George Washington University
University in Washington, D.C.
About This School
How does this school stack up?
George Washington University (GWU) was founded in 1821, under the name of Columbian College, by an act of the US Congress, signed by President James Monroe.
In 1873, the university underwent an expansion, changing its name to Columbian University. In 1904, it assumed its present name, and in 1912 it moved its campus to its present location in the Washington neighborhood of Foggy Bottom.
Today, GWU consists of 14 colleges and schools, including the:
- Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (considered to be the direct descendant of the original Columbian College founded in 1821)
- Elliott School of International Affairs
- Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration
- George Washington University Law School
- Corcoran School of the Arts and Design
Both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank operate out of offices located on GWU’s main campus in Foggy Bottom, just blocks away from the White House and the US State Department.
With a student body topping 27,000, GWU is the largest university located in the United States’ capital city.
As might be expected, many GWU-connected students and faculty have been prominent in the public life of the United States and other countries.
For example, we may note the following well-known GWU alumni:
- Current US Attorney General, William Barr
- Political consultant, former US Presidential Counselor, Kellyanne Conway
- Founding Director of the CIA, Allen Dulles
- Former US Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles
- Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister and Ambasador to US, Abba Eban
- Current US Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper
- Former US Senator, J. William Fulbright
- Current President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé
- Current President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
- Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidó
- Founding Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover
- Former US Senator, Daniel Inouye
- Former President of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak
- Former US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State, Colin Powell
- Former US Senator, Harry Reid
- Former President of South Korea, Syngman Rhee
- Former President of Georgia,mMikheil Saakashvili
- Former Prime Minister of Mongolia, Chimediin Saikhanbileg
- Political correspondent, Director of GWU School of Media and Public Affairs, Frank Sesno
- Lawyer, judge, university president, and special prosecutor of Bill Clinton impeachment investigation, Kenneth W. Starr
- Current US Senator and candidate for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination, Elizabeth Warren
Of special interest is GWU Law School graduate Belva Ann Bennett, who in 1879 became the first woman authorized to argue cases before the US Supreme Court. Also, sitting US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas formerly lectured at the GWU Law School.
Among GWU-connected individuals in the STEM disciplines, we may mention:
- Biochemist, Nobel laureate, Julius Axelrod
- Physicist, George Gamow
- Physicist, Nobel laureate, Masatoshi Koshiba
- Physiologist, Nobel laureate, Ferid Murad
- Biochemist, Nobel laureate, Marshall Nirenberg
- Physicist, Edward Teller
- Biochemist, Nobel laureateVincent du Vigneaud
Other GWU-associated individuals include:
- Actor, Karen Allen
- Actor, Alec Baldwin
- Sociologist, Amitai Etzioni
- Novelist, Edward P. Jones
Admissions
What does this school look for?
Annual Applications
26,512
Acceptance
42%
Graduation Rate
84%
Median SAT Score
1370
Median ACT Score
30
Costs
How much does it cost to attend?
Tuition (in-state)
$52,889
Fees (in-state)
$80
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0-30K | $16,156 |
| 30K-48K | $18,513 |
| 48K-75K | $21,676 |
| 75K-110K | $28,968 |
| 110K+ | $44,887 |
After Graduation
Averages for 10 years after enrolling
Avg Earnings
$82,400
Employed
91%
Campus Life
What's it like to attend this school?
The People
Full time on-campus stats
Student Body
21K
Under-Grads
12K
Graduates
9K
The Campus
Where will you be attending?
Location
2121 I Street, NW,
Washington DC
20052
City Crime Rates
Property Crime
46k per 100k
Violent Crime
11k per 100k
What is George Washington University known for?
Our answer to this is to show you the disciplines in which a school's faculty and alumni have had the highest historical influence. A school may be influential in a discipline even if they do not offer degrees in that area. We've organized two lists to show where they are influential and offer corresponding degrees, and where they are influential through scholarship although they don't offer degrees in the disciplines.
Top areas of influence with degrees offered
Influential People
Who are George Washington University's Most influential alumni?
George Washington University's most influential alumni faculty include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Communications, and Law. George Washington University’s most academically influential people include L. Ron Hubbard, Bob Woodward, and Glenn Greenwald.
L. Ron Hubbard
American science fiction author and the founder of the Church of Scientology
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