Is the University of Minnesota or Brown better for economics?

The biggest practical tradeoff is scale and access versus selectivity and flexibility. Minnesota has a large, well-established economics department with lots of course options, research activity, and a strong public-university presence in policy and applied economics, while Brown gives you a smaller, more selective environment with the Open Curriculum.

For undergraduate economics specifically, Brown is usually viewed as the stronger option overall. Its economics concentration is very well regarded. The smaller student body can also make it easier to build close relationships with professors, which matters for recommendations and research.

Minnesota is far from a weak choice. In economics, it has real depth as a department and a serious research tradition, especially in more quantitative and policy-oriented areas. For an undergrad who wants a broad menu of econ electives and access to a major research university, Minnesota can be very appealing.

The main caveat is that big departments can feel less personal at the undergraduate level, and you may need to be more proactive to stand out. Brown, by contrast, tends to offer a more customized undergraduate experience, and the Open Curriculum can be a real advantage if you want to combine economics with math, computer science, public policy, or another field without a lot of core requirements getting in the way.

So if the question is which school is considered stronger for economics for an undergraduate, the edge goes to Brown. Minnesota has genuine academic strength in economics, but Brown is the one more people would identify as the higher-powered undergraduate option in that field.