Is Brown or Cornell better for an undergraduate engineering education?

For most students seeking the deepest, most traditional undergraduate engineering experience, Cornell has the edge. Its College of Engineering is much larger, offers a wider range of specialized engineering majors, and supports an unusually extensive ecosystem of design teams, research labs, and industry-connected project work. Brown is an excellent choice for a student who wants to combine engineering with substantial exploration in fields such as computer science, public policy, design, neuroscience, or the humanities.

Cornell tends to fit students who want a structured engineering environment and expect to immerse themselves in their discipline from the start. Mechanical, electrical and computer, civil and environmental, chemical and biomolecular, materials science, and operations research are among the distinct paths available, alongside opportunities to work on major student teams in areas such as rocketry, autonomous vehicles, robotics, solar cars, and sustainable design. The scale of the engineering college also means more advanced electives and a larger number of faculty research groups in many technical areas.

Brown’s School of Engineering is smaller and more flexible. Its open curriculum can make it easier to pursue an engineering degree while taking serious coursework across other departments or building an individualized academic direction. That flexibility is especially appealing for students drawn to engineering design at the intersection of technology and society, health, entrepreneurship, environmental issues, or the arts. Brown students can still do research and hands-on work, but the menu of narrowly specialized undergraduate pathways and large engineering teams is less expansive than at Cornell.