University in United States
Waltham, MA, United States
University profile
Brandeis University is a private research university with a liberal arts focus in Waltham, Massachusetts, 9 miles west of Boston. It was established in 1948 as a model of ethnic and religious pluralism and describes itself as a medium-sized university with global reach, dedicated to first-rate undergraduate education alongside research. Its motto is "Truth, Even Unto Its Innermost Parts" and its colours are blue and white.
The 235-acre campus holds more than 100 academic and residential buildings. Academic work is organised in four schools: the School of Arts, Humanities and Culture, the School of Business and Economics, the School of Science, Engineering and Technology, and the School of Social Sciences and Social Policy. The Rabb School of Continuing Studies provides continuing education, and Brandeis Online, summer programs and microcredentials extend the offer. Undergraduates choose from 48 majors and 53 minors across two 15-week semesters.
Enrolment is 3,358 undergraduates (fall 2026) and 1,354 graduate students (fall 2025), taught by 492 faculty (fall 2025) with 1,264 staff. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 8 to 1. Graduate study covers business, policy, humanities, arts and the sciences, with master's and PhD programs on the same campus.
Student life includes more than 200 clubs and organisations, 19 varsity sports (9 men's, 10 women's), the Rose Art Museum, and community-service and spiritual-life programs. Brandeis has 19 campus residence areas ranging from traditional halls to apartments, and students are guaranteed four consecutive semesters of on-campus housing unless they enter at midyear. A 631-bed residence hall is under construction, expected to be completed in spring 2027.
International students are a significant part of the community: 1,002 international students were enrolled in fall 2025, and the Wien International Scholarship Program, founded in 1958, has brought over 894 scholars from 115 countries to the campus. The university won Phi Beta Kappa accreditation in 1961 and was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1985.
In 2025-2026, 82% of full-time beginning undergraduates received grant or scholarship aid.
Brandeis meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all domestic undergraduates and all international undergraduates who apply for aid during the admission process. The Brandeis Commitment gives domestic families with total income of $75,000 or below full tuition and those with $75,001 to $200,000 half tuition (assuming typical assets), with a four-year guarantee of the same level of need-based grants and scholarships subject to conditions. Applicants must indicate on the admission application that they are applying for aid; institutional aid cannot be requested after admission decisions are released. U.S. citizens and permanent residents file the FAFSA; international and undocumented/DACA applicants file the CSS Profile (Brandeis code 3092), and Faye, the net-price assistant, cannot be used by international students. Aid deadlines match admission deadlines (Nov. 2 for Early Decision I and Early Action, Jan. 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision).
All first-year applicants are considered automatically for merit scholarships, with no separate application. Awards are fixed in amount and renewable for up to eight semesters, with a 3.25 GPA renewal requirement for the awards that carry one. The Justice Brandeis Scholarship is the most prestigious. Other merit awards include the Dean's, Fein, Penikoff, Presidential, Provost and Traquina Scholarships, the Stroum Family Waltham Scholarship (full tuition for four graduating seniors of Waltham High School) and the Community College Transfer Scholarship (full tuition). Fellowships include Humanities, Leonard Bernstein, Martin Luther King Jr. and QBreC.
More: Brandeis scholarships, The Brandeis Commitment, Tuition and fees.
Wien International Scholarship Program →
Davis United World College Scholars Program at Brandeis →
Browse the scholarships listed for Brandeis University and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for Brandeis University →Applicants apply with the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Required materials are official transcripts for all years of secondary school (or GED or externally graded national exam marks, with English translations where needed), a school report and a letter of recommendation from a secondary school official, and a letter of recommendation from a teacher of a core academic course (math, science, history, foreign language or English). Senior midyear grades are required for Regular Decision applicants. Interviews with the admissions office are by invitation only.
Brandeis has been test-optional since 2013. Applicants indicate on the Common Application whether they want SAT or ACT scores considered, and all applicants are considered for merit scholarships regardless of that choice. Self-reported scores are accepted for review; admitted students who enrol must send official scores. The science section of the ACT is not required.
Early Decision is binding and requires an Early Decision Agreement form; Early Decision applicants are eligible for merit scholarships and receive the same aid package as Regular Decision applicants.
About 50 transfer students join each year. Applicants submit the Common Application or Coalition Application, high school transcripts or GED, official transcripts from every college attended, a Transfer College Report from each institution, a college instructor recommendation, and a mid-term report if currently enrolled. SAT or ACT scores are not required. Deadlines: Fall transfer March 15 (notification April to June, rolling); Spring transfer Nov. 2 (rolling, December).
International applicants whose first language is not English submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Cambridge Assessment English (C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency) results, or Duolingo English Test scores sent directly from the testing agency. Applicants who attended four or more years of a high school with the full curriculum in English may request a waiver through the DEISconnect portal, and applicants coming directly from a United World College campus are exempt. Transfer applicants with two US university-level English composition courses at grade B or better are exempt. Applicants not applying for financial aid submit the Certification of Finances for International Students and supporting financial documentation; those applying for aid submit documentation of the funds the family can contribute for the first year. Applicants are encouraged to interview through InitialView or Vericant (record and submit by November 15 for Early Decision I; January 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision).
Master's and PhD applicants hold, or are about to earn, a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. or international institution; three-year international degrees equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's are accepted. Unofficial transcripts are accepted for review. The online application fee is $75 unless waived. Master's programs require one letter of recommendation (up to two accepted) and a résumé; PhD programs in English require two letters and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies three. GRE and GMAT scores are entirely optional (GRE code 3092). The master's application is open for spring 2027 and fall 2027 admission and the fall 2027 PhD application opens in mid-October.
Waltham campus, Waltham, Massachusetts, 9 miles west of Boston: the single main campus of 235 acres with more than 100 academic and residential buildings, housing all four schools, the Rabb School of Continuing Studies and the Rose Art Museum.
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