Is UVA or Brown More Difficult to Get Into for Undergraduate Admission?

Brown is more difficult to get into overall for undergraduate admission. Its applicant pool is intensely self-selecting and national in scope, and it has a relatively small entering class compared with the number of highly qualified students who apply. Brown’s admission process also evaluates applicants in the context of a highly distinctive academic environment, including its open curriculum, so strong grades and activities alone rarely make an applicant stand out.

UVA is also highly selective, but its public mission creates an important distinction between Virginia residents and out-of-state applicants. Virginia residents receive meaningful consideration within UVA’s commitment to serving the state, while nonresidents compete for a more limited share of the class.

The two schools also attract somewhat different applicant profiles. Brown often draws students who can articulate intellectual independence and a clear reason for wanting broad freedom in designing their education. UVA evaluates academic preparation and contribution to its community within a large public-university setting.

For a Virginia resident, UVA is typically the more attainable of the two, though still far from predictable. For an out-of-state applicant, Brown remains the more selective admission outcome overall.