Is Georgetown University a Good School?

I live in the DMV area, so I didn’t do much exploring, but I can tell you that DC is a city where you will always have something to do. If you would rather be busy than bored, then that’s already a reason you should choose Georgetown.

It is the place to be if you want to be in Congress or sit in the White House. There are numerous Federal buildings you can visit or even intern as a student. There are 3 billion museums to visit, and most of them are free.

For many seniors, Georgetown University is a dream school. That’s because it’s highly selective, admitting only a little more than a tenth of all applicants.

But is it really a good school to consider applying to if you are a high-performing high schooler with an impressive academic track record?

Georgetown University is a good school for students who would like to have a global career with an undergraduate degree in international business. Having a Carnegie R1 designation, GU is a suitable learning environment for those who would like to take research-intensive courses in college.

See to it that you read this post until the very end if you are thinking about applying to Georgetown.

First, I will discuss some facts about the institution, but then I will share my information session and walking tour experience.

Georgetown University
Georgetown University

Some Facts on Georgetown University

Let’s check out some quick facts about Georgetown University before we talk about some of the most essential matters students who are planning on applying to it have to be aware of:

  • Location: Washington, DC
  • Founding date: 1789
  • Motto: Utraque Unum (both into one)
  • Campus size: 104 acres
  • Campus type: Urban
  • School type: Private research university
  • Reputation: Party school
  • Selectivity level: Highly selective
  • Number of majors: 40 plus
  • Popular majors: Computer science, international business, international relations, political science and government
  • Student body: 20,935 (undergraduates: 7,598)
  • Students per class: 10 to 19 in most classes
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Graduation rate: 90%
  • Athletic affiliation: NCAA Division I
  • Color: Blue and gray
  • Mascot: Jack the Bulldog
  • Number of varsity teams: 24
  • Sports: Baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, golf, lacrosse, rowing, sailing, soccer, softball, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball

Georgetown University Ranking

Georgetown University is ranked #22 in National Universities by US News. The popular college ranker also ranks it #32 in Best Colleges for Veterans and #39 in Best Value Schools. Meanwhile, Niche ranks Georgetown #17 in Top Private Universities in America and #1 in Best Colleges in the District of Columbia.

One of the most highly-ranked private institutions in the US is Georgetown. So much so that, like other 60-plus colleges and universities, it’s considered a Private Ivy.

Besides the school itself, many of its undergraduate programs are highly ranked, too. US News, for instance, says that some of its business-related ones, including international business programs like management and marketing, are top-notch. It also gives its computer science program a high ranking.

The following are some of GU’s rankings according to programs by Niche:

  • #1 in Best Colleges for International Relations in America
  • #2 in Best Colleges for Accounting and Finance in America
  • #2 in Best Colleges for Political Science in America
  • #4 in Best Colleges for Business in America
  • #7 in Best Colleges for Nursing in America
  • #7 in Best Colleges for Public Health in America
  • #11 in Best Colleges for Global Studies in America
  • #13 in Best Colleges for English in America
  • #14 in Best Colleges for Religious Studies in America
  • #17 in Best Colleges for Philosophy in America
  • #18 in Best Colleges for Economics in America
  • #18 in Best Colleges for History in America
  • #21 in Best Colleges for Biology in America
  • #28 in Best Colleges for Anthropology and Sociology in America
  • #32 in Best Colleges for Physics in America
  • #33 in Best Colleges for Math in America
  • #36 in Best Colleges for Computer Science in America

What Does Georgetown University Look For?

Georgetown University prefers to admit well-rounded students, the kinds that excel inside and outside the classroom. So, in other words, having a high GPA and test scores is not enough for an applicant to secure an acceptance letter. With a holistic admissions process, Georgetown considers various admissions factors.

All academic factors are deemed very important by GU’s admissions officers, and they are:

  • Rigor of high school class
  • Class rank
  • High school GPA
  • Supplemental essays
  • Recommendation letters
  • SAT or ACT scores

Speaking of which, Georgetown is unlike most other colleges and universities in the country in that it’s mandatory for applicants to submit their standardized test scores — the institution is test-required.

Admitted students’ middle 50% SAT composite score range is 1380 to 1530. Meanwhile, the middle 50% ACT composite score range of admits is 32 to 35. While Georgetown doesn’t have any published minimum high school GPA applicants should meet, accepted ones have an average GPA of 3.89.

Besides the academic factors mentioned above, the following are the non-academic factors considered by Georgetown’s admissions officers and the relative importance of each:

  • Talent                            Very Important
  • Personal qualities              Very Important
  • Interview                        Important
  • Extracurricular activities      Important
  • First-generation                Considered
  • Alumni relation                 Considered
  • Geographical residence       Considered
  • State residency                 Considered
  • Race/ethnicity                  Considered
  • Work experience               Considered
  • Volunteer work                 Considered
Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library

Is It Easy to Get Admitted to Georgetown University?

With an acceptance rate of 12%, it’s not that easy to get into Georgetown University. Applying early does not make it any easier to get admitted to the highly selective institution for the early acceptance rate is even lower. To increase their admissions chances, students must have a strong overall application.

A lot of college-bound teens believe that Georgetown is an Ivy League. This is why many top-performing ones consider it their top-choice school and the rest add it to their college list as their reach school.

Unfortunately for the vast majority of GU applicants, they are most likely to receive a rejection letter.

Among all first-time, first-year students at Georgetown University, around 97% graduated in the top 25% of their high school class.

On the other hand, about 85% were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class. Needless to say, you will have to be a part of the cream of the crop of your class if you want to attend Georgetown.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Georgetown University?

The estimated cost of attending Georgetown University for a year as an undergraduate student amounts to $83,037. The tuition alone is $61,872, which takes up almost 75% of the estimated cost of attendance. Around 34% of first-year students receive financial aid.

Here’s the breakdown of how much it costs to be an undergraduate student at Georgetown:

EXPENSESCOST
Tuition$61,872
Fees$689
Room$13,196
Board$7,280
TOTAL$83,037
Georgetown University cost of attendance

When applying to Georgetown, it’s not just the highly competitive admissions process you will have to gear up for. It’s also a must for you to get ready to shell out a huge sum of money should you get an offer to enroll.

The average tuition and fees at private colleges and universities in the US amount to $37,641.

Tuition and fees at GU are 66% higher than at most other private institutions of higher education located in the country. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will pay the sticker price — filling out the FAFSA will help you determine if you are eligible for financial aid and how much you will get.

It’s no secret that most elite private institutions in the land do not offer merit-based scholarships. The same, it goes without saying, applies to Georgetown University.

With the exception of some athletic scholarships, the private school awards financial aid based on demonstrated need only.

Around 34% of students at Georgetown receive need-based financial aid, each one getting $48,768 on average.

Georgetown University Social Life

Georgetown University is a party school. As a matter of fact, Niche ranks it and #155 in Top Party Schools in America. Greek life is modest at Georgetown, with about 10% of its students belonging to a fraternity or sorority. In addition, around 10% of all undergraduate students are varsity athletes.

It’s true that Georgetown is a party school. However, it’s very much unlikely that you will find its name on any listings of the top 10 party schools in the US — its party scene is not as bustling as those of party school listing top-notchers.

But it’s definitely one of the best locally. Proof? It’s #3 in Top Party Schools in District of Columbia by Niche.

Georgetown Day is regarded as the biggest party on campus. Simply put, it’s an annual celebration of the school’s campus community. The all-day event, which started in 2000, happens at the end of each spring semester.

Some events that take place during Georgetown Day include outdoor concerts, student performances and faculty and staff awarding.

Other traditional events at GU include:

  • Midnight Breakfast
  • Saxa Awards
  • The Big Hunt
  • The Summit
  • Traditions Day

At Georgetown, attendees can choose from more than 350 student clubs and organizations. Options range anywhere from performing arts, volunteering, advocacy, debate to worship.

Of the available ones, more than 200 are student-led — the Center for Student Engagement is what you should get in touch with if you want to establish a new one.

While about 1 out of 10 students at GU is a member of a fraternity or sorority, Greek life at the school is pretty low-key and doesn’t have much impact on campus life.

Full-time undergraduate students are required to live on campus during their freshman, sophomore and junior years. There are a total of 17 residence halls (dormitories, apartments and townhouses) available for them.

Is Georgetown University Safe?

Based on a Niche poll, up to 92% of responding Georgetown University students say that they feel extremely safe and secure on campus. GU offers services that help keep its attendees out of harm’s way, like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols. Washington, DC is considered one of the safest cities on the planet.

According to Georgetown itself, the institution uses an integrated approach to safety and security on campus and in the surrounding community in order to prevent problems before they occur and to be able to provide a swift and effective response when emergencies arise.

The school has what’s called HOYAlert, which sends messages with guidance each time incidents affecting the safety and security of everyone on campus happen. Besides faculty members and staff, all students are automatically enrolled in HOYAlert, which means that they, too, can receive alerts on a 24/7 basis throughout the year.

Here are the services offered by Georgetown to try to keep its students safe:

  • 24-hour emergency telephones
  • 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols
  • Late-night transport or escort service
  • Lighted pathways and sidewalks
  • Student patrols
  • Controlled dormitory access

The following are the reported on-campus crimes in 2020:

  • Rape (6)
  • Burglary (5)
  • Fondling (5)
  • Robbery (1)
Info Session Building

Georgetown University Info Session

Maybe it’s just my luck, but this was quite literally the most boring information session I’ve ever been to. After going to the Northwestern information session, my standards are high.

4 Undergraduate Schools of Georgetown

Our info session lady dove straight into the four undergraduate schools & law center of Georgetown. The first and largest college is called Georgetown College. It houses the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and languages.

Specific majors include English, government, history, and economics. Can you guess the most popular major when students apply? Undeclared. I believe this shows that Georgetown won’t turn you down just because you don’t have your major figured out.

The sciences include biology, and chemistry, and they do have a pre-med track. They do have an early assurance program in which you don’t take the MCAT in sophomore year. But this is only if you apply to the Georgetown School of Medicine.

They do have the same program for aspiring law majors with LCAT’s.

Next comes the School of Nursing and Health Studies. The majors include nursing (duh), human science, global health, and health care management and policy. I find this last one very interesting because of the recent discussions about the health care we’ve had between candidates.

It’s located near the Georgetown hospital, which has thousands of resources, including GUS.

GUS stands for Georgetown University Simulator; He can replicate over 65,000 human ailments so students can practice on him. GUS is tough; he could be in heart failure, having a terrible allergic reaction, and delivering triplets all in the same day.

The last two colleges are the Walsh School of Foreign Service & McDonough School of Business. To have a degree in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, you need to be proficient in at least one language. Latin is not an option.

Fun Fact: Bill Clinton was in this school.

We didn’t talk much about the McDonough School of Business, but there are 8 majors in this school. Upon application, you must select one of the 4 schools, but you don’t have to stick with that school.

As usual, you must declare a major by the end of your 2nd year. What’s different about Georgetown is that you can double major in the same college, but only minor and/or certificate across the schools.

Classes & Faculty

Most classes are 15-25 students, especially language classes. We saw a slide from the powerpoint that showed a professor teaching Arabic to his class. It’s good that they’re teaching one-on-one because that’s the best way to learn a language.

Our info lady recommended that we get to know the faculty and create relationships with them because they will be a resource for internships & job opportunities. They are also required to hold office hours twice a week, and most hold hours most days of the week.

Related Article: Harvard vs. Georgetown: Detailed Comparison

All da opportunities at Georgetown

Internships

ABC Nightline provides two journalism spots exclusively for Georgetown students each year. Yes, it’s competitive, obviously, but … it’s also a paid internship, so why wouldn’t you try? Most students end up doing 2-3 internships throughout their four undergraduate years.

Study Abroad

Like most schools, Georgetown has opportunities abroad in many countries: 60 countries and 140 programs. Service opportunities are also given in study abroad, but in DC as well. 60% of students do study abroad, and the credits transfer…. blah blah blah.

The part of this that was different from other colleges was the villa. It’s located in Florence, Italy, and is sooooooo beautiful. The downside is that it’s only for majors such as languages, art history, and renaissance.

Lecture Fund

The lecture fund is something I love about Georgetown. I will go into more detail during the walking tour, but I will give the basics now. It’s this program that allows students to reach out to alumni they want to talk to in Georgetown.

If the person can come, then they will speak to hundreds of students in the theatre. People such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Warren Buffet, and Bradley Cooper have spoken at Georgetown.

I hear that Bradley Cooper likes to make surprise appearances on campus too. When he came, he showed a pre-screening of “A Star is Born” to Georgetown students.

Georgetown Grilling Society: 2 guys who missed grilling backyard, so they started this society that grills on Fridays

College Application

They claim that they don’t have the common app because they want students to apply in the most thoughtful way possible.

That’s kind of dumb.

Why?

Because you’re too busy applying to other colleges and their supplemental essays to worry about this thoughtful application.

Even if you dream of going to Georgetown, it’s still so much more work. These essays include one of the classical “Why Georgetown?”.

The second is about one of the four undergraduate schools.

You also need two recommendation letters: one from a counselor and one from a teacher. They require your high school transcript(s), extracurriculars, and an alumni interview (about 30-60 min and always with someone who lives in your hometown), and they strongly recommend 3 SAT subject tests.

Of course, there is your SAT or ACT score, but they are not a score choice school. If you failed the first time you took the SAT, they would see.

Walking Tour

The unfortunate info session was followed up by the best walking tour I’ve had.

The girl, Julia, who did our tour, was part of the “Blue and Grey Walking Tour society,” which is a volunteer base, so they aren’t being paid to lie to us about Georgetown.

More background on Georgetown

We stepped out into nature to begin our tour. The building we were in for the info session was the White Gravenor Building. In front of it, there are two shields and below each shield is a date.

The one on the left was from 1634, when Father White and Father Gravenor came to St. Mary’s, Maryland to start an educational system. Historians argue that this was the founding of Georgetown. If this is true, then Georgetown would be the oldest school, but they gave it to Harvard instead.

Instead they go by the date on the right: 1789 (official date).

The extent of my American football knowledge

We then walked by the gates, and Julia told us to guess what this big piece of land was used for. An intellectual yelled out a football field, and she was surprised because they were correct.

That intellectual was me, and I was handed my Georgetown acceptance letter. There is a stone wall surrounding this piece of land. During football games, the students would sit on this stone wall and throw stones at the opposing side.

The refs would tell them they couldn’t do that, and another intellectual came up with a solution.

During that time, Georgetown taught Latin & Greek (they don’t anymore), so he took the Greek word “Hoya” which means “what” and the Latin word “Saxa” which means rocks and combined them to get “Hoya Saxa”.

So whenever the ref’s told them to stop, they would yell, “Hoya Saxa!” This chant stayed and is now a sort of motto for Georgetown students.

Across the road outside the gates is a turquoise house. It’s where their mascot Jack the Bulldog lives. A new Jack the Bulldog arrived the night before the tour, and he is currently in training.

The students of Jack’s Crew pamper him, and rumor has it that he has his own car he rides around during games. Weird. I love it. Unfortunately, it’s harder to get into Jack’s Crew than Georgetown.

How big is religion at Georgetown?

Now I will talk about the religious aspect of Georgetown. They have their Christian Chaplains, but I believe they are the first to have a Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim Chaplain as well. All students are required to take 2 semesters of theology.

One of your first semesters should be the problem of god or biblical literature. The second can be pretty much anything. Julia took Intro to Islam, and it ended up being her favorite course.

Moving back to the tour…

We then walked past Healy Hall, which we will revisit near the end. Then we walked past Lauinger Library, which has a student-run coffee shop on the second floor.

I mean, it’s not college if you don’t have a coffee shop in the library and are grinding on a paper due the next day… totally can’t relate, ahem, moving on.

The library also has a state of the art 3D printer.

Julia went on to talk about the many things you can do in DC and around Georgetown when she mentioned something I had never known. Martin’s Tavern is an ideal place for a lovely brunch, and that’s why JFK proposed to Jackie in booth 3. She also interned for the senate the year prior, and now she majors in gov. Julia, for Congress!

Fun Fact: Intramural Club called Battleships were you sink others Kayaks in the pool (once a year)

View from “Vil A”

Upperclassman Housing

We came to these buildings, which the students call “Vil A” (stands for Village Apartments, I believe). They are apartments with a full kitchen, bathroom, living area, and 2 double rooms. We climbed up a set of iron staircases that looked straight down to the cement, not ideal if you are afraid of heights.

The view was totally worth it. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Kennedy Center for performing arts, and a bunch of other DC things. The thing is, there was massive floor to ceiling windows, so there is always the possibility that someone could break the windows.

Other than that, these apartments are highly coveted but are mainly given to upperclassmen. Few lucky sophomores will get one of these apartments.

Also, when we were walking through the rich neighborhood to get to Georgetown, we saw some very brightly colored homes which we later learned are for upperclassman!

Freshman & Sophomore Housing

Then we passed the HFSC (try figuring out what that stands for), which is equipped with a full theatre, two dance studios, a salad shop, and a Bulldog Tavern. I think the Corp owns one of these.

The Corp. is a student-run profit (every single person is a student) that makes 5 million dollars in annual revenue. It’s a good thing to have on your resume: that you run a 5 million dollar company in your early 20’s.

We walked a little downhill to a dining hall called Leos. Its actual name is O’Donovan, but I want to save you from being an uncultured citizen and laughed at. We took a sharp right as we approached O’Donovan. Oops, I meant Leos.

There was the South West Quad. This quad is 3 dorm buildings configured into a U shape. VCW (I don’t remember what it stands for) is the best dorm of the 3 solely because every room gets their own bathroom; it’s a sophomore dorm building.

Before I talk about the other dorms, let’s talk about safety on campus. They have the iconic blue light system, which notifies GUPD and they get to where you are at in 100 seconds or less.

Only 1 person used the blue lights, and that was a skeptical mom on a tour, and she was fined hundreds of dollars. Haha, sucks for her. At least we know that they do work. There is also the Hoya Alert System.

Last year, there was a small fire in the chem lab, and Julia immediately got a notification about what happened, places to avoid, and what was being done to resolve this conflict. Her mom also got the notification because parents can also opt to be alerted.

The Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service with the ironic acronym GERMS is a student run EMT. They have their own ambulance, usually parked near Leos, which has the fastest ambulatory response rate.

They are a free service that will give you a full medical check-up and send you to the hospital if necessary. DO NOT BE FOOLED; The hospital is not free. They also have something which Julia emphasized: an anonymous policy.

If you don’t want it, nobody will be notified if something has happened to you. This is important because you “don’t want to discourage anyone from seeking medical attention.”

We walked up the steps to Dahlgren Quad, and Julia said that an alumni donates 3 million each year to the university only if 1 million is used for Tulips. It is stunning in the springtime. Harbin Hall is the second dorm building that has a cluster system.

It means an area of a dorm shares a common room with the people in that area. The only exciting thing about this dorm is that Bill Clinton lived in it, and he is quite an iconic Hoya. Darnell is the last dorm in this area. It isn’t located in the center of campus, but it sits on a 24-hour dining hall, so there could be days you don’t have to go outside.

Georgetown has 3 ways to choose your roommate: CHARMS (Campus Housing And Roommate Service), random, and Facebook. CHARMS is a 50 questionnaire that you fill out and are given a few matches.

You’ll call these people and facetime then, and one of you will pop the question, and you’ll live happily ever after. Random is self-explanatory. On Facebook, you post a bio of yourself and hope that somebody takes interest and asks to be roomies.

Fun Fact: Rumor 70% of Hoyas marry each other (only 7%) and can get married in Dahlgren Chapel in Dahlgren Quad

Old North

My favorite spot: Dahlgren Quad

Located in Dahlgren Quad is a regular looking home named “Old North”. It was built in 1795 for a whopping $400 (approximately $40,500 in today’s currency) and was used as a Union Soldier Hospital.

It was used as a hospital because the Georgetown population plummeted to 17 students. The priests began freaking out, so they decided to involve themselves in the war. That’s where Georgetown got its school colors blue from the Union and grey from the Confederacy.

If you look closely, you will see the top step of the Old North is different from the others. It looks old and bruised. This is because that step has not been renovated like the rest of the building.

14 US presidents have stood on that top step to give speeches. They include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, and of course, Bill Clinton. If you were looking directly at “Old North” and turned 90 degrees clockwise, you would see the Clock Tower.

The graduating senior year has to steal both clock hands and mail them to someone they want to visit the campus. Seniors have sent them to Pope John Paul II, but he wasn’t able to come.

He did bless the hands, though, so students like to say that their time at Georgetown is blessed. Hahahahahahaha. They also sent the hands to Clinton, and he also didn’t come, but he did sign them.

Back to Healy Hall…

We passed by a fountain on our way back to Healy Hall. You’re supposed to jump into that fountain sometime before graduation *insert grimacing emoji*.

At Healy Hall, we talked about random stuff because it was mainly us asking questions:
Healy houses Gaston Hall which is where the lecture funds take place. People will sleep outside of Healy Hall to make it into the lecture fund.

Julia’s roommate was eagerly waiting to meet Bradley Cooper, but she was 5 people short. It was a very dark time for her dorm room. Julia was lucky, though, and ended up shaking Bill Clinton’s hand.

Other musical performances take place in Gaston, and although they cost money to go to, all the proceeds go to charity. An important office in Healy is the GSP: Georgetown Scholars Program. It provides aid for 1st generation or low-income students.

More Housing…

They receive a student, faculty, and alumni mentor. They also get a free flight to and from home freshman year. If they are from the South, Georgetown provides winter gear because I will tell you from experience, DC weather, in my opinion, is horrendous. I don’t like the cold.

Food at Georgetown University

Out of all the colleges I’ve toured, Georgetown has the worst food game. They took away the all you can get grilled cheese. Leo’s closes at 8 o’clock, and some classes get out at 8 or later. Julia also said that they stop serving fresh food at 7:15.

The 24/7 dining hall doesn’t allow you to use your meal swipes. Instead, you have to use flex swipes, which you can also use around the neighborhood. Meal Plans are required in freshman year, but other than that, it’s quite standard: 21 meal swipes a week gives you unlimited access to the downstairs buffet.

There are also 18, 14, and 8 swipes a week. The variety is also quite standard with halal, kosher, gluten-free, and vegan options.

Fun Fact: Georgetown makes up for their limited dining options with a special $5 a month Hulu & Spotify premium deal exclusively for students.

We walked out of Healy Hall to head to our last stop when Julia told us a funny story. The statue of John Carroll depicts him sitting on a chair, thinking with a bunch of books underneath the chair.

The books weren’t originally there. Somebody, I don’t remember who, thought it would be funny to place a toilet under the chair. It took 2 days to remove it, and after that, they installed those books. We ended in Red Square, which is not so obviously a huge red square.

The Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team hands out $1 donuts every Monday. Grilling Society gives $3 burgers on Fridays, and there is a Farmer’s market every Wednesday.

Julia ended the tour like all tour guides should: Why did I choose Georgetown? She had 3 reasons: the faculty is super excellent with deep connections, and they want to get to know you.

The second reason is that Julia loved the ethnic diversity of Georgetown. She grew up in a 95% white high school. Everyone there thought, spoke, and dressed like her. Julia wanted people to teach her how to think differently, and she believes she has become more open-minded because of Georgetown.

The 3rd reason was DC. It has so much to offer and so much to do that she couldn’t resist.

That concludes possibly my favorite walking tour! We raced through the neighborhoods and back to the Metro because we were yet again on a time crunch. Thanks for reading if you have made it this far!

Georgetown University FAQs

Does Georgetown offer merit scholarships?

No, Georgetown only offers scholarships based on demonstrated need

Is Georgetown need blind?

Yes

Is Georgetown University Ivy League?

While many students think that Georgetown is an Ivy League school, it’s not. However, because it’s one of the most selective and prestigious institutions in the country, it’s regarded as a Private Ivy.

Is Georgetown University a liberal arts school?

Georgetown is a private research university. In fact, because of its very high research activity, GU has a Carnegie R1 designation. But its College of Arts & Sciences has a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum.

Does Georgetown give AP credits?

Because it participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Board, Georgetown University honors AP exam grades. The school typically awards credits for AP exams with scores of 4 or 5.

Is Georgetown University a Catholic school?

Bishop John Carroll founded Georgetown University in 1789, which makes it the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher education in the US. However, only about 41% of its attendees are Catholic.

Is Georgetown University Worth It?

The low acceptance rate and high tuition and costs make Georgetown worth it for students who are after research intensive courses and top-notch undergraduate programs in business and computer science.

Is Georgetown a catholic school?

Georgetown is a catholic school, but you don’t need to practice Catholicism if you go to Georgetown; You do need to take a required theology course, but it can be about anything

Who are some Georgetown alumni?

Bill Clinton (42nd US President), Bradley Cooper (American Actor nominated for several Academy, Tony, Grammy, & BAFTA awards), Antonin Scalia (Former US Supreme Court Justice), Greta Van Susteren (American Commentator for CNN, Fox News, & NBC News)

Georgetown University
Georgetown University

Schools Similar to Georgetown University

Students who add Georgetown University to their college list also usually consider applying to other prestigious institutions. It goes without saying that GU is commonly compared with Ivy League schools and those with Ivy-like statuses. Many schools similar to it are some of the most expensive in the US.

Without further ado, let’s check out some of the institutions widely regarded as similar to Georgetown:

1. Harvard University

Both Georgetown and Harvard have urban campuses. However, Harvard has a much larger campus (5,076 acres vs. 104 acres). Despite the huge difference in campus size, the Ivy League’s population is not as high as GU’s (21,648 vs. 20,935). With an acceptance rate of 4% only, it’s definitely much more difficult to get into Harvard.

2. Johns Hopkins University

It’s harder to gain admission to JHU than Georgetown because of the slightly lower acceptance rate (8% vs. 12%). But attending it is slightly cheaper, too, due to lower tuition ($60,480 vs. $61,872). While business-related programs are Georgetown’s forte, STEM-related programs are some of the best offerings of JHU.

3. George Washington University

A few things are shared by Georgetown and GWU in common. For instance, they are both located in Washington, DC. They are also known to have excellent business-related undergraduate programs. Getting into GWU is so much easier because it has a 50% acceptance rate. However, it has slightly higher tuition ($62,110 vs. $61,872).

4. American University

Like GU, American or AU is also located in Washington, DC. The private school, similarly, is known for its business-related undergraduate programs, especially international business. With an acceptance rate of 64%, American is not as selective as Georgetown. It’s not as highly ranked as GU, too, by US News (#72 vs. #22 in National Universities 2022 to 2023).

5. Notre Dame University

Notre Dame may not be as selective as GU because of a slightly higher acceptance rate (15% vs. 12%). However, US News gives the private Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, Indiana a higher ranking (#18 vs. #22 in National Universities 2022 to 2023). The estimated cost of attendance at ND is lower ($80,211 vs. $83,037).

6. Columbia University

Georgetown may be considered a Private Ivy because it’s highly selective. However, Columbia is an actual Ivy League and much more selective, too (6% vs. 12%). While GU is popular for its different business programs, Columbia is well-known for various STEM-related ones. More students at Columbia get financial aid than at Georgetown (48% vs. 34%).

7. Duke University

Both GU and Duke are commonly mistaken as Ivy Leagues. Between them, however, Duke is more selective (6% vs. 12% acceptance rates). Duke is also more popular for its STEM programs. In terms of campus size, Duke is a lot larger than Georgetown (8,693 acres vs. 104 acres) but has a smaller student population (17,620 vs. 20,935).

Related Article: GWU Walking Tour


Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the College Reality Check.

Similar Posts