Quad

Head-to-head

U. Rochester
Brandeis

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Rochester costs about $6.8K less per year on average than Brandeis ($53,024 vs. $59,794, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    U. Rochester's grants cover 38% of its full price on average, vs. 31% at Brandeis

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    U. Rochester has 1.6× as many undergrads as Brandeis

    Undergrads
  4. 4

    Brandeis's yield is 4 pts higher than U. Rochester's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    U. Rochester has 2 pts more first-gen students than Brandeis (19% vs. 16%)

    First-generation students
  6. 6

    U. Rochester has 2 pts more Pell recipients than Brandeis (17% vs. 15%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Brandeis admits 41%, U. Rochester 42%; Brandeis's yield is higher, at 17%.

Acceptance rate
U. Rochester42%
Brandeis41%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. RochesterVery selective
  • BrandeisVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
U. Rochester
1400–1510
Brandeis
1390–1520
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. RochesterRigor and GPA very important56%
  • BrandeisSchool record and prep program required

Who's on each campus

U. Rochester has 1.6× as many undergrads as Brandeis and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Rochester5.9K
Brandeis3.6K
Pell Grant share
U. Rochester17%
Brandeis15%

Majors and faculty

Biology/Biological Sciences leads at both; U. Rochester has 9 students per faculty member to Brandeis's 10.

Students per faculty member
U. Rochester9 to 1
Brandeis10 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. RochesterBiology/Biological Sciences, General13%
  • BrandeisBiology/Biological Sciences, General11%

What each costs

U. Rochester costs about $6.8K less a year than Brandeis on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Rochester$53K
Brandeis$59.8K
Aid generosity
U. Rochester38%
Brandeis31%

What each pays off

U. Rochester's former students earn more, a median $79K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Rochester$79K
Brandeis$77.2K
Graduation rate
U. Rochester88%
Brandeis88%

How each has changed

Applications grew at U. Rochester but held steady at Brandeis; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. RochesterGrowing+23%
  • BrandeisSteady+5%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:University of Rochester Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;University of Rochester Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;University of Rochester Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why