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University or college · Private nonprofit

George Washington University

Washington, DC4,508 online only

George Washington University is a private nonprofit university in Washington, DC, with about 21,060 students on campus and 4,508 more studying only online.

Visit www.gwu.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
21,060
plus 4,508 studying only online
Admission rate
47%
lower than at 85% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$36,586
higher than at 93% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
84%
higher than at 92% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$90,873
higher than at 98% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about George Washington University

George Washington University’s graduates are among the best paid in the country

Former students earn a median $90,873 ten years after starting, more than at 98% of U.S. colleges. Outcomes ↓

What you pay depends heavily on your income

Families earning under $30,000 pay about $17,440 a year after grants. Families over $110,000 pay $55,337, 3 times as much. What it costs ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among George Washington University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, finance and financial management services graduates earn a median $126,638 four years out. Biology graduates earn $70,444. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
84%
within 6 years · Pell students 85%
Come back for year two
92%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$90,873
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$20,449
about $217 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

3.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$217 a month against about $5,967 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

80%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 96% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$87k
Middle income$30–75k
$89k
Higher incomeover $75k
$94k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into George Washington University?

47%

of applicants admitted

About 9 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
680–750
SAT math
670–750
ACT
31–34

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1433.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $83,856 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $67,710Room & board $16,920Books & supplies $1,450

After grants, the average family on aid pays $36,586.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$22,080

About $88,320 over 4 years · 74% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Social sciences 33%Business 14%Health professions 13%Psychology 6%Biology 6%Communication 4%Everything else 24%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

International Relations and National Security Studies511 graduates a year · typical debt $20,958
$77k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government305 graduates a year · typical debt $21,723
$80k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing272 graduates a year · typical debt $18,716
$97k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations156 graduates a year
—not reported
Public Health129 graduates a year · typical debt $23,250
$87k4 yrs out
Economics112 graduates a year · typical debt $20,500
$99k4 yrs out
Psychology, General110 graduates a year
$79k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services95 graduates a year · typical debt $18,148
$127k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

11,182 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 48%Hispanic 14%Black 8%Asian 16%Two or more 6%International 7%

Women and men

Women 64%Men 36%
13 : 1
students per teacher
16%
get Pell grants (lower income)
32%
take federal loans
7%
undergrads 25 or older
4%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Washington

9% of Washington’s 693,645 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Washington pages.

Washington →
WashingtonWashington, DC
$1,954/momedian rent · about the state median$567Ktypical home valueD−Safety Grade27° / 89°January low / July high · 6" of snowA+Health GradeAll colleges in and near WashingtonCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from George Washington University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

The Chicago School at Washington DCUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
0.8 mi569 students
University of the Potomac-Washington DC CampusUniversity or college · For-profit · Washington
0.9 mi501 students
Georgetown UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
1.5 mi17,465 students
Howard UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
2.2 mi12,280 students
Gallaudet UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
3 mi1,178 students
Trinity Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
3.1 mi1,576 students
University of the District of ColumbiaUniversity or college · Public · Washington
3.2 mi3,833 students
American UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
3.3 mi11,897 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.