How do undergraduate research opportunities compare at NYU and Brown?

Brown is likely the more accessible place to begin undergraduate research, especially for a student arriving without professor connections. Its smaller undergraduate environment and strong emphasis on close faculty mentorship can make it easier to identify potential advisers and build relationships in classes.

At Brown, students can pursue research across the sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering, and arts, and the Open Curriculum can help create room for sustained work outside a tightly prescribed major sequence. Many opportunities still require initiative: reading faculty work, attending office hours, and contacting professors with a focused reason for your interest. The institutional culture is notably undergraduate-facing, and funded independent work is a visible part of campus life.

NYU offers excellent research access as well, with particular advantages in fields tied to New York City, including medicine, public health, business, media, policy, the arts, and many social-science areas. Its professional schools, research centers, and city-based partnerships can create opportunities that Brown cannot replicate.

At NYU, a proactive student can find substantial research, but they may need to navigate a larger faculty network and more varied departmental processes. Brown provides a clearer, more consistently undergraduate-centered starting point; NYU may be especially compelling when your intended field connects directly to one of its specialized schools or New York-based research networks.