National university
#16 Best colleges for criminal justice in AmericaGeorge Washington University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $36,586 a year
Median debt at graduation: $20,449 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
GW Virtual Tour - City Life · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#16 of 1,046
- Best colleges for nursing in America#29 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#36 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#27 of 834
- Best colleges for finance in America#29 of 744
- Best colleges for business in America#71 of 1,563
Show 24 more
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#61 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#118 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#98 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#105 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#101 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#100 of 1,283
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#144 of 1,829
- Best colleges for history in America#103 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#101 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#104 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#104 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#103 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#99 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#73 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#79 of 749
- Best large colleges in America#30 of 256
- Best colleges for economics in America#101 of 788
- Best colleges in the Washington, DC area#5 of 34
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#103 of 690
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#109 of 704
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#58 of 367
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#144 of 693
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#128 of 598
- Most selective colleges in America#162 of 683
In District of Columbia
- Best colleges in District of Columbia#2 of 9
- Best colleges for accounting in District of Columbia#2 of 9
- Best colleges for business in District of Columbia#2 of 9
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in District of Columbia#2 of 9
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in District of Columbia#2 of 8
- Best colleges for chemistry in District of Columbia#2 of 8
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.84%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.92%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,433 · ACT 32.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$24,525
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $83,856 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 11,387 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 36% · Women 64% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 16% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 98% |
| Total students | 25,568 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $36,586 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $83,856 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,449 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 84% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 75% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 76% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 80% |
| First-year retention | 92% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $90,873 |
| Admission rate | 47% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $80 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 16% |
| Average SAT | 1433 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 680–750 |
| SAT math | 670–750 |
| ACT composite | 31–34 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Finance | |
| Systems Engineering | |
| Management science | |
| Accounting | |
| Information technology | |
| Business (general) | |
| Information science | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Statistics | |
| Economics | |
| International business | |
| Human resources | |
| Nursing | |
| Marketing | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Health administration | |
| Romance languages | |
| Public health | |
| Public relations | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Journalism | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Political science | |
| Psychology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Sociology | |
| Geography | |
| International relations | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Experimental psychology | |
| English | |
| History | |
| Biology | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Human services | |
| Anthropology | |
| Philosophy | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Archeology, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Business administration, Chemistry, Classical and Ancient Studies, Classics, Computer engineering, Dance, Design, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Electrical engineering, Engineering (general), Entrepreneurship, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Geology and earth science, German, Homeland Security, Interdisciplinary studies, Literature, Mathematics, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Music, Neuroscience, Nutrition Sciences, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Physics, Real Estate, Religious studies, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Software and media applications, Speech-language pathology, Theatre, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Health professions | |
| Business | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 4% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 7% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,920 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Atlantic 10 Conference |
| ROTC | Navy |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 13 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 49%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $120,501Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 64% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)About 3 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 681,2942020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | WashingtonThe campus is in or next to this city |
| Average temperature in January | 38°F1991–2020 normal, from WASHINGTON REAGAN AP, VA US, about 4 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 81°F1991–2020 normal, from WASHINGTON REAGAN AP, VA US, about 4 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.10 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.01 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.02 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is George Washington University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 7% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does George Washington University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $36,586 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into George Washington University?
- George Washington University admitted 47% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do George Washington University’s graduates do?
- 84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $90,873; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,449.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 131469
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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