George Washington University

Private · Selective · DC

Photo: APK (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationDC · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads11,182

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate75.8%

6-yr grad rate84%

Drop-out rate7.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$68k

Out-of-state tuition$68k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity52.2%

Gender diversity63.7%

International7.2%

Identity—

Overview

George Washington University sits a few blocks from the White House in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, and the surrounding federal city functions as an extension of the campus rather than a backdrop to it. GW is a magnet for students who want Washington itself as a laboratory — for politics, international affairs, law, and public policy — and its identity is inseparable from its location in a way few universities can claim.

Academics

The Elliott School of International Affairs anchors GW's reputation and draws students from around the world into international affairs, political science, and security studies. The School of Media and Public Affairs is a recognized launching point for journalism and political communication careers, the Milken Institute School of Public Health is a strong undergraduate draw, and the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences houses GW's broader liberal arts core. Coursework across departments regularly folds the city's institutions directly into instruction.

Campus & student life

Internships on Capitol Hill, at federal agencies, embassies, think tanks, and international organizations are woven into student life almost as a given, and many students hold part-time policy-adjacent jobs during the school year. The Foggy Bottom campus is urban and open, with no real boundary between GW buildings and the surrounding downtown blocks; some first-year students are instead housed at the smaller Mount Vernon Campus a few miles northwest. GW has never fielded a Division I football team, and Colonials athletics compete in the Atlantic 10.

Getting in

GW's applicant pool skews toward students with a clear, articulated interest in government, policy, or international affairs, and supplemental essays often ask directly how Washington itself fits into a student's plans. The review is holistic, and demonstrated interest in the city and its institutions can matter as much as raw academic numbers, particularly for Elliott School applicants.

After graduation

Graduates move heavily into federal agencies, Capitol Hill staff positions, the State Department, international organizations like the World Bank and IMF, consulting, and law or policy graduate programs. The alumni network runs unusually deep through Washington's political and policy establishment, a resource that keeps paying off for anyone who stays in that world after graduation.

Worth knowing

Location is the defining feature of a GW education more than any single program is — students who don't want to be embedded in Washington's politics and policy culture may find the school's identity less compelling than its academic strength alone would suggest. The absence of a football team and the Mount Vernon Campus split are both distinctive quirks worth knowing going in.

gwu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate47.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1350–1500 · ACT 31–34

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 5

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Coalition (Scoir).

Early decision IIJan 5

Early Decision I and Early Decision II are binding admission plans that require a commitment to enroll if admitted, submit a nonrefundable deposit, and withdraw applications to other colleges.

Interviews: Evaluative interviews are not required or offered for general first-year admission; the BA/BS-MD program includes an interview around mid-January.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗