President Ruth Simmons

Welcome to Brown University, the third oldest institution of higher education in New England and seventh oldest in the United States.  Founded in 1764, Brown has throughout the decades represented the best in liberal arts education and leading edge scholarship and research.

As you explore the University’s website, you will get a glimpse of the wealth of offerings and people who contribute to a unique academic culture, one that emphasizes individual innovation and achievement while underlining the value of mining the diversity of Brown by pursuing interdisciplinary efforts and fostering intellectual exchange across cultures and perspectives. You will also see that Brown is a university with a long and rich history, one that in each era has reflected the strength of the founders’ commitment to educating students for a life of “usefulness and reputation.” Today, our students, faculty, alumni and staff demonstrate this commitment to society in a wide range of engagements that make a difference throughout the world.

The primary campus, located on the historic East Side of Providence, contains museums, art galleries, libraries, and beautiful historic buildings. More recently, the University has expanded its campus into Providence’s downtown and Jewelry District, an appealing new aspect of our growing campus. This expansion has important consequences for the economic health and growth of the city and state. The University is committed to working with public officials and citizens of Rhode Island and Providence to advance the economic health of the area.

At heart, Brown is a university whose mission is based on striving for academic excellence. This goal pervades every aspect of our identity and has propelled Brown to be ranked one of the best universities in the United States and, more recently, in the world. Importantly, Brown is not only recognized for the rigor of its offerings and the importance of the scholarship and research produced on the campus but also for the devotion to and enjoyment of Brown that our students and alumni evince. Brown was ranked Number One among “America’s Happiest College Students” in the Princeton Review 2010 rankings.  

Welcome to Brown.

Ruth J. Simmons

President