How to Get Into Brandeis University: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

August 11, 2025

Less than 10 miles from Boston, Brandeis University is yet another high-end option in a geographical region teeming with elite schools. Founded by the American-Jewish community in 1948, this mid-sized private university is home to just over 3,500 undergrads. The Brandeis acceptance rate has fluctuated between 30% and 40% in recent years. The average admitted applicant has a 3.9 GPA and an SAT score in the 1400s. In other words, getting into Brandeis is far from an easy proposition.

In order to help you prepare for the challenges ahead on the path to gaining acceptance into Brandeis, this article will touch on the following topics:

Brandeis’ acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
Brandeis’ Early Decision acceptance rate
SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of enrolled freshmen
Admissions trends
Where is Brandeis University?
Brandeis University’s system for rating applicants
A look at the demographics of current Brandeis undergraduates
The percentage of accepted students who attend Brandeis University (yield rate)
Tips for applying
How to assess whether applying to Brandeis is even worth the $80 application fee (for you)

Brandeis University Admissions Calculator – Will I Get In?

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Brandeis Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2028, Brandeis received 10,462 applications — down 7% from the previous year. Of these applicants, Brandeis accepted 4,234, giving it an acceptance rate of 40%.

Let’s take a look at Brandeis’ historical acceptance rate:

	Applicants	Admits	Acceptance Rate
Class of 2027	11,282	3,986	35%
Class of 2026	9,917	3,908	39%
Class of 2025	9,796	3,834	39%
Class of 2024	10,223	3,414	33%

Brandeis University Early Decision Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2028, Brandeis received 765 applications for binding Early Decision. Of those applicants, 323 were accepted, giving Brandeis a 42% ED acceptance rate. This rate has dropped in recent years, but is still far higher than those who applied in the regular round. Moreover, nearly half of the freshman cohort was comprised of students who applied ED.

What GPA do you need to get into Brandeis?

Enrolled Class of 2028 freshmen had an average GPA of 3.9, with 34% of enrolled students boasting a GPA of 4.0+.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Brandeis?

Among enrolled 2024-25 first-year students, an impressive 49% hailed from the top 10% of their high school class, while 79% earned a place in the top 25%. This is certainly something to consider when looking at Brandeis’ acceptance rate.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Brandeis?

Class of 2028 statistics tell us that the mid-50% SAT range for enrolled freshmen was 1415-1510. The mid-50% ACT range was 31-34.

However, it should be noted that less than 40% of students submitted test scores with their applications, so interpret these numbers with that information in mind.

Admissions Trends & Notes — Class of 2028

Applications declined 7% this past admissions cycle.
37% of the Class of 2028 are students of color, up from 30% three years ago.
20% of the Class of 2028 are international students.
The Class of 2028 included 16% first-generation students.

Where is Brandeis University?

Brandeis is located 9 miles from the city of Boston in Waltham, MA. The city of Waltham is in Middlesex County, which has a population of 64,000+.

How Brandeis University Rates Applicants

Brandeis categorizes four factors as “very important” to the admissions process. They are: rigor of high school course load, GPA, class rank, and first-generation status. Items that are “important” as part of the admissions process are: extracurriculars, talent/ability, essays, and recommendations.

For a slightly different look at the school’s institutional priorities, we go right to their own admissions office:

“The admissions process at Brandeis is as comprehensive as it is selective. We consider your application holistically, but pay particular attention to three factors: academic qualifications, potential for social and academic success, and what you’ll bring to the Brandeis community.”
“Critical Thinking: Show us how you demonstrate creativity and curiosity. We look for evidence that you may delve deeper into subjects, projects or ideas or may not accept information at face value. We appreciate how you question, analyze, evaluate, invent, synthesize and seek out additional sources and opinions to expand your perspective.”
“Community Engagement: We value all the ways you use your gifts — whether time, resources, knowledge, skills or effort — to better the world around you. You inspire us by helping others, willingly making contributions to support family and community, and empathizing with the perspective or needs of others.”
“Perseverance: You are not easily deterred by setbacks, and are committed to achieving your goals. We take notice when you seek out support or additional resources when faced with a challenge, don’t give up when faced with adversity and demonstrate a growth mindset.”

Brandeis University Demographics

Let’s look at the demographics of Brandeis University’s Class of 2028.

The regional representation is as follows:

Students from Massachusetts: 26%
Students from outside Massachusetts: 55%
International students: 19%

The top countries represented are:

China
India
Vietnam
Korea
Japan

In terms of ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Class of 2028 was as follows:

White: 35.6%
Asian: 18.1%
Hispanic: 13%
African American: 6%

The gender breakdown of the Class of 2028 is heavily slanted in favor of women:

Male: 44%
Female: 56%

Given the lower percentage of male students on campus, one might think that men would have an advantage in terms of acceptance rate. Quite the contrary — men are admitted at a significantly lower rate than female applicants. For the Class of 2028, 36% of male applicants were admitted compared to 44% of female applicants. This is certainly something to consider when looking at Brandeis’ acceptance rate.

Brandeis University’s Yield Rate

Brandeis University’s yield rate is 17.4%, which has dropped significantly in recent years. For comparison, other top private universities have the following yields: NYU (54%), BU (27%), and Tufts (50%).

Tips for Applying to Brandeis University

If you plan on joining the 10,000+ Brandeis hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

Firstly, if Brandeis is your top choice, you’ll want to strongly consider applying ED I by November 1 or ED II by early January.
Brandeis has been test-optional since 2013.
This school does offer in-person and virtual interviews to international students as part of their evaluation process.
Brandeis University does consider an applicant’s “demonstrated interest.” Therefore, we suggest making the effort to follow them on social media, sign up for a virtual info session, visit campus (if possible), contact an admissions officer, etc.
Surprisingly, Brandeis requires no supplementary essay for the 2025-2026 application cycle unless you are an international student. For international applicants, the prompt is as follows:

What excites you the most about being an international student at Brandeis University? (250 words)

Should I Apply to Brandeis?

Most students admitted to Brandeis finished in the top quarter of their high school class. Successful applicants also typically possess an impressive extracurricular resume and strong test scores (if applying test-optional). If you check those boxes, then you may be a competitive applicant at Brandeis and, if the school is a good fit for you, submitting an application will certainly be worth your time and $80.

Brandeis Acceptance Rate — Final Thoughts

Most students applying to a school of Brandeis’ caliber also need to have a proper mix of “target” and “safety” schools on their college list. More on creating a balanced college list can be found here.

Inspired to start building your college applications? Check out the following blogs:

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College Admissions

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).