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AlmaSpire

Waltham, MA · Private · 3,618 undergraduates · urban

Brandeis University

Selective

Brandeis combines a university-wide interdisciplinary Core with an institutionalized January-entry cohort that begins college on a different calendar.

Kenneth C. Zirkel / CC BY-SA 4.0

Institutional profile

Well established Solid in student experience, and solid in career outcomes.
Academic Solid Affordability Steady Career Solid Mobility Steady Experience Solid
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Steady
Student experience Solid
Admission
35.3% admitted

11,282 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
88.1%

$77,231 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Brandeis University apart

Academic design

The redesigned Brandeis Core combines a first-year seminar, transferable competencies, broad areas of inquiry, and health and life-skills requirements.

Campus pattern

Midyear students arrive in January as a defined cohort and are housed near other students entering on the same schedule.

A signature opportunity

Midyear January-entry program.

Can I get in?

35.3% admitted

Some first-year applicants receive Midyear admission and begin in January rather than joining the entering class during fall.

Recent applicant pool

11,282

About 35 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 35.3%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1390–1530
13001600
ACT middle 50%31–34
2936

Of admitted students, 31% submitted an SAT, and 11% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.

Academic benchmarkSelective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Brandeis University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Brandeis University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

The redesigned Brandeis Core combines a first-year seminar, transferable competencies, broad areas of inquiry, and health and life-skills requirements.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Brandeis combines a university-wide interdisciplinary Core with an institutionalized January-entry cohort that begins college on a different calendar.

03

Use the application route carefully

Some first-year applicants receive Midyear admission and begin in January rather than joining the entering class during fall.

04

Give commitments a clear through-line

Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Some first-year applicants receive Midyear admission and begin in January rather than joining the entering class during fall.

Early DecisionNov 2
Early Decision IIJan 15
Early ActionNov 2
Regular DecisionJan 15
Fee and waiver$80 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$96,350
Average annual cost after aid$36,000
Affordability profileSteady

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Brandeis University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years88.1%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one88.8%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$77,231

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Biology, General

Recent graduates170
Median earnings$58,384

Economics

Recent graduates141
Median earnings$95,872

Business/Commerce, General

Recent graduates111
Median earnings$108,405

Research and Experimental Psychology

Recent graduates109
Median earnings$67,838

Public Policy Analysis

Recent graduates101
Median earnings$75,580

What is campus life like?

Brandeis University beyond the classroom

Midyear students arrive in January as a defined cohort and are housed near other students entering on the same schedule.

Academics

A defining academic feature

The redesigned Brandeis Core combines a first-year seminar, transferable competencies, broad areas of inquiry, and health and life-skills requirements.

Housing

Read the residential pattern

Compare the residential setup and surrounding area with the day-to-day routine you want.

Dining

Daily life follows the campus map

Dining and nearby options matter most when they support the academic, residential, and social routine you expect.

Campus rhythm

What shapes an ordinary week

Midyear students arrive in January as a defined cohort and are housed near other students entering on the same schedule.

Clubs & interests

Turn a direction into participation

The strongest opportunities connect a clear academic or personal direction to real work beyond class.

Social life

Find the right everyday fit

Midyear students arrive in January as a defined cohort and are housed near other students entering on the same schedule.

3,618 undergraduatesNew Englandurban setting99.2% of first-year students live on campus