Which offers more generous financial aid for students with full demonstrated financial need: Duke or Brown?

For a student whose calculated need is fully recognized by each school, Duke and Brown are both designed to meet demonstrated financial need without requiring federal loans in the standard aid package.

Brown may appeal to families seeking the clearest across-the-board no-loan policy: a Brown aid recipient’s package is structured around scholarships, student earnings expectations, and the family contribution calculated from financial information, rather than required borrowing.

Duke can be especially compelling for families in the low- to middle-income range because its aid policies include substantial grant support. Its published commitments can make Duke’s estimate notably affordable for some households, but the actual result still depends on income, assets, home equity, family size, and whether parents are separated or own a business.

Neither school can promise the same out-of-pocket cost before reviewing your family’s aid application, because “demonstrated need” is calculated differently at each institution. Run both schools’ net price calculators using identical, accurate information and compare the estimated parent contribution, student work expectation, and any remaining costs such as health insurance or travel.