Amid an uncertain landscape of federal intervention in higher education, advancements in artificial intelligence technology and the start of a new semester, The Herald polled new undergraduate students on their background, worldview and some of the issues likely to define the semester.
The Herald polled 733 incoming first-year students between Aug. 8 and Aug. 15. Here are five key takeaways from The Herald’s first-year poll. Access and explore all the data on The Herald’s interactive data dashboard.
Over 70% of students scored higher than a 1500 on the SAT or above a 34 on the ACT
After a years-long hiatus sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown’s class of 2029 was the first class required to submit standardized test scores since the class of 2024. The Herald’s first-year poll indicates that the class of 2029’s average SAT score was a 1530, while the average ACT score remained a 35.
The lowest self-reported SAT score was in the 1100s. No first-year student in the class of 2028 had an SAT score below a 1200, according to Brown’s Common Data Set.
According to The Herald’s poll, the median score for recruited athletes was 1455 compared to a 1530 for non-athletes. Higher SAT scores were correlated with higher household incomes — the average student from a household earning less than $60,000 per year had a median SAT score of 1500, while the average student from a householding earning more than $400,000 per year scored 1550.
There is a strong correlation between income and test scores among all students who take the SAT. According to the College Board, students from lowest income households have an average SAT score 887, while students from the highest income families score 1152 on average.
About one in four athletes identify as very or somewhat conservative, compared to just 1 in 20 non-athletes
Of athletes who responded to the first-year poll, almost one quarter identified as “very or somewhat conservative.” Comparatively, just 5% percent of non-athletes identified as conservative.
Brown’s student body, as a whole, leans left with just over three-quarters of students identified as “very liberal” or “somewhat liberal,” according to The Herald’s Spring Poll of the entire student body.
Ten percent of students who identify as straight responded that they were “very or somewhat conservative,” whereas no non-straight student said they were conservative.
Less than 10% of students think Brown’s tuition is fair
Brown’s tuition hit a record high of $71,700 for the 2025-26 academic year. The full cost of attendance rose over $10,000 in the last year. Fewer than one in 10 incoming first-year students think the cost is fair.
With room and board, materials and other fees, Brown’s annual cost is nearly six figures. This rising price has drawn criticism from conservative lawmakers who opened a congressional investigation into alleged price-fixing among the Ivy League. Last month, a class action lawsuit was filed against 32 colleges, including Brown, accusing them of inflating attendance costs through early decision admission cycles.
Just over half of incoming first years received some financial aid from Brown. 45% of students reported being satisfied with their financial aid packages, with dissatisfaction rates highest among middle-class students.
Wealthier students are more likely to consume non-medical marijuana.
Marijuana is prevalent on many college campuses, and Brown is no exception. According to The Herald’s 2024 poll, nearly two-thirds of Brown students had used marijuana. A quarter of incoming students say they have used non-medical marjuana.
Wealthier students are more likely to use marijuana and report using it more frequently.
How first-year students use AI varies, but most are skeptical of its increasing prevalence
Although almost nine in 10 students report using AI, over half have a negative opinion of the increasing prevalence of the technology.
There is no clear consensus for how AI fits into Brown’s academic curriculum, but avoiding AI in the classroom is becoming increasingly difficult. More than three-quarters of incoming first-years report having used AI on their schoolwork in some capacity. Some professors worry that students will use AI to cheat on assignments, but less than 5% of first-year students report having attempted to pass off AI-generated content as their own work.
AI use is more prevalent among conservative students compared to students who identified as “very liberal” at 96% and 77%, respectively.
Male first-year students also use AI more often with more than half using AI once a week or more, while less than a third of female students use AI that frequently.
Kate Butts is a university news editor covering admissions & financial aid as well as the career and alumni beat. She previously was a senior staff writer covering University Hall. Outside of The Herald, she loves running, board games and Trader Joe's snacks.
Ciara Meyer is a section editor from Saratoga Springs, New York. She plans on concentrating in Statistics and English Nonfiction. In her free time, she loves scrapbooking and building lego flowers.
