At a Glance
Waltham, Massachusetts
Undergraduate Students: 3,460
Student to Faculty Ratio: 10:1
Acceptance Rate: 34%
Six Year Graduation Rate: 89%
Freshman Retention Rate: 90%
Notable Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology
The Feel
Campus sits on a hill in a residential area in the town of Waltham, 9 miles from Boston. The architecture is a mixture of styles.
Founded in 1948 as a non sectarian university by an American Jewish community who had been facing exclusion/persecution. For that reason, the campus is very inclusive with a tradition among its students of community service.
Brandeis was founded with the following tenets - reverence for learning, cultivation for critical thinking, and commitment to repairing the world.
They are very generous when it comes to general education requirements with copious options available.
All first-year students will take a writing seminar, with multiple fun topics to choose from, like “Dystopian Worlds” or “Tracking the Digital Self.” Students will also be broken up into small groups for a Critical Conversations course, focusing on a topic chosen for that year.
Students have three different sources of advising: general advisors, faculty, and trained student advisors.
Standout Points
They are among the top tier of colleges and universities for research with a R1 standing, meaning they receive the highest level of federal funding. This is rare for a small school like Brandeis.
They offer over 30 official research centers with a wide span of topics.
Academics: 44 majors and 51 minors. Lots of students double major.
Over 200 approved study abroad programs.
Professors are more than willing to meet students with generous office hours.
Brandeis is home of the Rose Art Museum, offering over 9,000 collections of art.
Fun Fact
Brandeis has a tradition of hosting a late night library party where they essentially transform the studious library environment into a “prom” style event.
Bottom Line Fit: For the student seeking a high scholarly environment with a commitment to research, inclusivity, and access to the Boston area.
Learn more about Brandeis!