Getting in
For Fall 2025, 9,756 first-year students applied to Brandeis, 4,430 were admitted and 744 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 45.4%.
Source: Brandeis Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 1,858 | 1,036 | 55.8% |
| Out-of-state | 4,322 | 2,752 | 63.7% |
| International | 3,576 | 642 | 18% |
Source: Brandeis Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Brandeis's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by major.
Source: Brandeis Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. The Common Data Set reports Early Decision I and II together. It does not count early action applicants, so it gives no early action rate.
Early decision, Fall 2025
| Plan | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I and II | 680 | 242 | 35.6% |
Source: Brandeis Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
49 majors across 1 school. Every undergraduate major in Brandeis's official 2026-2027 University Bulletin. Brandeis undergraduates all enroll in Arts and Sciences, and the Bulletin's list does not name the degree, so none is shown. Minors and graduate programs are left out.
Arts and Sciences49
- African and African American Studies
- American Studies
- Anthropology
- Applied Mathematics
- Art History
- Biochemistry
- Biological Physics
- Biology
- Business
- Chemistry
- Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies
- Communication and Media Studies
- Comparative Literature and Culture
- Computer Science
- Creative Writing
- East Asian Studies
- Economics
- Education Studies
- Engineering Science
- English
- Environmental Studies
- European Cultural Studies
- Film, Television and Interactive Media
- Finance
- French and Francophone Studies
- German Studies
- Health: Science, Society, and Policy
- Hispanic Studies
- History
- Independent Interdisciplinary Major
- International and Global Studies
- Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies
- Linguistics
- Mathematics
- Music
- Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- Physics
- Politics
- Psychology
- Quantitative Economics
- Russian Studies
- Sociology
- Studio Art
- Theater Arts
- Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
- World Literatures
Source: Brandeis University Bulletin 2026-2027, Undergraduate Majors and Minors (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 2 | December 15 | Yes |
| Early Action | November 2 | February 1 | No |
| Early Decision II | January 15 | February 15 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 15 | April 1 | No |
The CSS Profile and FAFSA are due on the same date as the admission application in each round, and the admission and financial aid decisions arrive together. The application fee is $80. Regular Decision applicants must send senior midyear grades.
Source: Brandeis Admissions, Application Process and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision I and II are binding, and you must complete the Early Decision Agreement. The two rounds differ only in timing. The aid package an Early Decision applicant gets is the same one they would get in Regular Decision, and Brandeis meets 100% of calculated financial need.
Source: Brandeis Admissions, Early Decision at Brandeis (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Brandeis has been test-optional since 2013. You say on the Common App whether you want your SAT or ACT scores considered, and every applicant is considered for merit scholarships either way. You may report your own scores on the application; admitted students who enroll send official scores before they matriculate. Brandeis does not require the science section of the new ACT.
Source: Brandeis Admissions, Test-Optional Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for fall 2027 applicants, but considered if submitted, with scores due by January 15.
Source: Brandeis Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Brandeis's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Brandeis Admissions, First-Year Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Brandeis, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $73,080 |
|---|---|
| Required fees (first year) | $1,048 |
| Food and housing (on campus) | $20,260 |
| Books and supplies | $1,000 |
| Other expenses | $1,200 |
| Total | $96,588 |
For a first-year student living on campus. The Common Data Set gives no transportation figure for students on campus.
Source: Brandeis Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $13,363 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $15,135 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $20,536 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $26,784 |
| Over $110,000 | $54,885 |
| All incomes | $35,736 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Brandeis's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Brandeis University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Clark UniversityWorcester, MA · Private40.5% admitted$28,714 average net price- Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT · Private39.2% admitted$36,175 average net price
Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA · Private47.9% admitted$50,062 average net price
Morehouse CollegeAtlanta, GA · Private44% admitted$39,013 average net price
Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA · Private48.2% admitted$48,381 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.