Brown University

What it reported doing in 2024

Student aid, fellowships and scholarships - brown provides 100 percent of demonstrated need for all aided undergraduate students that matriculate. The university is need-blind for domestic students (us citizens and permanent residents) and "need-aware" for international and transfer (both domestic and international) students. International and transfer students who do not apply for aid as part of their admission application may not received need-based scholarships from the university. Forty-nine percent of the undergraduate student body receives need-based financial aid. The average financial-aid package for the class of 2029 was $64,274. Since the class of 2007, all domestic undergraduate admitted as freshman at brown university were admitted under the university's need-blind admission policy.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 97.3%; rating input score 97
• Program expense ratio: 90.7%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: $14.6 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 98.1%; rating input score 98; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 11.2%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.17; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.21; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.2%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings