George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia · Also known as GWU|GW · Website
$90,873
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$90,873
median earnings, 10 years after starting
George Washington University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Washington, District of Columbia with 11,182 undergraduates and 13,697 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $36,586 a year (tuition and fees $67,710). It admits 47% of applicants and 84% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $90,873 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $20,449 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$36,586
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$67,710
US median $11,837
Admission rate
47%
US median 78%
Completion rate
84%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$20,449
About $217 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$90,873
Rank 95 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $36,586
- Tuition and fees
- $67,710
- Cost of attendance
- $83,856
- Students with a need-based grant
- 16%
- Students with federal loans
- 32%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $17,440
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $17,292
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $22,080
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $28,100
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $55,337
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $50,435 in 2015-16 to $67,710 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 47%
- Average SAT
- 1,433
- SAT reading, middle
- 700
- SAT math, middle
- 700
- ACT, middle
- 32
- Undergraduates
- 11,182
- Graduate students
- 13,697
- Part-time students
- 4.4%
- Women
- 64%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 84%
- Retention rate
- 92%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 308
- Endowment
- $2.6B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 95 of 5,094 US colleges and 2 of 15 in District of Columbia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | DC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $36,586 | $23,697 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $67,710 | $19,530 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 47% | 62% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 84% | 51% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 92% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $20,449 | $20,224 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $71,607 | $42,956 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $90,873 | $53,804 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 80% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 88% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
308 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LawProfessional | Professional | 550 | $176,325 | $95,225 | $140,848 | $107,773 |
| Public HealthMaster's | Master's | 550 | $75,171 | $69,429 | $92,573 | $82,751 |
| International Relations and National Security StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 511 | $20,958 | $52,933 | $76,751 | $66,596 |
| International Relations and National Security StudiesMaster's | Master's | 358 | $56,634 | $70,707 | $100,024 | $95,627 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 305 | $21,723 | $51,537 | $79,692 | $63,293 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 272 | $18,716 | $79,221 | $96,741 | $88,910 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 270 | $61,500 | $125,591 | $146,816 | $103,485 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesMaster's | Master's | 258 | $66,000 | $95,091 | $121,804 | $89,981 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 186 | $197,284 | $68,275 | $100,874 | $112,460 |
| Political Science and GovernmentMaster's | Master's | 176 | $61,310 | $72,470 | $106,674 | $78,850 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 164 | $52,641 | $102,660 | $121,460 | $120,193 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 156 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesMaster's | Master's | 140 | $78,277 | $90,624 | $117,955 | $101,000 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementMaster's | Master's | 134 | $38,064 | $124,635 | $130,159 | $121,855 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 129 | $23,250 | $44,809 | $87,217 | $58,808 |
| Computer ScienceMaster's | Master's | 121 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $145,571 |
| Engineering-Related FieldsMaster's | Master's | 113 | $40,193 | $127,408 | $139,567 | $125,651 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 112 | $20,500 | $67,684 | $99,406 | $82,686 |
| Systems EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 110 | $37,964 | $119,258 | $154,767 | $144,565 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 110 | Withheld | Withheld | $79,187 | $50,706 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 110 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $124,807 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesMaster's | Master's | 106 | $37,500 | $89,507 | $120,266 | $83,558 |
| Public Policy AnalysisMaster's | Master's | 95 | $53,242 | $76,399 | $94,862 | $93,020 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 95 | $18,148 | $73,833 | $126,638 | $83,343 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 91 | $49,750 | $58,541 | $82,024 | $65,184 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: District of Columbia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in District of Columbia
- Homes: Homes for sale in District of Columbia
Questions and answers
How much does George Washington University cost?
$36,586 a year is the average net price at George Washington University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $67,710, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $83,856. Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,440 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at George Washington University?
47% of applicants are admitted to George Washington University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,433 and the middle ACT score is 32. The median admission rate of colleges in District of Columbia is 62%.
How much do George Washington University graduates earn?
$90,873 a year is the median pay of former George Washington University students who work, 10 years after they started ($71,607 after 6 years). That ranks 95 of 5,094 US colleges and 2 of 15 in District of Columbia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Engineering-Related Fields (Doctoral) at $162,693.
How much student debt do George Washington University graduates have?
$20,449 is the median federal student loan debt of George Washington University graduates, about $217 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 32% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at George Washington University?
84% of first-time, full-time students at George Washington University finish within 6 years. 92% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at George Washington University?
Law (550 professional graduates), Public Health (550 master's graduates), International Relations and National Security Studies (511 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 308 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.