 | |
Former names | Columbian College (1821–1873) Columbian University (1873–1904) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Latin:Deus Nobis Fiducia |
Motto in English | "God is Our Trust"[1] |
| Type | Privatefederally charteredresearch university |
| Established | February 9, 1821; 204 years ago (1821-02-09) |
| Accreditation | MSCHE |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $2.8 billion (2024)[2] |
| President | Ellen Granberg |
| Provost | John Lach |
Academic staff | 2,663 |
| Students | 26,457 (2021)[3] |
| Undergraduates | 11,502 (2021)[3] |
| Postgraduates | 14,955 (2021)[3] |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Campus | Large city, 43 acres (17 ha)[4] |
| Newspaper | The GW Hatchet |
| Colors | Buff and blue[5] |
| Nickname | Revolutionaries |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Mascot | George[6] |
| Website | www |
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TheGeorge Washington University (GW orGWU) is aprivatefederally-charteredresearch university inWashington, D.C., United States. Originally namedColumbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by theUnited States Congress and is the first university founded under Washington, D.C.'s jurisdiction. It is one of the nation's sixfederally chartered universities.[7][8]
GW isclassified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity".[9] It is a member of theAssociation of American Universities.[10] The university offers degree programs in seventy-one disciplines, enrolling around 11,500undergraduate and 15,000graduate students.[11] The school's athletic teams, theGeorge Washington Revolutionaries, play in theNCAA Division IAtlantic 10 Conference. GW also annually hosts numerous political events, including theWorld Bank andInternational Monetary Fund'sAnnual Meetings.[12]
Several notable individuals have served as trustees, including two presidents,John Quincy Adams andUlysses S. Grant, andAlexander Graham Bell.[13] GW has over 1,100 active alumni in theU.S. Foreign Service and is one of the largest feeder schools for thediplomatic corps.[14] In the 2023–2024 academic year, GW had $227 million in externally funded research.[15]
The firstpresident of the United States,George Washington, long favored the establishment of a university in a central part of the United States.[16] He advocated for its establishment to theU.S. Congress and others throughout his political career. Washington envisioned the new university would be in a central part of the new national capital, and he hoped the university would educate the most promising students from across the country while reaping the benefits of its location in Washington, D.C.[16]
On December 14, 1799, George Washington died at his home inMount Vernon. Washington included a bequest of his shares in thePotomac Company to establish the university in his last will and testament, though the shares lost their value and no educational institution ever benefited from them.[17][16] Following his death, his desire was shared and encouraged by U.S. presidentsThomas Jefferson andJames Madison, who both expressed the need to carry out Washington's plans.[18]
In 1821, theBaptist missionary and leadingministerLuther Rice secured funds fromJames Monroe,John Quincy Adams,John C. Calhoun, and other benefactors for a college to educate citizens from throughout the young nation inWashington, D.C.[19] A large building was constructed on College Hill, which is now known asMeridian Hill. On February 9, 1821, President Monroe approved thecongressional charter, creating the non-denominationalColumbian College.[20] Washingtonians, Congress, and the academic community celebrated this new institution as the fulfillment of Washington's vision.[17] In 1824, the first commencement was considered an important event for the young city. In attendance were President Monroe, John C. Calhoun,Henry Clay, theMarquis de Lafayette, and other dignitaries.[21]
Freemasonry symbols are prominently displayed throughout the campus, including the foundation stones of many of the university buildings.[22]
During the 19th century, most of the university's students came from theSouth. As theAmerican Civil War commenced in 1861, many left their studies to join theConfederate States Army. However, the college was still fractured. Professor of anatomyA. Y. P. Garnett left the university to serve asJefferson Davis' physician, andRobert King Stone stayed in Washington, D.C., serving as physician toAbraham Lincoln. The college was temporarily turned into aUnion Army military camp during the Civil War. PoetWalt Whitman worked at this camp while visiting his wounded brother.[23]
In 1873, following the Civil War, Columbian College was renamedColumbian University and moved to an urban downtown location centered on15th andH streets.[24]
In 1904, Columbian University was renamed George Washington University following an agreement with theGeorge Washington Memorial Association.[25] In honor of George Washington, funds from the memorial association were donated to constructLisner Auditorium.[26]
In 1912, the university moved its principal operations to theFoggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[27] Many of the colleges of the George Washington University are notable for their age and history. The law school is the oldest law school in the District of Columbia.[28] The medical school is the 11th-oldest medical school in the nation and the first established in the nation's capital.[29] The Columbian College was founded in 1821 and is the oldest unit of the university. The Elliott School of International Affairs was formalized in 1898.[30]
In the 1930s, the university was a major center fortheoretical physics.George Gamow, a cosmologist, developed theBig Bang theory at the university in the 1930s and 1940s. On January 26, 1939,Niels Bohr announced thatOtto Hahn had successfully split the atom at the Fifth Washington Conference on theoretical physics in the Hall of Government.[31]
During theVietnam War era, Thurston Hall, an undergraduate dormitory housing 1,116 students at 1900 F Street NW, located three blocks from theWhite House,[32] was a staging ground for studentanti-war demonstrations.
In 1996, the university purchased theMount Vernon College for Women in the city'sPalisades neighborhood that became the school's coeducational Mount Vernon Campus. The campus was first utilized in 1997 for women only but became co-educational in a matter of years.[citation needed] The Mount Vernon campus is now totally integrated into the GW community, serving as a complement to the Foggy Bottom campus. In 1999, GW hosted theTown Hall with President Clinton, the firstpresidential town hall to ever bewebcast live.
| College/School | Year founded |
| Arts and Sciences | 1821 |
| Medicine | 1824 |
| Law | 1865 |
| Engineering | 1884 |
| Arts and Design | 1878 |
| International Affairs | 1898 |
| Education and Human Development | 1909 |
| Business | 1928 |
| Media and Public Affairs | 1938 |
| Political Management | 1987 |
| Public Health | 1997 |
| Professional Studies | 2001 |
| Public Policy and Public Administration | 2003 |
| Nursing | 2010 |
In December 2006, the university appointedJohns Hopkins University provostSteven Knapp as the 16thPresident of the George Washington University, and his presidency began August 1, 2007.[33] In 2017,Thomas LeBlanc, provost of theUniversity of Miami, was named thePresident of the George Washington University.
In 2016 the University closed the food court named J Street at its Foggy Bottom campus. In 2023 a new dining hall, inside Shenkman Hall, opened. During the period in between, on-campus food options were limited.[34]
In July 2020, the university began forming special committees to look at possible name changes to an on-campus building and the school moniker. In a statement on the university's website, LeBlanc said one of the panels would examine the Colonials moniker, which critics said conjured up racism, violence, and genocide. In 2022, the Colonials name was officially retired. The following year, in 2023, the new nickname, theGeorge Washington Revolutionaries, was announced.[35] Another panel looked into renaming the Marvin Center, which was named after former school PresidentCloyd Heck Marvin, asegregationist.[36]
In January 2022, LeBlanc was succeeded by formerWashington University in St. Louis ChancellorMark S. Wrighton as interim university president.[37] A year later, in January 2023, the university namedEllen Granberg, provost atRochester Institute of Technology, as the university's new president, with a start date of July 1, 2023. George Washington University joined theAssociation of American Universities in 2023.
In February 2025,Leo Terrell, the head of theTrump administration'sTask Force to Combat Antisemitism, announced that he would investigate George Washington University as part of theU.S. Department of Justice's broader investigation intoantisemitism on college campuses.[38]
GW has three fully integrated campuses in the Washington, D.C. area: theFoggy Bottom campus, the Mount Vernon campus, and theVirginia Science and Technology campus. The Foggy Bottom Campus houses the vast majority of academic programming. Residence halls exist on the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses.
The GW library system contains theGelman Library,[39] the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library,[40] the Burns Law Library,[41] Eckles Library (named for Charles Ellison Eckles and Anita Heurich Eckles),[42][43] and the Virginia Science and Technology Library.[44] The GW Library System is a constituent member of theWashington Research Library Consortium, which allows for resource sharing among the university libraries of theWashington metropolitan area.
The main GW campus consists of 43 acres (170,000 m2) in historicFoggy Bottom and is located a few blocks from theWhite House, theWorld Bank, theInternational Monetary Fund,State Department and theNational Mall. Barring a few outlying buildings, the boundaries of campus are delineated by (running clockwise fromWashington Circle)Pennsylvania Avenue, 19th Street,E Street,Virginia Avenue, 24th Street, andNew Hampshire Avenue. The university owns much of the property in Foggy Bottom and leases it to various tenants, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Other institutions in proximity include theU.S. State Department, theKennedy Center, theU.S. Institute of Peace, theWatergate complex, and embassies ofBosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico,Saudi Arabia, Spain, andUruguay. The University Yard is the main open space and historic heart of the university. Along with George Washington's main library,Gelman Library, it constitutes the hub of the main campus. The seven-story Gelman Library building contains over two million volumes and is constructed in theBrutalistarchitectural style of the 1970s. It features a concrete façade punctuated by windows that are divided by projecting vertical slabs. For most of the year, parts of the library are open 24 hours a day, seven days per week for use by students, faculty, and staff. The library's seventh floor includes the Special Collections Research Center,National Security Archives, Global Resources Center, and Kiev Library.
TheNational Security Archives (NSA) is a research institution that publishes declassified U.S. government files concerning selected topics ofAmerican foreign policy. It was a National Security ArchiveFreedom of Information Act request that eventually made theCentral Intelligence Agency's so-called "Family Jewels" public.[45]
Close to the library isLisner Auditorium and a large open area between them is known as Kogan Plaza. Southeast of the plaza and located near Monroe Hall and Hall of Government is the Monroe Court, a landscaped area with a large fountain. TheFoggy Bottom–GWUWashington Metro station is located at the intersection of 23rd and I Streets NW due south ofWashington Circle, and provides access to theOrange,Blue andSilver lines. TheUniversity Hospital is located next to the Metro station entrance.[46][47][48]
The Foggy Bottom campus contains most of the residence halls in which GW students live. The most notable include Shenkman Hall, Thurston Hall,Madison Hall, Potomac House,Fulbright Hall, Mitchell Hall,Munson Hall,Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Hall, Phillip Amsterdam Hall, Guthridge Hall, Madison Hall, Townhouse Row, South Hall, and the newest, District House, which opened in 2016.
In late 2007, construction began on a large mixed-use residential, office and retail development located on the site of the old GW Hospital (Square 54) and just east of theFoggy Bottom–GW Metrorail station. It was the second-largest undeveloped lot in the District of Columbia at the time of initial construction activity.[49] In 2014, the university assumed ownership of theCorcoran Gallery of Art, the oldest private art museum in Washington, D.C. and independent college of art and design. The college of art and design became TheCorcoran School of the Arts and Design under the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. TheNational Gallery of Art will acquire many of the 17,000 pieces of art from the Corcoran and the rest will be donated to other museums around the country.[50] In May 2014, GW opened theMilken Institute School of Public Health, a nine-story building that receivedLEED certification for sustainability features including a green roof, rainwater collection system, and special heating and air conditioning technologies that helps mass air displacement.[51]The Textile Museum reopened to the public in March 2015 after the institution merged with the university in 2011 and closed it for renovations two years later.[52]
In 1996, the university purchased theMount Vernon College for Women in the city'sPalisades neighborhood that became the school's coeducational Mount Vernon Campus. Initially, the Mount Vernon Campus remained exclusively a women's college until 1999 when GW changed its operations to a co-ed facility.[53] It was purchased so that the university could gain more space and valuable land for athletics, such as for the women's soccer team.[54] Now known as the Mount Vernon campus, it is totally integrated into the GW community, serving as a complement to the Foggy Bottom campus.[54] The campus has transportation systems connecting the students to the GW campus in Foggy Bottom. It also includes Eckles Library, six residence halls, Lloyd Gymnasium, The GW-Mount Vernon Athletic Complex and other various campus facilities.[55]
The George Washington University also operates a research and graduate campus inAshburn, Virginia (nearDulles International Airport) which was established in 1991. Starting with a donation of 50 acres (20 ha) from Robert H. Smith, the campus grew to 101 acres (41 ha) by 2010.[56] Besides graduate education, this campus also offers undergraduate education to students, including Health Science, Cybersecurity & Information Technology, and Nursing.[57]
Additionally, the university also operates several other graduate satellite education centers. These include the Alexandria Graduate Education Center in Alexandria, the Graduate Education Center inArlington, and the Hampton Roads Center inNewport News. The Virginia Science and Technology Campus hosts research and educational partnerships with industry and government officials and offers more than 20 graduate degrees.[58]
The Virginia Science and Technology Campus is home to the first walkable solar-power sidewalk in the world. The project began in 2012 and was completed two years later, inaugurated in October 2014.[59]
George Washington University is governed by the GW Board of Trustees, thePresident of the George Washington University,provost,deans, and department chairs. The university employs over 6,000 faculty members, administrators, and support staff.[60] In 2007,Steven Knapp was named the university'ssixteenth president;[61] he had previously taught at theUniversity of California, Berkeley and was later the provost atJohns Hopkins University. The currentPresident of the George Washington University isEllen Granberg.Ulysses S. Grant was a member of the Board of Trustees, and his Grandson,Ulysses S. Grant III, was Vice President of GW. John Quincy Adams was also a member of the board of trustees.
| Undergraduate & Graduate Schools of The George Washington University | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbian College of Arts and Sciences | School of Business | Elliott School of International Affairs | Milken Institute School of Public Health | School of Engineering and Applied Science | School of Nursing | School of Media and Public Affairs | |
| Graduate Schools of The George Washington University | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate School of Political Management | Medical School | Law School | Graduate School of Education & Human Development | Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration | College of Professional Studies |
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GW is organized into fourteen schools and colleges, each with a different dean and organization.[62] TheColumbian College of Arts and Sciences was the original academic unit of the university.[63] The Medical School is the 11th oldest medical school in the nation and the first to open in the District of Columbia.[64] The Law School was also the first law school in the District of Columbia.[28] Each academic unit has a distinct identity within the broader university. The Graduate School of Political Management and the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design were organized outside of the university, later to join in 1987 and 2014, respectively.
TheColumbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) is the oldest and largest college in the university. It was founded in 1821; at the beginning of the university's history, there was no distinction between this college and the university. The School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), and the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (SPPPA) belong to this college, although they are run separately. The Columbian College was among the first American institutions to grant aDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), in 1888.[65] The Columbian College is notable for its academic diversity, and offers a wide range of majors and courses of study.[65] The Columbian College contains the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, the School of Media and Public Affairs, and the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. The Columbian College is primarily housed in Philips Hall, Rome Hall, Smith Hall of Art, MPA Building, Monroe Hall, Hall of Government, 1922 F Street, Corcoran Hall, Bell Hall, Samson Hall, Lisner Hall, and many other places around campus. The college is also present on the Mount Vernon and Virginia Campuses.
TheTrachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration is a graduate school in theColumbian College of Arts and Sciences.[66] Consistently ranked as one of the topPublic Affairs Schools in the United States, it is ranked 11th nationwide byU.S. News & World Report. The Trachtenberg School offersMaster of Public Policy,Master of Public Administration, andPhD degrees inPublic Policy andPublic Administration. The school works in partnership with theElliott School of International Affairs, theSchool of Public Health and Health Services, and the Graduate School of Education & Human Development to offer a variety of concentrations for its graduates.
TheSchool of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), although run separately, belongs to the Columbian College of Arts in Sciences.[66] It offers two undergraduate degrees, Journalism and Mass Communication andPolitical Communication and a master's degree in Media and Public Affairs. It is housed in the same building as theGraduate School of Political Management. The Public Affairs Project at GW, part of SMPA, is responsible for the creation and production of thePBS special,Planet Forward. School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) was the first in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in Political Communication. The program boasts a faculty of retired and current professionals – including CNN correspondents, journalists, political analysts, and campaign professionals. The school is consistently ranked in the top 10 programs in the nation.
TheCorcoran School of the Arts and Design is one of the oldestarts education institutions in the United States. It is a school of theColumbian College of Arts and Sciences.[66] It is housed in theCorcoran Gallery of Art, the oldest private cultural institution inWashington, D.C.
Formerly an independent institution, known as the Corcoran College of Art and Design, the institution later merged the college operations with the George Washington University. The school retained over 20 full-time faculty members, and the college will continue to function as a separate entity within the university. The school has a historic building facing the White House on 17th Street.
TheGeorge Washington School of Business was established in 1928 with a $1 million gift by theSupreme Council of Scottish Rite Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction.[67] On February 6, 2006, the chairman and CEO ofFedEx,Frederick W. Smith, opened a new complex for the school called Ric and Dawn Duquès Hall, which today houses the business school along with the Norma Lee and Morton Funger Hall.[68]
As of January 2018[update], GW's undergraduate business program was ranked 42nd nationally and its International Business program was ranked ninth byU.S. News & World Report.[69]
Founded in 1824, theSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), or simply the George Washington School of Medicine, was the first school of medicine in Washington, D.C.[70]
In 1981,George Washington University Hospital became the center of the national spotlight when PresidentRonald Reagan was rushed to the emergency room after an attempted assassination.
GW Hospital's emergency department was later renamed the Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine. Other politicians, such as former Vice PresidentDick Cheney, come to GW for routine and emergency procedures.[71] Cheney and wifeLynne Cheney helped to start theRichard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute in 2006. Others notable patients include former First LadyLaura Bush, who was treated for a pinched nerve. SMHS is primarily housed in theGW Hospital, Ross Hall, and many other centers along K Street and throughout the city.
GW was once home to theGeorge Washington Dental College, but this department would close in 1921 due to budget constraints.[72][73]
TheSchool of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) was founded on October 1, 1884, as the Corcoran Scientific School of Columbian University. The school separated from the Columbian College in 1962 and was one of the first to accept women for degree candidacy in engineering.[74] Thebazooka was invented at the SEAS in 1942.[75] The school moved into the new Science and Engineering Hall in D.C. in March 2015.[76]
TheElliott School of International Affairs (ESIA) was founded in 1898, as the School of Comparative Jurisprudence and Diplomacy. Under President Lloyd Elliott, the school separated from Columbian College. On September 3, 2003, alumnusColin Powell opened a new complex for this school at 1957 E Street NW in front of theDepartment of State.[77] As of February 2015[update], its undergraduate program was ranked eighth globally byForeign Policy magazine, while the graduate program is currently ranked seventh in the world.[78] ESIA is primarily housed in Elliott Hall at 1957 E St.
The history of nursing education at GW spans more than 100 years. In 2002, Jean Johnson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, then senior associate dean for Health Sciences, met with the nursing faculty to assess GW's capacity to create GW's degree programs. The faculty moved forward to develop an MSN in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences with programs in adultnurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, nursing leadership and management, and clinical research administration. The first MSN class was admitted in 2004.[79]
Meanwhile, approval was also obtained to develop a Department of Nursing Education. As the first and only chair of the department, Ellen Dawson, Ph.D., RN, ANP, led the MSN program to accreditation in time for the graduation of the first class in 2006. Also, she spearheaded the development of both the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program and the 15-month (four consecutive semesters) accelerated second-degree bachelor of nursing science (ABSN) program located in Ashburn, VA. The first classes for these degrees were admitted in 2007 and 2009, respectively.[79] In 2010, the GW School of Nursing was re-established and is now the university's tenth academic institution, with Jean Johnson and Ellen Dawson as the founding deans.[79]
TheGeorge Washington University Law School was established in 1826 and is the oldest law school in theDistrict of Columbia.[80] Supreme Court JusticesClarence Thomas,William Strong,David J. Brewer,Willis Van Devanter andJohn Marshall Harlan were among those who served on its faculty.[81][82] Chief JusticeJohn Roberts, JusticeSonia Sotomayor, JusticeSamuel Alito, and JusticeAntonin Scalia presided over itsmoot court in 2006, 2007 and 2009, respectively.[83][84] The law school is located primarily on the east side of University Yard.
Although teacher education has been offered since the university's founding in 1904, the education division would only become a separate school in 1909 as the Teachers' College, which then became the School of Education in 1928. In 1994, the school became the Graduate School of Education and Human Development to reflect its increased focus on graduate education.[85]
The George Washington University College of Professional Studies (CPS) was founded during the Trachtenberg Presidency.[86]The Graduate School of Political Management is included within the college.[87] CPS offers courses on the Foggy Bottom and Virginia campuses.
The Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) is an academic unit of the College of Professional Studies. GSPM offers graduate degrees in legislative affairs, political management, and other related disciplines. The current director isLara Brown.[88]
Established in July 1997, and renamed in March 2014, theMilken Institute School of Public Health[89] brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education that have since expanded substantially. Today, more than 900 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 35 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. Its student body is one of the most ethnically diverse among the nation's private schools of public health.
The School also offers an array of joint degree programs, allowing students to couple aJuris Doctor (JD) with theMaster of Public Health (MPH), or to combine an MPH with aDoctor of Medicine (MD) or anMA in International Affairs. An MPH/Physician Assistant program, the first in the world, is available at the Milken Institute SPH, as is the opportunity to serve as aPeace Corps volunteer while pursuing an MPH.
| Undergraduate | Graduate | U.S. (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 49.29% | 41.29% | 57.84% |
| Asian | 14.95% | 11.11% | 5.92% |
| Hispanic | 13.09% | 7.83% | 18.73% |
| Black | 7.65% | 12.06% | 12.05% |
| Two or More Races | 5.48% | 2.95% | 4.09% |
| American Indian | 0.05% | 0.17% | 0.68% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.07% | 0.13% | 0.19% |
| International | 7.68% | 19.19% | N/A |
| Unknown | 1.73% | 5.28% | N/A |
| Male | 36.80% | 39.50% | 49.50% |
| Female | 63.20% | 60.50% | 50.50% |
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GW is the largest higher education institution in Washington, D.C.[92] There are approximately 10,000 full-time undergraduates studying at George Washington University, and 14,000 graduate students.[93] These students come from all 50 states and over 120 countries.[92] Nearly 900 students participate in GW's Study Abroad Programs each semester in 50 countries.[94] As of 2015[update], George Washington University no longer required theSAT andACT test scores for applicants in order to boost the enrollment of disadvantaged students.[95] GWtuition was guaranteed to remain at the freshman rate for up to ten continuous (full-time) semesters of undergraduate attendance at the university. GW no longer offers fixed tuition. The 2021–2022 academic year tuition rate was $59,780.[96] Students were awarded $308.1 million in financial-aid during the 2017–2018 academic year.[97] For the FY2011 cohort of students, the student loan default rate was 1.4, one of the lowest in the nation.[98] For the 2010–2011 school year, the freshman retention rate was 94.3%.[99][needs update] GW requires that students live on campus for their first two years of enrollment as undergraduates.[100] According to self-provided data by George Washington University, as of the 2011–2012 academic year, the acceptance rate for theMedical School was 3%, receiving 10,588 applications.GW Law School's acceptance was 23%, receiving 10,021 applications. GW's Undergraduate studies' acceptance rate was 32%, receiving 21,433 applications.[101][102]
In September 2013,The GW Hatchet reported that the university had aneed-aware admissions policy, even though it claimed to have a need-blind policy at the time. The university subsequently admitted that its admissions policy was, in fact, need-aware.[103]
During the 2013–2014 academic year, there were 5,015 undergraduates enrolled in theColumbian College of Arts and Sciences, 2,005 in theElliott School of International Affairs, 1,566 in the School of Business, 774 in theSchool of Engineering and Applied Science, 367 in theGeorge Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 174 in theMilken Institute School of Public Health, and 153 in the School of Nursing.[104]
Students come from all 50U.S. states. The top states includeNew York,California,New Jersey,Pennsylvania,Massachusetts,Florida,Illinois andConnecticut.[105]
George Washington University has many international students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. During the 2013–2014 academic year, there were over 130 countries represented among the student body. The most represented countries represented wereChina,South Korea,India,Saudi Arabia,Canada,Mexico,United Kingdom,Turkey,France,Nigeria,Pakistan,Japan,Iran,Germany,Brazil,Colombia, andVietnam.[106]
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| U.S. News & World Report[107] | 59 |
| Washington Monthly[108] | 28 |
| WSJ/College Pulse[109] | 58 |
| Global | |
| THE[110] | 201–250 |
| U.S. News & World Report[111] | 245 (tie) |
GW was ranked tied for 59th by U.S. News and World Report in 2025 on its National University list.[112]
GW was ranked 28th in "2024 National University Rankings" inWashington Monthly.
Forbes ranked GW 67th in 2025.[113]
In 2012, the university received national attention when GW officials announced that they had misreported admissions data on their student body for over a decade, overstating the number of students who had graduated from high school in the top ten percent of their classes due to a "data reporting error".[114][115] Consequently,U.S. News & World Report removed the school from its rankings and altered the GW's entry to being unranked for the 2013.[116] The university was reinstated a year later in the 2014 rankings.[117][118][119]
The Princeton Review ranked GW first for "Top Colleges or Universities for Internship Opportunities."[120][121] GW is consistently ranked by The Princeton Review in the top "Most Politically Active" Schools.
U.S. News & World Report ranks GW'sinternational business program as eighth best in the world, itsMBA program as 51st best, and itsundergraduate business program as 38th best.[122]The Financial Times ranks GWSB as the 47th best business school in the United States.[123]
Foreign Policy ranks the Elliott School'sMasters in International Affairs as the seventh best in the world in its 2018 "Inside the Ivory Tower" annual report.[124]Foreign Policy ranks theElliott School as being the eighth in the "Top U.S. Undergraduate Institutions to Study International Relations 2018."[124]
U.S. News & World Report ranks theTrachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration as the 10th bestpublic affairs school in the United States and as having the 6th best Global Policy program, 11th bestpublic management program, the 14th besthealth policy program, and the 20th bestsocial policy program in the U.S.
The 2020U.S. News & World Report ranksGW Law School as fifth best in the U.S. for itsinternational law program, fifth best forintellectual law, second best for part-time law, and as the 22nd best law school in the United States.[125] TheNational Law Journal ranked GW Law 21st for law schools that sent the highest percentage of new graduates to NLJ 250 law firms, the largest and most prominent law practices in the U.S.[126]
George Washington is ranked 61st for the "Best Global Universities for Social Sciences and Public Health 2018" byU.S. News & World Report.[127]
TheTimes Higher Education ranks GW as having the 64th best law program in the world in 2019.[128]
George Washington University is the largest research university inWashington, D.C.[129] According to theNational Science Foundation, the university spent $260 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 89th in the nation.[130] In 2023, GW was invited to join theAssociation of American Universities.[10]
George Washington University has many research centers, including:[131][132]
TheGeorge Washington University Press was auniversity press affiliated with George Washington University. Established in 1934, the press's first publication was the workModern Hispanic America (edited by A. Curtis Wilgus).[134][135] The last major publication by the press was Elmer Louis Kayser'sA Medical Center (1973).[136]
The university is located in downtown Washington, D.C., near theKennedy Center, embassies, and other cultural events. Students are known as highly politically active;Uni in the USA stated that "politics at George Washington is about as progressive as it gets".[137]
GW has aDivision I athletics program that includes men's baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, women's lacrosse, women's rowing, soccer, women's softball, swimming, women's tennis, women's volleyball and men's water polo.[138] Revolutionaries athletics teams compete in theAtlantic 10 Conference. The Division II men's and women's Rugby Teams both compete in the Potomac Rugby Union.[139]
Most student organizations are run through theGeorge Washington University Student Government Association (SGA). The SGA is fashioned after the federal government with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch.[140] There are over 500 registered student organizations on campus. The largest student organization on campus, the GW College Democrats have hosted speakers such asCNN contributorDonna Brazile and formerDNC ChairmanHoward Dean among many others. Likewise, the GW College Republicans, the largest CR chapter in the nation, have been visited by politicians likeJohn Ashcroft former Florida GovernorJeb Bush and former PresidentGeorge W. Bush.[141] The International Affairs Society (IAS) runs the university's internationally top-ranked Model United Nations team, in addition to hosting yearly high school and middle school Model UN conferences on campus. This organization also hosts various foreign dignitaries, US Government officials, and subject matter experts to further inform and foster international understanding both in the university's student body and the greater D.C. community.
There are also several a cappella performance groups on campus. The GW Sons Of Pitch are GW's only tenor/baritone/bass group and have released three EPs, in addition to placing as semifinalists in the 2025 ICCA competition. The university's school-sponsored a cappella group, the co-ed GW Troubadours, has been a presence on campus since the mid-1950s. A female group, the GW Pitches, was founded in 1996. The GW Sirens, another all-girls group, and the GW Motherfunkers, a coed top 40 group, were created in 2003 and 2012, respectively. Each year, the groups duke it out at the Battle of the A-Cappella groups, one of the biggest student events on GW's campus. The Sons of Pitch are the Reigning Champions. Additionally, the university is home to the Voice gospel choir, a group that focuses on soulful music.
Another student group, the Emergency Medical Response Group (EMeRG) provides an all-volunteer 24/7 ambulance service for the campus and the Foggy Bottom/West End community at no cost. EMeRG has been active on campus since 1994 and has advanced from bike response into a two-ambulance system that is sanctioned by the District of Columbia Department of Health and DC Fire and EMS (DCFEMS). EMeRG also plays an active role in special events in around the DC area including the Marine Corps Marathon, National Marathon, Cherry Blossom Race, commencement, inauguration, and other events in downtown D.C. and on the National Mall.[142]
GW has a large Greek community with over 3,000 students consisting of just under 27 percent of the undergraduate population.[143] Greek organizations are divided up between and governed by the Inter-Fraternity Council with 14 chapters, the Panhellenic Association with 11 chapters, the National Pan-Hellenic Council with seven chapters, and the Multicultural Greek Council with seven chapters as well.[143] Other Greek-life, known as "Alternative Greek Life" or simply "Alt-Greek", exists on campus in the form of professional, community-serviced based and honor groups although not under the university's traditional Greek life governing structure but instead are considered separate student organizations.
There are chapters of many varied academic groups at the university. The local chapter of the Society of Physics Students was at one time under the auspices of world-renowned scientists likeGeorge Gamow,Ralph Asher Alpher,Mario Schoenberg andEdward Teller, who have all taught at the university. TheEnosinian Society, founded in 1822, is one of the university's oldest student organizations. Invited speakers includedDaniel Webster.[144]
There are four major news sources on campus: the independent student-run newspaperThe GW Hatchet, which publishes articles online daily and a print edition weekly;The Rival GW, an online-only student-run publication;[145] the online-only radio station, WRGW; and the university's official news source,GW Today. GW also publishes a peer-reviewed journal,The International Affairs Review, which is run by graduate students at the Elliott School.
WRGW is the student-run radio station of George Washington University. It broadcasts live every day online throughout the school year between 8am and 2am. The studio is in the ground floor of the University Student Center, where it has been located since 1999.[146] While now only available on the internet, the online broadcasts are named for acarrier current radio station that first operated on campus in 1958.[147] That station was created as a result of efforts by GWU's Radio Club, which was founded in February 1929.[148]
George Washington University was ranked number 12 on TheSierra Club's magazine "Cool Schools List" for 2014[149] and was included in the Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Schools for 2013. The campus has a campus-wide building energy efficiency program along with nineLEED-certified buildings[150] including the Milken Institute School of Public Health building.[151][152] In 2016, university officials rejected demands by the student body for the university to divest fromfossil fuels.[153]
George Washington University has an activeNewman Center that supports the growing Catholic student community on campus.[154]
GW Hillel serves more than 3,000 Jewish students and is one of the largest campusHillel International organizations in the United States. In 2021, a multistory building was erected in the middle of GW's campus.[155]
George Washington University is a member of theAtlantic 10 Conference and most of its teams play at theNCAADivision I level. All indoor sports play at theCharles E. Smith Center, an indoor arena on theFoggy Bottom campus. Outdoor events are held at the Mount Vernon campus Athletic Complex. The university's colors arebuff andblue, with buff sometimes represented as gold or yellow. The colors were taken from the colors ofGeorge Washington's uniform during theRevolutionary War.
The official fight song is "Hail to the Buff and Blue", composed in 1924 by GW student Eugene F. Sweeney and rewritten in 1989 by Patrick M. Jones.[156] The song is tolled twice-daily by bells atop Corcoran Hall, at 12:15pm and 6:00pm.
TheGW baseball team, founded in 1891, is a member of theAtlantic 10 Conference, which is part of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association'sDivision I. The team plays its home games atBarcroft Park inArlington County, Virginia, and Gregg Ritchie is the team's coach.
The university had acollege football team from 1881 to 1966. The team played home games primarily atGriffith Stadium and later atRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. In 1966, the football program was discontinued due to a lack of adequate facilities and the university's desire to develop an on-campus fieldhouse forbasketball and other sports.[157] GW has one alumnus in thePro Football Hall of Fame,Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans.
TheGeorge Washington Revolutionaries men's basketball team is coached byChris Caputo, former coach at theUniversity of Miami.
The GW Spirit Program includes a co-ed Cheer Team, the First Ladies Dance team, and the university mascot.[158] The Revolutionaries mascot is named George, and is portrayed by a student wearing an outfit inspired by a uniform worn by General Washington.[159] In 2012, George took first place at the National Cheerleaders Association Mascot Competition and is the university's first national champion.[160][161] The spirit program also includes the GW Brass, directed by Professor Benno Fritz.[162]
The university also has various club sports, which are not varsity sports, but compete against other colleges. Examples include:boxing,basketball,volleyball,ice hockey,figure skating,fencing,lacrosse,rugby,soccer,triathlon,tennis,ultimate frisbee,cricket,Brazilian jiu-jitsu,water polo,equestrian, and others.[163]
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Notablealumni,faculty, and affiliates include16 foreign heads of state or government, 28United States senators, 27United States governors, 18U.S. Cabinet members, five Nobel laureates, twoOlympic medalists, twoAcademy Award winners, and aGolden Globe winner.[164]
Alumni have included many current and past political figures, both in the United States and abroad. 16GW alumni have served as foreign heads of state or government with four currently serving (as of 2019). Manyalumni have held U.S. Cabinet positions, including formerAttorney GeneralWilliam Barr, former actingSecretary of DefenseMark Esper, and formerSecretary of the InteriorDavid Bernhardt. GW is one of the schools with the most alumni that have served in theU.S. Congress.[165] Notable recentGW alumni members of congress includeHarry Reid (Senate Majority Leader for most of the Obama Presidency),Elizabeth Warren (2020 presidential candidate),Eric Cantor (House Majority Leader, 2011–2014), andRobert Byrd (President pro tempore of the Senate under President Bush and President Obama). Alumni have served asgovernors of 19U.S. states, as well as theDistrict of Columbia andGuam, among others. Some alumni serving in President Trump'sWhite House include currentWhite House Director of Strategic CommunicationsMercedes Schlapp andWhite House Cabinet SecretaryBill McGinley. Other prominent U.S. politicians include SenatorJ. William Fulbright, formerSecretary of StateColin Powell, formerFBI DirectorJ. Edgar Hoover, former CIA DirectorAllen Dulles and his brother, former Secretary of StateJohn Foster Dulles. Also, currentPremier of BermudaEdward David Burt (youngest in history) and currentChief Justice of the Supreme Court of BhutanTshering Wangchuk are GW alumni. Former associate director for National Preparedness at the United StatesFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),John Brinkerhoff was a GW alumni.
In business,Lee Kun-hee (MBA), Chairman ofSamsung who is credited with transforming the company into one of the largest electronics manufacturers,Scott Kirby (MS), CEO ofUnited Airlines,Kathy J. Warden (MBA), President and CEO ofNorthrop Grumman andJohn F.W. Rogers (BA), Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board ofGoldman Sachs. Notable company founders includeRobert A. Altman (JD), co-founder ofZeniMax Media,Elaine Wynn, co-founder ofWynn Resorts, andTom Cortese, co-founder ofPeloton.
Science and technology alumni includeJulius Axelrod (PhD),Nobel Laureate and medical researcher,Ralph Asher Alpher,National Medal of Science laureate, physicist and "father" of theBig Bang theory,Jack Edmonds, noted computer scientist and mathematician and one of the creators ofcombinatorial optimization,Walter O. Snelling, who first identified propane and researched how propane could be liquefied and used as a viable energy resource,Charles Browne Fleet, inventor ofChapStick. In addition, 7NASA astronauts are alumni, includingCharles Camarda andSerena Auñón-Chancellor.
In arts, entertainment and media, writer and filmmakerWilliam Peter Blatty (MA), author ofThe Exorcist, which he adaptedfor the screen and won theAcademy Award forBest Adapted Screenplay.Emmy-winning actorsAlec Baldwin andKerry Washington are also alumni, while filmmaker andPalme d'Or recipientDavid Lynch, Oscar-winning actorJared Leto, and portrait painterNed Bittinger attended theCorcoran School of the Arts and Design. Journalism alumni includePulitzer Prize winnerGlenn Greenwald,CNN commentatorsDana Bash andChuck Todd, as well asNBC News reporterKasie Hunt. Another notable alumnus in this field istalk radio hostClay Travis.
Leaders of academic institutions includeWilliam Greenleaf Eliot co-founder ofWashington University in St. Louis,Derek Bok (AM), president ofHarvard University,Scott Cowen (MBA), president ofTulane University, andJohn T. Wilson, president of theUniversity of Chicago.
In education, community leader and educatorAlice West Fleet pursued a PhD in this university.
Well known athletes and sports personnel includeBoston Celtics coachRed Auerbach (BA, MA), winner of nineNBA championships as a head coach with an additional seven as a general manager for grand total of 16 NBA championships. Many players have been drafted into theNBA such asYinka Dare andYuta Watanabe. Other notable athletes includeWNBA starJonquel Jones,Pro Football Hall of Fame running backTuffy Leemans, andOlympic medalistElena Myers. Several alumni have owned sports teams includingTed Lerner, owner of theWashington Nationals;Abe Pollin, owner of theWashington Wizards andWashington Capitals; andJerry Reinsdorf, owner of theChicago Bulls and theChicago White Sox.
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Notable GW faculty includeTom Perez, former Chair of theDemocratic National Committee; two currentSupreme Court Justices,Clarence Thomas andKetanji Brown Jackson;George Gamow, developer of theBig Bang theory;Edward Teller, "father of the hydrogen bomb";Vincent du Vigneaud,Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner;John Negroponte, firstDirector of National Intelligence;Thomas Buergenthal, formerPresident of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights;Masatoshi Koshiba,Nobel Prize in Physics winner;Scott Pace, currentExecutive Secretary of the National Space Council;Amitai Etzioni, former President of theAmerican Sociological Association;Marshall Warren Nirenberg,Nobel Prize in Medicine winner;Edward P. Jones,Pulitzer Prize winner;Abba Eban, formerVice President of the United Nations General Assembly;Dana Perino, formerWhite House Press Secretary; andFerid Murad,Nobel Prize in Medicine winner.
Other faculty have includedFrank Sesno,CNN former Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief and Special Correspondent;James Carafano, Heritage Foundation national security and homeland security expert;Leon Fuerth, former national security adviser to Vice PresidentAl Gore;James Rosenau, political theorist and former president of the International Studies Association;Steven V. Roberts, American journalist, writer and political commentator and former senior writer atU.S. News & World Report;Nancy E. Gary, former dean ofAlbany Medical College, Executive Vice President of theUniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Dean of its F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine,Roy Richard Grinker, anthropologist specializing inautism and North-South Korean relations,Edward P. Jones, who won thePulitzer Prize for fiction in 2004, novelistHerman "H.G." Carrillo, historianJessica Krug,Dagmar R. Henney,Dorothy Evans Holmes, psychoanalytic thinker known for her work on racial and cultural trauma,Mohammad Nahavandian (economics), chief of staff of the President of Iran since 2013, andFaure Essozimna Gnassingbé (MBA), president of Togo since 2005,Blake R. Van Leer, president of Georgia Tech, Colonel and Civil Rights advocate.Y. Tony Yang, Endowed Professor of Health Policy and Associate Dean for Health Policy and Population Science.
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