546425900.png?h=40&w=60&mode=stretch)
Comments