Brown University of Providence
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $2.1 billion
- Spending
- $1.8 billion
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- -0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 49%
- Employees
- 14,310
- Volunteers
- 6,839
- Highest pay
- $4.0 million, vp & chief investment officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 61 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, over $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 21% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2551 of 52 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $880.6 million spent. INSTRUCTION / ENROLLMENT INCLUDES COST OF SUPPLIES, SALARIES AND BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH TEACHING APPROXIMATELY 12,000 STUDENTS (66% UNDERGRADUATE; 29% GRADUATE; 5% MEDICAL). A FACULTY OF APPROXIMATELY 1,080 TEACH AND ADMINISTER PROGRAMS IN A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING THE HUMANITIES, LIFE/MEDICAL SCIENCES, PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES. THERE ARE NEARLY 100 PROGRAMS OF STUDY OFFERED BETWEEN UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE, GRADUATE SCHOOL AND MEDICAL SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY. IN 2025, THE UNIVERSITY AWARDED A TOTAL OF 3,354 BACCALAUREATE DEGREES AND ADVANCED (MASTER, MEDICAL AND DOCTORATE) DEGREES.
- $403.9 million spent. 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.
- $168.9 million spent. AUXILIARY SERVICES / ACTIVITIES INCLUDES THE OPERATION OF THE DORMITORIES, DINING SERVICES, HEALTH SERVICES, THE BOOKSTORE, ETC. THESE SERVICES ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF BY SUPPORTING ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT. LINE 4D, PROGRAM SERVICE ------------------------- OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES (EXPENSES $ 203,785,397) (REVENUE $97,276,361) THE UNIVERSITY ENGAGES IN RESEARCH IN PHYSICAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES, LIFE SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES. THE UNIVERSITY'S RESEARCH NETWORK FEATURES ADVANCED ACADEMIC INSTITUTES, CENTERS AND FACILITIES THAT MAKE OUR WORLD-RENOWNED RESEARCH POSSIBLE. THESE FACILITIES, WHICH ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO FACULTY AND STUDENTS, ENCOURAGE DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION BY PROVIDING STATE OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.