Brown University, Providence (must see)

Founded in 1764, Brown University is one of the oldest Ivy League schools in the U.S., and it made history early on as the first to admit students without regard to religious affiliation. Even its charter broke new ground by ensuring no sectarian bias would influence the selection of trustees.

Originally established as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Brown relocated to College Hill in 1770. The campus offers a mix of historic and contemporary architecture, with 235 buildings in total. University Hall, erected in 1770, remains the oldest structure, and many other buildings reflect the Georgian and Richardsonian Romanesque styles.

Brown is celebrated for its Open Curriculum, introduced in 1969, which encourages students to chart their own academic paths, free from traditional general education requirements, as well as to embrace independent thought and creative exploration.

The university encompasses the College, the Graduate School, the Warren Alpert Medical School, the School of Engineering, and the School of Public Health. Together, these schools offer over 40 academic departments and a wide array of programs, cementing Brown’s reputation for interdisciplinary research and innovation.

At the heart of the campus, the John Carter Brown Library serves as a world-class resource dedicated to the early history of the Americas. Since its founding in 1846, this independently funded library has amassed an extraordinary collection of rare books, manuscripts, and maps.