Cornell vs. Brown: Which university has smaller class sizes?

Brown tends to have the edge for smaller-feeling classes and a more discussion-based classroom experience. Its undergraduate focus is stronger, the student body is smaller than Cornell’s, and the Open Curriculum often leads students into seminar-style courses earlier. Cornell absolutely has small upper-level classes too, but the scale of the university makes large lectures more common, especially in popular intro sequences.

One concrete difference is size and structure. Cornell includes multiple undergraduate colleges plus large graduate and professional programs, so many entry-level classes, especially in subjects like biology, chemistry, economics, and computer science, can be quite large. Brown is still a major research university, but because it is smaller overall and centered more tightly on the undergraduate liberal arts experience, students often report more intimate classroom settings, particularly outside the biggest gateway courses.

Another difference is how the curriculum shapes class experience. Brown’s Open Curriculum gives students a lot of flexibility, which often means classes are filled with students who actively chose that subject rather than just checking off distribution requirements. That can make discussions feel more engaged and personal. Cornell’s college-based structure can be excellent academically, but it also means more required sequences in some majors, which can keep students in bigger lecture formats for longer.

For intro versus upper-level classes, both schools will have large introductory lectures in some departments and much smaller advanced courses. The gap is that Brown is more likely to feel smaller sooner, while Cornell often becomes more personal once you move past the foundational classes in your department.