Private nonprofit · University
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia · Large city
- 47.1%
- Admit rate
- $36,586
- Avg net price
- 84%
- Graduation rate
- $90,873
- Median earnings
George Washington University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Washington, District of Columbia (large city setting), enrolling 11,182 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against George Washington University's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 47.1%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1350–1500
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.93
Enter a test score to see where you land against George Washington University's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and George Washington University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Washington, District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The Nacotchtank, also called the Nacostines by Catholic missionaries, maintained settlements around the Anacostia River in present-day Washington, D.C. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes ultimately displaced the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland. Washington, D.C., is a national center for the arts, home to several concert halls and theaters. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is home to National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 1 mile to Washington, DC
- To the ocean
- 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 3 miles to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) · major hub
How George Washington University compares
More selective than 85% · #3 most selective of 7 in District of Columbia
Higher than 92%
Higher than 92% · #2 of 9 in District of Columbia
Higher than 89%
Higher than 95% · #2 of 10 in District of Columbia
Cheaper than 7% · #5 cheapest of 8 in District of Columbia
Lower than 73%
Lower than 50%
Larger than 90%
Percentiles compare George Washington University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in District of Columbia.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate11,18245%
- Graduate13,69755%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women7,09763%
- Men4,08537%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White48%
- Black7.9%
- Hispanic14%
- Asian16%
- Other or multiracial15%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 11,182
- Graduate enrollment
- 13,697
- Student–faculty ratio
- 13 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 16%
- First-generation students
- 16%
- Students over 25
- 7%
- Median family income
- $71,358
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $151,056
- Endowment
- $2,639,708,000
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 2,539 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From District of Columbia1.5%
- Other U.S. states90%
- International8.7%
A national draw — only 2% of first-years come from District of Columbia; 88% arrive from other states.
9% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 47.1%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1350–1500
- SAT average
- 1433
- SAT reading
- 680–750
- SAT math
- 670–750
- ACT composite
- 31–34
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.93
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $67,710
- Room & board
- $16,920
- Books & supplies
- $1,450
- Total cost of attendance
- $83,856
- Average net price
- $36,586
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 84%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 76%
- First-year retention
- 92%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $71,607
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $90,873
- Median debt at graduation
- $20,449
- Students with federal loans
- 32%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 77%
About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 7,274
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 65%
- Housing charge (year)
- $14,400
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,600
- Application fee
- $80
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I without football
- Varsity athletes
- 474 (165 men · 309 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (13)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 75
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 10
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 7 campuses (25,374 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$22,080/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
George Washington University discounts heavily: 77% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $33,965. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 2,930 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $90,873
- Typical debt at graduation
- $20,449
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 23%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 81%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $12,748 (15%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 30°F
- Annual rain
- 41.8″
- Annual snow
- 13.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Washington Reagan AP, VA US station (3.6 mi from campus).
What George Washington University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to George Washington University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare George Washington University side by side →
Fordham University
Bronx, New York · Large city · 12 mi to New York
- Students
- 10,512
- Admission
- 59%
- Net price
- $44k
- SAT
- 1418
- GPA
- 3.9
- Earnings
- $86k
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York · Midsize city · 1 mi to Syracuse
- Students
- 15,477
- Admission
- 46%
- Net price
- $39k
- SAT
- 1375
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $79k
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California · Midsize city · 3 mi to San Jose
- Students
- 6,552
- Admission
- 48%
- Net price
- $50k
- SAT
- 1426
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $109k
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York · Midsize city · 2 mi to Rochester
- Students
- 6,331
- Admission
- 40%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1488
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $79k
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, New Jersey · Large suburb · 2 mi to New York
- Students
- 4,222
- Admission
- 48%
- Net price
- $41k
- SAT
- 1446
- GPA
- 4.0
- Earnings
- $109k
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio · Large city · 4 mi to Cleveland
- Students
- 6,437
- Admission
- 37%
- Net price
- $41k
- SAT
- 1513
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $88k
Colleges near George Washington University
The Chicago School at Washington DC
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Graduate
University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus
Washington, DC · Private for-profit · Associate · 809 students
Strayer University-District of Columbia
Washington, DC · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 156 students
Strayer University-Global Region
Washington, DC · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 9,376 students
NewU University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 34 students
Institute of World Politics
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Graduate
National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 16 students
University of Management and Technology
Arlington, VA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 294 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.