How does Brown’s computer science program compare with Washington University in St. Louis’s for undergraduates?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that Brown gives you unusually wide freedom to build a CS education across the university, while WashU places CS in a more structured engineering setting with clearer technical sequencing and engineering-adjacent options. At Brown, the Open Curriculum means there are no general-education distribution requirements, so it is easier to combine CS with mathematics, linguistics, cognitive science, economics, visual arts, or humanities courses. At WashU, the McKelvey School of Engineering curriculum has more defined degree requirements, which can provide useful structure but leaves less room for unrestricted exploration.

Brown’s undergraduate CS offerings are strong in foundational areas such as systems, theory, AI, machine learning, graphics, security, and programming languages, and students can pursue either the AB or the more technically intensive ScB route. Its flexible curriculum is particularly attractive for students who want to make an unconventional academic combination central to their degree rather than just add a minor. The department’s connection to areas such as computational biology, data science, cognitive science, and applied mathematics also supports interdisciplinary work.

WashU offers a substantial CS curriculum through McKelvey, with access to engineering-oriented coursework and collaboration across fields including biomedical engineering, robotics, data science, and entrepreneurship. The engineering-school context can make it especially appealing for a student who wants a conventional BS-style plan, frequent contact with other engineers, and a curriculum that naturally connects software with hardware, research labs, and technical design. Both schools provide undergraduate research opportunities, but at either one, access depends more on proactively approaching faculty, doing well in early courses, and developing relevant skills than on the school’s name alone.

For an undergraduate who values maximum academic freedom and wants CS to interact deeply with non-engineering interests, Brown is the more distinctive choice. For someone who wants CS embedded in a structured engineering environment and expects to pursue engineering-heavy applications, WashU may provide the more natural day-to-day fit.