This is what Georgetown University's official data show, translated from the language of federal forms into the language of a family trying to understand whether this door makes sense for their child.
What kind of university it is
Georgetown University is classified, in the system that categorizes the country's universities, among doctoral universities with the highest level of research activity there is. It is a four-year school, one of those called "highly residential": at the point in time used for that classification, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least 8 out of every 10 studied full time. In the undergraduate admissions profile, it falls into the most selective group there is.
There is one fact worth keeping in mind from the start: in the most recent classification based on full-time-equivalent enrollment, at least half of that enrollment consisted of graduate students. It is a historical snapshot; it does not tell you how the school is structured today, but it does tell you something important: Georgetown is not a school built solely around undergraduate study. Graduate education carries weight, and carries a lot of weight.
It 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 whether the campus is downtown or how easy it is to get around. If your child is considering living at home, drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the time they would have class. The real travel time is almost never what the map shows.
It is a private nonprofit, four-year institution, and the highest level it reports offering is the doctorate. That does not mean every major your child might choose has a direct path to graduate study within the same school: that must be checked program by program.
Georgetown is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 do carry one of those three designations. Georgetown's not having them says nothing about which students it serves today or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, talk with someone already studying there.
And on the sticker price, here is something we will look at carefully later: do not rule it out or choose it because of that figure. Ask in writing how much your family would pay after scholarships and aid. That is the number that truly matters.
The real size and who makes up this community
Georgetown reported 20,392 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is a very large figure: it falls in the highest band the government uses to classify university size, and compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools in this census, it is among the largest. At most one out of every ten has more students.
But that large number does not belong only to undergraduates. Of those 20,392, only 7,968 are undergraduates. The other 12,424 are graduate students. If your child is starting a bachelor's degree, the number that matters is 7,968, not the total. Graduate enrollment inflates the figure that sounds impressive.
Now, who makes up that undergraduate community:
| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino students | 6 out of every 100 |
| Students ages 25 to 64 | 4 out of every 100 |
| Women | 57 out of every 100 |
| Permanent residents of D. C. | 2 out of every 100 |
Six out of every hundred undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino, and compared with the 941 selective private schools that report this figure, Georgetown falls below the middle of the group. It is a small minority. That does not take the school off the list, nor does it automatically put it on. It counts who is enrolled and nothing more. If your child will be among the few, ask what groups and supports exist today, and talk with a Latino student there before deciding. The number is for the whole school; your child's experience in their specific major may look different.
Another fact that deserves attention: fewer than 25 out of every 100 first-time students had permanent residence reported in D. C. In numbers, it was only 2 out of every 100. Almost everyone comes from elsewhere. That tells you something about daily life on that campus: most classmates are also far from home.
How academics work
The academic year at Georgetown is organized by semesters: two long terms, about 15 weeks each. In its official report, the university indicated that it accepts credit from AP exams, but did not indicate credit for life experience. It also stated that it enrolls high school students in college-credit courses through a formal dual-enrollment program, and that it accepts credit for military training.
Saying they accept AP does not mean they award credit for every exam. It does not say what scores they require, how many credits they grant, or whether those credits count 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.
In one year, Georgetown awarded 1,857 bachelor's degrees across 16 career families. But that offering is not distributed evenly: social sciences accounted for 779 of those 1,857 degrees, or 42 out of every 100. Compared with the 942 schools in its group, Georgetown falls in the quarter that awards the most degrees annually overall. A large number of degrees tells you nothing about what your child will experience in their particular program; this counts credentials, not experiences.
And there is a number that often brings reassurance, though it must be read carefully: the official ratio is 11 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. It is a low ratio; compared with the 941 similar schools, Georgetown falls below the middle. But this figure is an institutional aggregate. It does not tell you the size of first-year classes or how that number is structured inside the institution. It is a signal, not a promise of personal attention in every classroom.
The institution also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, co-curricular undergraduate research, and a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends.
What admission is like: admissions and what is required
This is where many families truly feel Georgetown's weight. Let us take it step by step.
The admissions policy. Georgetown does not have open admission. There are elements it reviews before saying yes. Of the nine considerations this count evaluates, excluding admissions tests and legacy status, it marks four as required: high school record, high school GPA, personal essay, and letters of recommendation. Put simply: gathering paperwork is not enough here. The essay is required, so your child has to write, and write well.
It also considers, though not as required, your child's class rank, whether they completed the course plan the university requires, a formal sample of what they can do, work experience, an English-proficiency exam when applicable, and whether someone in the family studied there. On that last point: if it does not apply to you, do not spend energy worrying about it. Spend it on what is in your hands. The published undergraduate application fee is $75.
How selective it is in practice. In the 2023 cycle, Georgetown received 25,485 first-time applications and offered admission to 3,334. That is 13 out of every 100. Compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census, it is among those that accept the fewest: nine out of every ten in that group, or more, accepted a greater percentage of their applicants. On the other side were 22,151 applicants without an offer of admission.
This number tells you how many offers were made. It says nothing about your child's worth. A low percentage does not make a school better; a high percentage does not make it worse. Make sure your child's list includes schools on both sides, including some where most students get in.
What happens after admission. Out of every 100 students Georgetown said yes to in 2023, 48 enrolled. The other 52 did not choose this school. That percentage is high compared with its peers: most of the 942 schools in the group retain a smaller share of their admitted students. But this number does not measure quality or prestige; it only measures how many admitted students chose to enroll that fall. When your child receives admission letters, this is not what decides. Put the letters side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before deposit day.
Tests. The SAT or ACT is required here; it is not optional. Out of every 100 first-time students who enrolled, 75 submitted an SAT score, the highest share among the 653 universities of its type that report this figure. Among those who submitted scores, the middle half scored between 700 and 770 in reading and writing, and between 690 and 780 in math. If your child is below those numbers, it does not mean they are automatically out, but it is something to address early, not the night before applying. And remember: those ranges are for students who enrolled, not everyone who applied. 700 is not a strict minimum, nor is 770 a guarantee.
And if they transfer. In fall 2023, 184 undergraduate students entered Georgetown after studying at another institution. It is a count of people, not a rate, and compared with its peers it falls in the upper half. How many credits were accepted is a different question, and one to ask the school directly.
How much it costs and what it could cost your family
At Georgetown University, among 27 first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $5,340. Among 58 students in the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $13,464; among 246 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $57,166. For dependent students, the band adds their parents' income and their own.
Between the average for the lower-income band (27 students) and that for the highest band (246 students), there is a difference of $51,826. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $37,967.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this one falls in the least expensive quarter for lower-income families, after scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it is inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that matters when building the list of schools to apply to.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying yours correctly comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; public institutions use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. What controls is the aid letter you receive.
Financial aid and loans
At Georgetown, 38 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. The other 62 received none of that. Compared with its 942 peers, it falls in the quarter where scholarships reach fewer students. Among those who did receive them, the average for the year was $46,292, but that high average among aid recipients is not your offer. When your child's letter arrives, look for how much your family would have to pay out of pocket, and compare that number across schools, not the size of the advertised discount.
As for the Pell Grant, the federal aid for students with demonstrated financial need: it reached only 11 out of every 100 students. Do not assume it will arrive. Before applying, ask for the list of available scholarships, who qualifies, and when each application is due.
As for federal loans: in the 2022-23 year, only 19 out of every 100 Georgetown undergraduate students received one. Most were not awarded one. Among those who did receive one, the amount averaged $4,673 for the year, one of the lowest compared with its 942 peers. A student not appearing here does not mean they had enough money from other sources: they may have had family savings, work, an institutional scholarship, or another type of debt this report does not capture. And that average also does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing, credit-card debt, or the total debt a student graduates with after several years.
Georgetown also reports a tuition installment payment plan as a formal mechanism for managing the cost.
Life on campus
If your child enrolls full time in their first year, living on campus or in school-controlled housing is not optional: it is required. Georgetown reports institution-provided housing capacity for 5,340 students. It also offers meal plans, though the number of meals per week varies by selected plan. When comparing Georgetown's price with another school's, include room and meals from the start: there, it is not an expense that can be cut.
On ROTC: Georgetown indicated that the opportunity exists, and marked all three branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force. Marking all three is not common: of 3,012 universities in this guide, only 135 do so. But being marked does not confirm that the program operates physically on this campus, nor capacity, nor scholarship availability. Ask directly about each branch separately.
In athletics, Georgetown competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA. The report confirms NCAA or NAIA membership for football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. But membership belongs to the school, not your child: if they are interested in competing, they need to write directly to the coach for that sport and ask about roster space, division, and athletic scholarship, in writing.
As for distance education: Georgetown offers it at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but it is the exception, not the rule. Only 2 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance; the other 98 took at least one in person.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual spending exceeds the government-recorded threshold of $100,000. It has physical and digital collections, as well as interlibrary loan. That threshold is only the floor the government asks about; it does not guarantee specific databases for your child's major. That should be asked by major name.
And in institutional support, Georgetown reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military personnel, a student veterans organization, and a published services page for people with disabilities.
If they enroll, do they stay and finish?
This is probably the most reassuring part of the entire record, stated with the care it deserves.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022 to study for a bachelor's degree full time for the first time, 1,528 out of 1,573 were still enrolled or had already completed their degree one year later: 97 out of every 100. Compared with its 930 peers, Georgetown is among those that retain the most of their new-entry cohort.
For graduation, the figure is just as compelling: of the cohort that entered in 2017, 94 out of every 100 earned a degree within six years or less—1,505 out of 1,596 students. At four years, the figure was already 87 out of every 100, only seven points below the final result. Compared with its 920 peers, it is among those that graduate the most students.
And expanding the window to eight years, with a broader cohort that includes full-time and part-time students, with and without previous postsecondary experience: 95 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school as of August 2023. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 94 out of every 100, only one point different from those who did not receive it.
These numbers are high and real. But a high percentage is not a promise for your child individually: it describes what happened to a specific cohort at this school. What is in your family's hands is making sure they enter with their credits in order, know who their academic advisor is from the first semester, and know when the courses their major requires are offered.
What you already know, and what comes next
This is one piece of the map: the one that describes what this university is and what it offers according to its own official data. It still needs to be put together with what your child wants to study and what they have already built to get here, and with what your family can and is willing to pay. Those three pieces together create a real plan, not any one of them alone.
No one is going to lend you the admission letter or the financial-aid letter. Those arrive for you, and they are what ultimately decide. In the meantime, you are no longer entering this conversation blind.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported by Georgetown University to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated for each figure. Best College Aid does not represent Georgetown University or the U.S. government; this article is for informational purposes and does not constitute personalized admissions advice.