What kind of university it is, and where it stands
George Washington University is a private nonprofit institution that grants doctoral degrees. The government classifies it among the country’s research universities with the highest activity —a category that groups institutions by what they do, not a quality rating—. It is also classified as a highly residential school: when that measurement was made, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution. That does not mean your child has to live there, nor that living on campus is free: room and board are charged separately, as you will see later.
It also appears classified, in a separate profile with older data, as a school that receives many transfer students. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, this is a sign they would not be the only one —but the label does not tell you how many credits people bring in or how many are lost along the way. Ask that in writing before enrolling.
The university is in Washington, D.C., within the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area, in what the Census classifies as a principal city of 250,000 residents or more. That does not tell you how to get to campus or what housing is available nearby. If your child plans to live at home, do them a favor: drive the route on a weekday, at the actual time of their classes. GPS almost never knows traffic the way you do.
One more thing, brief but important: George Washington University does not have any of three specific designations the government records —it is not a historically Black college or university, it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution—. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 do have at least one of those three. The fact that this school does not have them says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. That is something to investigate by asking about the cultural centers and student organizations that exist today.
A large community, and where your child fits within it
Here it is worth pausing on a number that sounds enormous but can mislead if you do not break it down: George Washington University reported 25,568 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is among the largest schools within its 941 selective private peers —at most one in ten has more students than it does.
But that large number includes graduate students, and graduate education here carries more weight than undergraduate education: of those 25,568, only 11,387 are undergraduates; the other 14,181 are graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor’s degree program, the number that matters is 11,387, not the total. It is a difference worth understanding before you picture the size of the campus your child will experience.
Within the undergraduate population, the Hispanic or Latino community is a small minority: 13 out of every 100 students, in fall 2023. Compared with its 941 peers, it is above the middle of the group, without reaching the highest quarter. It is not a fact that disqualifies the school, but it is worth keeping in mind. If it matters to you that your child find a Latino community there, ask during the visit what exists today: a student group, a cultural center, someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
There are more women than men among undergraduates —64 out of every 100— and few adult students: only 7 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. And something that will matter if your family lives outside Washington, D.C.: fewer than half of first-time students reported permanent residence in the school’s state —in fact, only 1 out of every 100—. The rest come from other states, other countries, or their residence was not reported. This does not measure distance or travel cost, but if your child would have to fly or drive a long way to get there, that expense falls under “other expenses” within the cost of attendance, without a breakdown. If it applies to your family, build your budget around real trips, not the generic figure on the form.
How the calendar works and what it offers academically
The year at George Washington University is organized by semesters: two long terms, about 15 weeks each. The institution accepts AP exam credits —it did not indicate that it grants credit for life experience— and does offer college-level credit courses for high school students through a formal dual-enrollment program. It also reports that it accepts credit for military training.
Here is a useful warning: saying it accepts AP does not mean it grants credit for every exam or that the credit counts toward your child’s specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for degrees, between July 2022 and June 2023 the university awarded 2,707 bachelor’s degrees, distributed across 20 program families. The family with the most degrees was social sciences, with 856 —32 out of every 100 of the total—. This is a real concentration: among its 942 selective private peers, George Washington University ranks in the quarter that awards the most bachelor’s degrees each year. But “20 families with a row in the report” are not 20 guaranteed majors or 20 families with active degrees today: a family groups several programs, and one may report zero. Verify the exact program that interests your child.
The official ratio of students to instructional staff is 12 to 1. It is a low figure on the overall scale, but compared with its 941 peers of the same type, it is above the median —neither among the lowest nor the highest in that group—. And something that must be said clearly: this ratio does not tell you your child’s actual class size. It is an institutional average, not a promise about the first-year classroom.
The university also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and state approval of its initial teacher-certification program. These are reported pathways, not guarantees that they fit the major your child wants.
What getting in is like: what it requires, what is competitive, and what decides
George Washington University does not have open admission. Of nine admission considerations the government asks about —not counting standardized tests or legacy status—, it marks five as required: the high school transcript, grade-point average, completion of the course plan required by the university, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants who must provide one. Other pieces are not required but are considered if you submit them: class rank, personal essay, work experience, and whether a family member attended. The undergraduate application fee is $80.
About legacy: if no one in your family attended George Washington University, do not spend energy worrying about it. Spend it on what is in your child’s hands.
Now, the numbers almost everyone asks about first. In the 2023 cycle, the university received 27,094 first-time applications and offered admission to 11,798 —44 out of every 100. It is a selective rate: among its 942 selective private peers, it falls on the low side. Seven out of ten of those schools, or more, admitted a higher percentage of their applicants. That 44% is for the school as a whole; if your child is applying to a particular major, you need to request that specific number directly from admissions, because IPEDS does not report it by program.
Here is something that surprises many families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 22 enrolled. The other 78 had a place and did not take it. Among the 942 schools of its type, this figure is among the most common —neither high nor low—. Do not read it as a blemish: the fact that most admitted students did not enroll says nothing about the quality of the school. What does matter is this: what others decided does not tell you what they will offer your family. Wait for your letter with the net price —the real number— before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
About tests: the SAT and ACT are optional. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid just the same. Of students who enrolled, 30 out of every 100 did submit SAT scores —a high proportion compared with similar universities—. Among them, the middle half scored between 680 and 750 in reading and writing, and between 670 and 750 in mathematics. Those numbers are only for students who enrolled and submitted scores: they are not for all applicants, and that 680 is not a minimum nor is that 750 a guarantee.
And on transfers: in fall 2023, the university reported 590 undergraduate students who entered there for the first time after having studied at another institution. It is among the highest figures among its peers —although that reflects the school’s size more than a proportion—. The transfer-out rate, however, is not reported in this file. That does not prove that no one transfers out; only that the data is not available here.
The sticker price, and why it is not what you will pay
At George Washington University, among 170 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $21,396. Among 205 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $21,863; among 581 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $53,974. For dependent students, the band adds their parents’ income and their own.
Between the average for the lower-income band (170 students) and that for the higher-income band (581 students), there is a difference of $32,578. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $45,466.
Even with scholarships deducted, the average net price for lower-income families was $21,396 in academic year 2022-23. If that number does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The one that governs is the aid letter you receive.
The aid that exists, and its real limits
Most George Washington University students do receive aid that does not have to be repaid: 69 out of every 100. That is more than half, although compared with its selective private peers, it falls in the quarter where scholarships reach fewer people. Among those who receive it, the yearly average is $35,798 —real money, but not a price: what decides is what remains after aid, and that must be requested school by school.
Pell, federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need, reached only 16 out of every 100 students. That means at least 53 out of every 100 received aid from another source, not Pell.
About loans: 32 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in school year 2022-23 —more than two out of ten, fewer than half. Of those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,462 that year. Compared with its peers, this proportion of students with loans is low. But that average does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign, nor bank or credit-card debt, nor the debt accumulated by graduation —that is not in this report.
Some young people go through the year without debt and some borrow. Which group your child falls into is not decided by this national percentage. It is decided by the financial-aid letter with their name on it. Wait for it before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
The university also reports a tuition installment payment plan as a formal mechanism for managing the cost.
Campus life, sports, and available support
George Washington University has its own housing, and it does not require all first-time students to live there —which does not say whether a specific program does require it—. It offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. The reported maximum housing capacity is 7,274 students. Having rooms does not guarantee an available bed for your child: ask for the year’s rate, the deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
About ROTC: the university indicated that an opportunity exists, and the only branch confirmed in writing is Navy. Army and Air Force are not marked. If your child is interested in another branch, this report does not confirm it —which does not mean it is impossible; it means you need to ask directly.
In sports, the university competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA. The report confirms NCAA or NAIA membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field, but does not detail division or athletic scholarships. If your child plays a sport, write directly to the coach and request the answer in writing.
The university offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 4 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes that way —the rest take at least one in-person course. It also reports at least one complete program that can be finished through distance education, without specifying whether it applies to undergraduate study.
The library operates with hired staff, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary loan. And there is a broad list of reported supports: combined academic and career counseling, employment services, placement for graduates, participation in Yellow Ribbon, a point of contact for veterans and their families, a student veterans organization, and a services webpage for people with disabilities. The fact that these services are reported does not tell you how they work in practice: ask about that during the visit.
If your child gets in, do they stay and graduate?
For many families, this is the most important question of all —and here George Washington University’s numbers are consistently high.
Of the class that entered a full-time bachelor’s degree program in fall 2022, 92 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. It is one of the highest proportions among its 930 selective private peers.
Of the class that entered in 2017, 85 out of every 100 earned a degree within six years or less —2,219 of 2,605 students—. At four years, the figure was already 79 out of every 100, only six points below the full time frame. Again, it is among the highest proportions among its peers: nine out of ten similar schools graduate the same share or fewer.
And following a broader cohort —3,331 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including part-time students and those with prior experience— 84 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this institution after eight years. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 81 out of every 100, only three points lower.
Here is the hard truth, not to discourage you but so you carry it with a clear head: a high percentage is not a promise about your child. It is what happened to an earlier class, at this school, under its own circumstances. What is in your hands, and your child’s, is that they arrive with their credits in order, know from the first semester who their academic adviser is, and find out in time when classes for their major open for registration. IPEDS does not decide that. You do.
How to put this into your plan
You now know, in considerable depth, one of the pieces you need to decide: what kind of university George Washington University is, what it requires for admission, how much it costs on the list and how much it really costs for families in different income bands, and how likely a student is to stay and graduate there.
This is not the whole decision. From those three pieces together —the university, your child, and what your family can and wants to pay— comes a real plan.
You do not have to solve everything today. But you can start with what is concrete: request the financial-aid letter before ruling out or falling in love with this school, verify how AP or another university’s credits transfer if applicable, ask admissions about your child’s exact major, and confirm in writing what the federal report leaves blank. The number stays fixed. What moves, with every question you ask, is you.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by George Washington University to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, mainly from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent George Washington University or any government agency; this article is independent informational material.