Acceptance Rate
47%
Avg. SAT
1500
75th percentile
“GWU drops you into DC's power corridors, where poli sci classes debate policy by day and you intern at the State Department by afternoon.”
Washington, DC
Location
Large City
Campus Setting
George Washington University traces its roots to 1821, when Congress chartered Columbian College in the wilds of what was then frontier DC; it evolved into GW in 1904 with a donation from the university's namesake's estate—though Washington himself never set foot on campus, he did contribute 26 books to its early library. You'll find a sea of driven, Type-A undergrads here: future diplomats, lawyers, and lobbyists who treat college like a launchpad to K Street. The school's personality pulses with pre-professional hustle in Foggy Bottom, a gritty neighborhood hugging the Potomac, where sirens wail and Secret Service agents jog past your dorm. DC amplifies everything—protests block your commute, monuments light up weekend nights—but tradeoffs hit hard: no leafy quad for respite, sky-high living costs ($60k tuition doesn't cover Metro fares or Ubers), and an urban anonymity that can leave introverts feeling lost amid 25,000 students.
Photo Gallery
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
You dive into politics, international affairs, and public policy at GW, where the Elliott School ranks among the nation's elite for diplomacy training, and poli sci majors dissect real-time headlines in seminars overlooking the Kennedy Center. With a 12:1 student-faculty ratio in a sea of 12,500 undergrads, expect attentive profs who moonlight as CNN pundits, pulling you into Capitol Hill research gigs or WHO internships—far more hands-on than sleepy liberal arts colleges. Classrooms buzz with debate, but larger lectures in business or engineering feel impersonal; the intellectual culture rewards networkers over pure scholars, and while research thrives on DC's federal grants, humanities seekers might crave deeper theory elsewhere.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
11,677 undergrad • 13,697 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
44%
Black / African American
10%
Hispanic / Latino
10%
Asian
13%
Other / Multi-racial
23%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Washington, DC
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Campus life at GW orbits internships and happy hours rather than rah-rah traditions; a typical week means 8 a.m. international relations lectures, Metro rides to unpaid Hill stints, and Thursday bar crawls in Dupont Circle, where diverse crowds—40% out-of-staters, 10% international—mix at Foggy Bottom's sticky-floored pubs. Residential life scatters you across high-rises like Thurston Hall, fostering floor-mates from 130 countries but little house spirit; over 500 clubs cover Model UN to ultimate frisbee, yet Greek life claims just 25% and sports (Atlantic 10 hoops) draw polite crowds. DC's vibe electrifies with free Smithsonian nights and cherry blossom riots, but winters bite with gray slush, summer humidity smothers, and the relentless career grind can torch your GPA if you chase every opportunity.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Atlantic 10 Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
No
Navy
Yes
Air Force
No
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$13,139
$30K – $48K
$12,510
$48K – $75K
$18,853
$75K – $110K
$23,472
$110K+
$40,379
Apply for Financial Aid
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
92%
4 Years Graduation Rate
77%
6 Years Graduation Rate
84%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$90,873
92% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at George Washington University and return in the fall. 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 84% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
77%
4-6 years
7%
Non-grad
16%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$60,856
Acceptance
47%
Undergrads
11,677
4-Year Grad Rate
77%
Endowment
$952M
Washington, DC 20052