Tufts vs. Brown vs. RISD vs. SMFA

Should I go to Tufts University or Brown University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Tufts 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.
You are comparing the maximum of four schools. Remove a college to compare additional schools.
Tufts University vs. Brown University vs. Rhode Island School of Design vs. School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston comparison
Tufts University Brown University Rhode Island School of Design School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Tufts University Brown University Rhode Island School of Design School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Remove Remove Remove Remove

Overview

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
Location Medford, MA Providence, RI Providence, RI Boston, MA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 13,274 11,516 2,540 492
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #33 #11 #90
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website tufts.edu brown.edu risd.edu smfa.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
Tuition (In State) $66,358 $65,656 $58,690 $39,928
Tuition (Out of State) $66,358 $65,656 $58,690 $39,928
Room & Board $17,660 $16,598 $15,850 $14,850
Avg Net Price $33,333 $26,608 $42,106 $39,340
Avg Grant Aid $51,267 $58,378 $36,743 $15,629
% Receiving Grant Aid 41% 51% 33% 100%

Admission

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
Applied 34,003 51,316 7,126 318
Admitted 3,444 2,686 984 258
Acceptance Rate 10.1% 5.2% 13.8% 3.6%
Enrolled % 50.5% 63.1% 51.2% 4.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.94 3.71 -
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Exceptional Unavailable
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme Very High
ACT Range 33/35 34/35 30/33
SAT Range 1460/1550 1500/1570 1370/1540
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Neither required nor recommended
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Jan 5, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 6:1 8:1 0:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (31%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Architecture (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Precision Production Trades (4%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (29%)

Outcomes

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
Graduation Rate 90% 95% 87% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $83,100 $87,600 $51,100 $34,300
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 89% 89% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,000 $15,000 $27,000 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $186 $155 $279 $268

Diversity

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
% Men 18% 15% 5% 0%
% Women 30% 17% 13% 0%
Racial Diversity High Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 58% 43% 31% 49%
% Black 4% 7% 2% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 11% 8% 14%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6% 4% 3%
% International 9% 12% 26% 12%
% Unknown Race 7% 7% 8% 15%

Students

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
% In-State 22% 3% 1% -
% Out-of-State 64% 81% 61% -

Campus

 Tufts Brown RISD SMFA
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility No No No No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Tufts University is larger than than Brown based on total student enrollment (13,274 students vs. 11,516 students)

Tufts vs. Brown Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Tufts or Brown?

  • Tufts University is 1.1% more expensive to attend than Brown for in-state tuition ($66,358.00 vs. $65,656.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.1% higher at Tufts than Brown University ($66,358.00 vs. $65,656.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Brown University than Tufts ($26,608 vs. $33,333)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Brown University are 6.4% lower than costs at Tufts University ($16,598 vs. $17,660)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Brown University than Tufts University (51% vs. 41%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Brown University students is 13.9% larger than aid received Tufts University ($58,378 vs. $51,267)

Tufts vs. Brown Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Brown University (1457) is 33 points higher than at Tufts (1424)
  • Incoming Brown students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Tufts (32)
  • Accepted freshman Brown students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Tufts (3.91)
  • Tufts has a higher acceptance rate (10.1%) than Brown (5.2%)

Tufts vs. Brown Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Tufts 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 Tufts.

  • The graduation rate at Brown is higher than Tufts University (95% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from Brown University earn on average $4,500 more per year than Tufts graduates after ten years. ($87,600 vs. $83,100)
  • Brown University students graduate with a $3,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Tufts graduates. ($15,000 vs. $18,000)
  • Brown graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Tufts graduates. ($155 vs. $186)
  • More Tufts graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Brown students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 89%)

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