Undergraduate · Brown University

Brown Statistics: foundations, four core courses and advanced methods

Brown has no set core, and most undergraduates sample subjects before choosing one of 80-plus concentrations. Statistics is an Sc.B. concentration the Bulletin describes as foundations in statistical concepts and methods, with mathematics and computing, four core courses and advanced material. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to the concentration.

Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label

What Brown says about Brown Statistics

Taken from the Brown Bulletin entry for the Statistics concentration and Brown's Open Curriculum, Standardized Tests and international Admission Criteria pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Brown's pages for the 2028-entry details.

A concentration chosen in the Open Curriculum

Brown says undergraduates sample courses before choosing one of 80-plus concentrations, and there is no required core. The pages read describe no separate application to Statistics.

Three parts

Mathematics and computing foundations, four core courses and more advanced material.

Interdisciplinary and public roles

The Bulletin points to statistical thinking in research and public life.

12 credits

The Bulletin lists a standard Sc.B. programme.

The SAT or ACT is required

Brown requires scores for first-year applicants and sets no minimum score; international applicants should plan to sit A levels or the IB and submit predicted or actual scores.

Official sources

Read on 1 November 2026 on the Brown Bulletin entry for the Statistics concentration and Brown's Open Curriculum, Standardized Tests and international Admission Criteria pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Brown's department website, the course descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.

The concentration

What the Bulletin says the concentration is

The Bulletin says the Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics is designed to provide foundations including basic statistical concepts and methods and to expose students to the role of statistical thinking in interdisciplinary research and public life. The programme has three parts: foundations in mathematics and computing with an introduction to statistical thinking, four core courses on statistical theory and data analysis, and more advanced material. The standard programme is 12 credits. This guide does not list individual courses.

Is it the right concentration?

Statistics beside Applied Mathematics and Applied Mathematics-Economics

Brown lists these concentrations separately, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.

Statistics fits if

you want statistical theory and data analysis as the centre of your degree.

Applied Mathematics fits if

you want mathematical modelling. Avandy's Brown Applied Mathematics guide covers it.

Applied Mathematics-Economics fits if

you want quantitative economics. Avandy's Brown guide covers it.

Admission and testing

A Brown application, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB

Brown has returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants and says there are no minimum scores. International applicants should plan to sit national and international examinations such as the GCE A-levels and the IB and submit predicted or actual scores, with actual scores expected before matriculation. The concentration is not a separate application. This guide states no score.

A decision framework

Three questions before you commit

This is Avandy's own framework, not Brown's.

Do you want statistical theory as well as practice?

The core courses cover both.

Are mathematics and computing comfortable foundations?

They are the first part of the programme.

Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?

Brown requires one of them for first-year applicants.

Planning for 2028 entry

Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication

Brown's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Brown's own pages for the 2028-entry details.

The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label

These are the best guide to what to prepare. Brown has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.

Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated

This guide has not read them. Check Brown for the values that apply to your application year.

What to do now

Read the Statistics entry in the Brown Bulletin and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.

Support

Independent support with planning your own application

Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Brown University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Brown University. No outcome is promised.

Questions

Questions applicants ask

Can I apply directly to Brown Statistics?

The pages read describe admission to Brown. Students develop a personalised course of study and choose a concentration in the Open Curriculum.

What are the three parts?

Foundations in mathematics and computing, four core statistics courses, and more advanced material.

How many credits?

The Bulletin lists 12.

Do I need the SAT or ACT?

Brown says it has returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants, with no minimum score.

Do A levels and the IB count?

Brown tells international applicants to plan to sit examinations such as the GCE A-levels and the IB and submit predicted or actual scores.

Are these the rules for 2028 entry?

No. They are Brown's wording with no entry-year label. Check Brown's pages again when Brown publishes its 2028-entry requirements.

Students and families

Talk to us about Brown Statistics

Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, how they weigh statistics against applied mathematics and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.