Brown Pre-College Programs

Providence, United States

Est. 1982

About Brown Pre-College Programs

Brown Pre-College Programs is Brown University's academic provider for high school students, offering college-level learning and opportunities to practice independence. Established in 1982, it offers more than 300 courses and enrolls over 6,000 students annually. Students can study on campus in Providence, online, or through domestic and international experiential programs. Its portfolio includes broad academic exploration, leadership, environmental studies, STEM and independent research. Most courses are non-credit and do not use formal grades; the online Pre-Baccalaureate program offers college credit.

Teaching style

Brown emphasizes student-centered learning, intellectual curiosity and responsibility for managing academic work. Depending on the course, learning can include discussions, group projects, individual study, laboratory or field exercises, and independent research. Online offerings combine asynchronous activities with optional or required live sessions and instructor office hours. Most pre-college courses emphasize exploration without formal grades, with certificates and performance reports available under course-specific completion rules.

Reputation & Succeed take

Brown Pre-College is an established university-operated provider with roots dating to 1982 and an international student community. Its academic identity draws on Brown's Ivy League setting and Open Curriculum, with a broad course catalog and examples of courses taught by Brown faculty and researchers.

Our take

Brown is a strong option for motivated high school students who want to explore an academic interest while practicing college-style independence. Its breadth of subjects and study formats gives students several ways to participate. Families should assess readiness for self-management, confirm course availability before paying the deposit, and distinguish non-credit exploration from the credit-bearing Pre-Baccalaureate option. Participation should be chosen for the learning experience rather than an expected advantage in Brown undergraduate admission.

Brown's distinguishing features include a broad subject catalog, student-centered academic exploration and residential, commuter, online and experiential formats. Most offerings provide college-level study without formal grades or credit, while Pre-Baccalaureate provides a credit-bearing route. Supervision also differs within the portfolio: Summer@Brown emphasizes independence, STEM for Rising 9th and 10th Graders provides more oversight, and experiential programs use full cohort schedules.

Who this provider suits

Who should choose them

Academically motivated high school students who are curious about subjects beyond their usual curriculum and ready to manage responsibilities with staff support. Brown also suits students interested in independent research, socially responsible leadership or environmental field learning, and those who prefer online study. Applicants should have the English proficiency, maturity and age or grade eligibility required by their chosen course.

Who it may not suit

Students seeking a direct pathway into Brown undergraduate admission, guaranteed enrollment in a particular course, or college credit from every offering should consider other options or carefully select the appropriate program. The more independent on-campus formats may be a poor fit for students who need continuous supervision or frequent parental intervention. International students dependent on a Brown scholarship should note that none were available to them for summer 2026.

Contact

precollege@brown.edu

401-863-7900

Visit Website

Frequently asked questions

Brown Pre-College serves high school students interested in college-level academic exploration. Admissions considers academic performance, intellectual curiosity, motivation, social maturity and English proficiency. Age and grade requirements vary by course.

Most Brown Pre-College courses are non-credit. The seven-week online Pre-Baccalaureate program offers college credit for rising and recently graduated high school seniors.

Brown states that Pre-College is not a prospecting program for undergraduate admissions. Completing a course can demonstrate interest in a subject, but participation does not establish a special route into Brown.

You apply to Brown Pre-College rather than a specific course. After admission and a $500 non-refundable deposit, you can enroll in available courses for which you meet age and grade requirements. Admission does not guarantee a seat in your preferred course, so review availability before depositing.

The portfolio includes on-campus residential study, commuter options for Summer@Brown and Leadership Institute, online courses, hybrid research courses, and domestic and international experiential programs.

The online program page describes mostly asynchronous courses with optional live sessions and blended courses with one to three required live sessions per week. All online courses include virtual instructor office hours and daily asynchronous engagement. Check your course description for its format and schedule.

Students who successfully complete non-credit courses receive a digital certificate of completion. Course Performance Reports are available for completed in-person courses lasting at least 10 days and online courses lasting at least three weeks. Pre-Baccalaureate students receive university transcripts rather than completion certificates.

Trained student life staff, including Resident Assistants, support students in residence halls. Nightly check-ins are required, staff support is available around the clock, and students have access to campus public safety, health services, emergency medical services and a 24/7 mental health hotline.

Students can request reasonable accommodations for learning, psychological or physical disabilities, medical conditions, temporary injuries and significant food allergies. Requests are made through the Medical Authorization and Health Form after enrollment. Contact accessibility@brown.edu early to discuss needs; limited notice may affect what can be provided.

Brown offers need-based Sibley Scholarships, Providence Public School District scholarships, partner scholarships and employee dependent scholarships, each with eligibility rules. Funds and program availability can be limited. Brown does not provide merit scholarships and reported no international student scholarships for summer 2026.

Email precollege@brown.edu or call 401-863-7900. The general FAQ lists advising hours as Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST.

Programs by Brown Pre-College Programs

Abnormal Adolescent Psychology Summer Course

Program

Upcoming

Abnormal Adolescent Psychology Summer Course

Organised by Brown Pre-College Programs

Psychology

Dates

06 Jul – 24 Jul 2026

Location

Providence

Duration

3 weeks

Brown Pre-College Programs

About Brown Pre-College Programs

Teaching style

Reputation & Succeed take

Who this provider suits

Contact

Frequently asked questions

Who is Brown Pre-College for?

Do Brown Pre-College courses offer college credit?

Will attending help me gain admission to Brown University?

Am I applying to a specific course?

What study formats are available?

How do online classes work?

What completion documents do students receive?

What support is available for residential students?

Can students request disability accommodations?

Are scholarships available?

How can I contact a Program Advisor?

Programs by Brown Pre-College Programs

Abnormal Adolescent Psychology Summer Course

Abnormal Psychology Summer Course

Acting Summer Course

Alternative Energy Engineering: An Introduction

An Introduction to Game Theory

Antibiotic Drug Discovery: Identifying Novel Soil Microbes to Combat Resistance

Art Crime and International Law Course

Basics in Biotech: From Genes to Innovation

Becoming You: Human Development Across the Lifespan

Behavioral Game Theory: Experiments in Strategic Interaction

BELL Alaska: Edge of Change: Exploring Alaska’s Dynamic Landscapes

BELL: Alaska

BELL: Florida Keys

BELL: Rhode Island

Beyond the Book: Text, Image, and Experiments in the In-Between

Brown Environmental Leadership Labs (BELL)

Brown Experiential Education (BEE)

Brown Experiential Education: Oxford

Brown Pre-College Online

Can We Build Organs? Techniques in Regenerative Medicine

Cancer Biology: An Evolving Puzzle

Characterizing C. elegans Using Reverse Genetics

Chemistry in Drug Discovery: From Lab to Laptop

Climate Change, Migration and Law Course

Conflict Transformation: Leadership in a Divided World

Course-Based Research Experiences (CRE)

Creative Writing Workshop: Fiction

Current Controversies in Mood Disorders

Deciphering the Human Genome

Digging Into Rhode Island's Food System

Drawing Intensive

Emerging Minds: How Children Learn to Think and Think to Learn

Empathy: Theory and Practice in a Divisive World

Equity and Justice: The Meaning of Equality in a Time of Systemic Oppression

Financial Mathematics: Applications in Investment Analysis

Forensic Science - CSI Providence

Genetics Beyond Mendel

Geological, Recent and Modern Climate Change Course

Hands-On Medicine: A Week in the Life of a Medical Student

How a Nation's Economy Works: An Introduction to Macroeconomics

How do you Feel? The History of Emotions

Human Behavior and Addiction Summer Course

Identification and Study of Wild-Caught Nematodes

Introduction to Clinical Psychology

Introduction to Engineering and Design

Introduction to Engineering with Arduino: Electronics and Programming

Introduction to Mechatronics

Introduction to Medicine: Do You Want to Be a Doctor?

Introduction to Microeconomics

Leadership and Global Health Course

Leadership and Social Change Online Course

Leadership and Social Justice Course

Leadership for Educational Equity

Leadership in Changing Business: Social Entrepreneurship

Leadership Institute

Leadership, Law and Social Movements Course

Logic & Paradox Summer Course

Machine Learning for Physics and Astronomy: A New Way to Explore the Universe

Materials Engineering: A Revolution in the Making

May The Force Be With You: Physics for the Ages

Nanotechnology: Mystery Science or Small Materials Doing Big Things?