Purchase College vs. Brown

Should I go to SUNY at Purchase College or Brown University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Purchase College or Brown is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Harvard Dartmouth Princeton Yale Cornell Amherst Johns Hopkins Penn Tufts Williams Columbia State University of New York at New Paltz
SUNY at Purchase College vs. Brown University comparison
SUNY at Purchase College Brown University College 3 College 4
SUNY at Purchase College Brown University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Purchase College Brown
Location Purchase, NY Providence, RI
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 3,229 11,516
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #297 #11
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website purchase.edu brown.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Purchase College Brown
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $65,656
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $65,656
Room & Board $15,400 $16,598
Avg Net Price $18,651 $26,608
Avg Grant Aid $9,627 $58,378
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 51%

Admission

 Purchase College Brown
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,221 51,316
Admitted 5,259 2,686
Acceptance Rate 72.8% 5.2%
Enrolled % 14.8% 63.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.94
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 27/32 34/35
SAT Range 1178/1363 1500/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2025 Jan 5, 2025

Academics

 Purchase College Brown
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Purchase College Brown
Graduation Rate 56% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $87,600
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $232 $155

Diversity

 Purchase College Brown
% Men 1% 15%
% Women 1% 17%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 55% 43%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 18% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 2% 12%
% Unknown Race 7% 7%

Students

 Purchase College Brown
% In-State 78% 3%
% Out-of-State 21% 81%

Campus

 Purchase College Brown
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Brown University is larger than than Purchase College based on total student enrollment (11,516 students vs. 3,229 students)

Purchase College vs. Brown Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Purchase College or Brown?

  • Brown University is 828.7% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($65,656.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 286.7% higher at Brown than SUNY at Purchase College ($65,656.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than Brown ($18,651 vs. $26,608)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY at Purchase College are 7.8% lower than costs at Brown University ($15,400 vs. $16,598)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY at Purchase College than Brown University (72% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Brown University students is 506.4% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($58,378 vs. $9,627)

Purchase College vs. Brown Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Purchase College or Brown? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Brown or Purchase College .

  • The average SAT score at Brown University (1457) is 375 points higher than at Purchase College (1082)
  • Incoming Brown students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Purchase College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Brown students have a 0.57 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Purchase College (3.37)
  • Purchase College has a higher acceptance rate (72.8%) than Brown (5.2%)

Purchase College vs. Brown Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purchase College or Brown? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Brown and Purchase College.

  • The graduation rate at Brown is higher than SUNY at Purchase College (95% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from Brown University earn on average $47,400 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($87,600 vs. $40,200)
  • Brown University students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Purchase College graduates. ($15,000 vs. $22,500)
  • Brown graduates are paying $77 less per month on federal student loans than Purchase College graduates. ($155 vs. $232)
  • More Brown graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purchase College students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/