(This article reports on news from March 2025.)
George Washington University (GW) announced on March 28, 2025, that undergraduate tuition for the 2025–26 academic year would be $69,780, up 3.5% from $67,420 in 2024–25. The university said it had “worked to limit increases, consistent with prior years, to continue to contain the cost of attendance” (GW Today, March 28, 2025).
What GW charged in 2025–26
| Item (2025–26) | Amount | Change from 2024–25 |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate tuition | $69,780 | +3.5% (from $67,420) |
| Mandatory fees (include a subsidized U-Pass for unlimited Metrorail and Metrobus rides) | $390 | – |
| First-year base housing and dining | $17,600 | +$680 |
| – of which base residence hall room | $11,300 | |
| – of which dining | $6,300 |
Source: GW Today. Housing and dining for continuing students depend on the room and meal plan chosen. Graduate tuition varies by program and is posted by GW Student Accounts as each rate is approved. GW’s cost-of-attendance estimate adds indirect costs such as books, transportation and personal expenses on top of these direct charges.
In the same announcement, GW pointed families to Open Doors, its fundraising initiative for need-based scholarships and fellowships, and encouraged students seeking need-based aid to complete the financial aid application.
How GW’s price compares nationally
GW’s tuition is well above the national average for private colleges. According to the College Board’s Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025, released on November 6, 2025, average published tuition and fees in 2025–26 were $45,000 at private nonprofit four-year institutions and $11,950 for in-state students at public four-year institutions. Grant aid lowers what many students actually pay: the College Board estimates average net tuition and fees after grants at about $16,910 at private nonprofit four-year colleges and about $2,300 for in-state students at public four-year colleges (College Board newsroom).
Most of that grant aid comes from federal and state programs and from need-based institutional aid that is open only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. International students should therefore plan around a price close to the published sticker price, minus any merit scholarship they receive.
What this means for international students
- No need-based aid at admission. GW says it “is unable to offer need-based or U.S. government aid to international applicants.” The one exception is the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars partnership: admitted UWC graduates who enroll can receive need-based scholarships of up to full tuition and fees, and must file the CSS Profile (GW International Student Aid).
- Merit scholarships. First-year fall applicants are automatically considered for Presidential Academic Scholarships, whose value varies. GW also offers two full-tuition You Are Welcome Here scholarships each year for students who attended secondary school outside the United States. That award requires a CSS Profile (GW school code 5246) and an essay or video about intercultural learning, submitted by January 31. Students can hold only one GW scholarship, and awards cover undergraduate tuition only unless stated otherwise (GW International Student Aid).
- Limited aid after the first year. International undergraduates who have earned at least 30 credits at GW with a GPA of at least 2.0 may apply for a need-based grant of up to $10,000, but only if they are not already receiving $10,000 or more in GW grants and scholarships (GW Office of Student Financial Assistance).
- Proof of funds for the I-20. Before GW can issue visa documents, students must document funds covering one year of study equal to the published cost of attendance, using bank statements, certificates of deposit, or scholarship or sponsor letters. The documents can be in any currency but must be in English or come with an official English translation (GW International Student Aid).
GW at a glance
- Admissions: 27,016 first-year applicants and 12,723 admitted students for fall 2025, an admission rate of about 47%. The middle 50% of SAT scores was 680–750 in reading and writing and 670–750 in math; the ACT composite range was 31–34 (IPEDS).
- Enrollment: 25,374 students in fall 2025, including 11,677 undergraduates and 13,697 graduate students. 3,673 students (about 14%) were international: 918 undergraduates and 2,755 graduate students (IPEDS).
- Retention: 92% of first-year students returned for their second year (IPEDS).
- Ranking: No. 59 among national universities in the U.S. News 2027 edition (Forward Pathway’s US Colleges Ranking).
For more admissions, cost and outcome data, see Forward Pathway’s GWU school profile.
Latest: 2026–27 tuition and the Revolutionary Promise
On March 27, 2026, GW set 2026–27 undergraduate tuition at $72,000, a 3% increase. Mandatory charges for new students total $770, which covers the subsidized Metro pass. First-year base housing and dining rose $560 to $18,160: $11,440 for a standard residence hall room and $6,720 for dining (GW Today, March 27, 2026). GW’s cost page breaks the $770 into a $420 mandatory fee and a one-time $350 matriculation fee. It estimates total 2026–27 costs at $95,155 for new first-year students and $98,165 for continuing students, including $4,225 for books, transportation and miscellaneous expenses (Cost of a GW Education).
| 2024–25 | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate tuition | $67,420 | $69,780 | $72,000 |
| Increase | – | 3.5% | 3% |
| First-year base housing and dining | $16,920 | $17,600 | $18,160 |
Sources: GW Today announcements for 2025–26 and 2026–27. The 2024–25 housing figure is the 2025–26 rate minus the $680 increase GW reported.
On April 15, 2026, GW announced the Revolutionary Promise. Starting with students entering in fall 2026, new first-time domestic undergraduates from families with documented household income of $100,000 or less receive grants and scholarships covering full tuition. Families earning up to $150,000 receive aid covering at least half of tuition. GW also extended its multiyear merit scholarships from five to six years, and said about 20% of its residential undergraduates come from families earning under $100,000 (GW Today, April 15, 2026). The income guarantee applies to domestic students only. International students remain eligible for merit scholarships and the other awards described above, not for the income-based promise.
References
- 2025-2026 Academic Year Tuition Rates Announced – GW Today, March 28, 2025
- 2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition Rates Announced – GW Today, March 27, 2026
- GW to Offer Free Tuition to Families With Incomes Under $100,000 – GW Today, April 15, 2026
- Cost of a GW Education – George Washington University
- International Student Aid – GW Undergraduate Admissions
- Policy: International Student Aid – GW Office of Student Financial Assistance
- Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025 – College Board, November 6, 2025
- George Washington University – Forward Pathway school profile (IPEDS admissions and enrollment data)
- US Colleges Ranking – Forward Pathway