How can I compare the affordability of Brown and Wellesley?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that Brown and Wellesley may calculate need differently even when their published costs look similar, so the only meaningful comparison is each school’s official aid offer and the four-year cost it creates for your family. Compare the grants and scholarships first, then identify loans, work-study, parent borrowing, and expenses not covered by either package. A lower first-year bill is not automatically the less expensive degree if aid or costs change later.

Put each offer into the same one-page format: tuition, housing and food, mandatory fees, estimated books and personal expenses, travel, and health insurance if applicable. Then subtract only institutional and outside grants that do not need to be repaid. Keep federal loans, institutional loans, and work-study separate, since they reduce the immediate bill but are not equivalent to grant aid.

Check whether either package assumes a summer earnings contribution, includes campus employment, or leaves an uncovered amount your family would need to pay or borrow.

Ask both financial-aid offices whether the award is expected to remain similar for four years if your family finances do not materially change; how annual tuition and housing increases are handled; whether grants cover required health insurance, travel, and first-year expenses; and whether a change in a parent’s income, assets, or employment can be reconsidered. If one college’s calculation relies on information that no longer reflects your circumstances, submit a concise appeal with documentation.

Make the final decision using the net four-year family cost, not sticker price or the size of the scholarship label. Brown is the more affordable choice only if its confirmed grant-based package leaves your family with a lower and more manageable annual contribution; Wellesley is the sounder financial decision if it provides the lower net cost, fewer loans, and comparable stability across all four years.