Brandeis University

Brandeis University is a moderately selective private nonprofit university in Waltham, Massachusetts. It admits about 1 in 2 applicants, graduates 86% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $77,231 ten years after starting college, more than 70% of the Massachusetts colleges we cover.

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Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
41%

More selective than 75% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$35,736 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $86,448. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
86%

Higher than 76% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$77,231

Higher than 70% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 91% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Brandeis University acceptance rate & admissions

Of 11,282 applicants, Brandeis University admitted 3,984 and 865 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1390–1520 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.

11,282
Applied
3,984
Admitted
865
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years1390–1520
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years31–34
First-years who sent SAT scores31%
First-year students who return87%
Pell Grant recipients15%
First-generation students16%
Women / men57% / 43%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Brandeis University tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees$68,080
Housing & meals, on campus$19,096
Books & supplies$1,000
Total cost of attendance$86,448

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$23,250
Loan default rate1.2%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What Brandeis University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Brandeis University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Massachusetts. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$13,363$54,9221.5 years
$30–48k$15,135$62,2051.7 years
$48–75k$20,536$84,4032.3 years
$75–110k$26,784$110,0822.9 years
$110k+$54,885$225,5776.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (78% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($77,231) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $37,351 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.

Best-value colleges in Massachusetts for your income →

Brandeis University majors, earnings & careers

Brandeis University offers 33 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Humanities & Languages · 12
  • Science & Math · 8
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
  • Arts & Design · 4
  • Business & Finance · 2
  • Education · 1
  • Technology & Computing · 1

Highest-earning majors at Brandeis University

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Computer Science$123,460$26,142
Business$108,405$26,000
Economics$95,872$25,295
Mathematics$85,681$26,559
Linguistics$78,746—
Public Policy Analysis$75,580$25,000
Political Science$74,018$23,333
Environmental Science / Conservation$73,936—
Quick list of all 33 majors
  • Anthropology$57,423
  • Applied Mathematics—
  • Area Studies$54,306
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biology$58,384
  • Business$108,405
  • Chemistry—
  • Classics—
  • Computer Science$123,460
  • Economics$95,872
  • Education—
  • English$62,291
  • Environmental Science / Conservation$73,936
  • Ethnic / Gender Studies$73,256
  • Film and Photography—
  • History$59,426
  • International / Global Studies$66,366
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Linguistics$78,746
  • Mathematics$85,681
  • Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
  • Music—
  • Neuroscience$68,179
  • Philosophy—
  • Physics—
  • Political Science$74,018
  • Psychology (Research)$67,838
  • Public Policy Analysis$75,580
  • Sociology$65,481
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Studio Art—
  • Theatre$58,676
  • Writing—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Business → Management analyst

$135,640
Boston
$134,720
Massachusetts
$101,860
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Computer Science → Software developer

$166,090
Boston
$165,210
Massachusetts
$135,980
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Boston

Cost of living
8% above the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,831/mo

2 bedrooms $2,383. Housing costs 48% above the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
35° / 82°

January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 46 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively High

Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Middlesex County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)5,302
First-year students from Massachusetts24%
Next most common home statesNew York, California, New Jersey
AthleticsNCAA Division II without football · 9 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's
Campus typeHighly residential
Student bodyWhite 41% · Asian 18% · Hispanic 9% · Black 6%International 19%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Middlesex County at a glance

Population1,638,365
Median household income$130,847
Adults with a bachelor's degree60%
Median age39

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Brandeis University with similar schools

Similar private colleges in Massachusetts by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Brandeis University41%$35,73686%$77,231This school
Bentley University45%$37,93087%$120,959
Mount Holyoke College36%$26,44184%$58,418
Clark University40%$28,71477%$62,381
Emerson College51%$49,18077%$62,832

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Brandeis University would cost you $2,194 less per year than Bentley University, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Brandeis University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$7,080).
  • Brandeis University gives aided families $9,094 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Massachusetts residentBrandeis UniversityBentley UniversityDifference
Tuition & fees$68,080$61,000+$7,080
Books & supplies$1,000$1,300−$300
Housing & meals$19,096$19,200−$104
Personal & travel$1,200$1,310−$110
Living-at-home adjustment−$2,928−$3,262+$334
Sticker price$86,448$79,548+$6,900
Average grants−$50,712−$41,618−$9,094
You pay$35,736$37,930−$2,194

“+” means Brandeis University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about Brandeis University

What is the Brandeis University acceptance rate?

Brandeis University accepts 41% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,984 of 11,282 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1390–1520 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.

How much does Brandeis University cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $86,448 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $35,736 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,363 and families earning $110k+ pay $54,885.

How much do Brandeis University graduates earn?

Former Brandeis University students earn a median $77,231 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Brandeis University graduation rate?

86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 87% return for their second year.

How long does a Brandeis University degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Brandeis University costs about $84,403 after grants ($20,536 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $77,231 ten years after starting, $37,351 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 2.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Brandeis University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/brandeis-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).