Georgetown vs George Washington University (GWU)

Georgetown University and George Washington University, two prestigious institutions located in the heart of Washington, D.C., offer distinct educational experiences. Georgetown, a Jesuit university, boasts a lower acceptance rate (14.1%) compared to GW's (49.6%), indicating a more selective admissions process. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, Georgetown excels in international relations, political science, and business, while GW shines in engineering, computer science, and public health. Georgetown's student body is slightly smaller and more international, with 7,538 undergraduates representing over 130 countries, while GW's 10,906 undergraduates come from all 50 states and over 135 countries. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Georgetown at 94% and GW at 89%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and
George Washington University logo

George Washington University

Georgetown University logo

Georgetown University

Overview

Location Washington, District of Columbia Washington, District of Columbia
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 98.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 49.7% 12.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $80
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $90
SAT range 1310 - 1490 1410 - 1550
ACT range 30 - 34 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 29.0% 64.0%
Students submitting ACT score 18.0% 38.0%
Total number of applicants 27,236 27,629
Total number of admissions given out 13,539 3,311
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,571 1,585
Yield rate 19.0% 47.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,335 $81,515
Average net price $31,240 $23,049
Tuition $59,780 $59,784
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $15,260

Meal plan: $3,240
Room/dormitory: $11,802

Meal plan: $7,120
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

74.0%
Average amount $31,678
42.0%
Average amount $36,711
Students receiving federal student loan 30.0%
Average amount $5,150
20.0%
Average amount $3,246
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $25,366
3.0%
Average amount $34,459

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 11,502
Men 36.3% Women 63.7%
7,598
Men 42.8% Women 57.2%
Graduate students 14,955
Men 38.1% Women 61.9%
13,337
Men 45.7% Women 54.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 98.7% 97.4%
International students 11.6% 16.7%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 6,693 5,571
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York New Jersey Virginia California Pennsylvania New York California Maryland New Jersey Virginia

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.7% 95.2%
Dropout rate 16.1% 4.4%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Systems Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $160,692
  • Year 2: $146,893
  • Year 3: $153,607
Human Resources Management and Services (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,764
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $130,306
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,241
  • Year 2: $127,142
  • Year 3: $127,952
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,834
  • Year 2: $114,046
  • Year 3: $119,393
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,809
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $112,813
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,922
  • Year 2: $104,061
  • Year 3: $111,679
Public Health (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $84,962
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $105,816
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,747
  • Year 2: $96,405
  • Year 3: $105,562
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,274
  • Year 2: $101,254
  • Year 3: $103,350
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,345
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $102,875
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,589
  • Year 2: $127,040
  • Year 3: $139,178
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $165,914
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $129,874
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,015
  • Year 2: $118,650
  • Year 3: $124,664
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,741
  • Year 2: $96,183
  • Year 3: $117,331
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,843
  • Year 2: $97,367
  • Year 3: $114,961
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,441
  • Year 2: $77,715
  • Year 3: $112,359
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,438
  • Year 2: $85,538
  • Year 3: $107,054
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,493
  • Year 2: $88,639
  • Year 3: $106,148
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,783
  • Year 2: $100,876
  • Year 3: $103,046
Statistics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,445
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $102,592

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