George Washington University admission requirements for international students include the Common App or Coalition Application, an $80 fee, a personal essay, four years of transcripts plus any national exam results, a School Report, one recommendation and an English score of at least TOEFL 90, IELTS 6.5, PTE 61 or Duolingo 120. GW is test-optional for most applicants. It admits roughly 47% of first-year applicants, according to Common Data Set figures reported by admissions data sites.
GW does not give need-based aid to international applicants (UWC graduates are the one exception), and the 2026-27 cost for a new student living on campus is $95,155. What it does offer is automatic merit aid, led by the Presidential International Scholarship, which can reach full tuition. For fall 2027 entry, Early Decision I closes on 1 November 2026, and Early Decision II and Regular Decision on 5 January 2027. I checked these details on GW’s own pages on 29 October 2026.
GW ranking and key numbers
| Measure | GW |
|---|---|
| U.S. News National Universities | #59 (tie), U.S. News 2027 edition (September 2026) |
| Acceptance rate | About 47% |
| 2026-27 tuition | $72,000 |
| 2026-27 cost of attendance (new students) | $95,155 |
| Need-based aid for international students | No (except Davis UWC Scholars) |
| Testing | Optional for most applicants |
GW acceptance rate and class profile
I could not open GW’s own Common Data Set file, so the figures below come from two admissions data sites that publish GW’s numbers. They agree on the headline rate.
| Measure | Figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 27,006 | Class of 2028, College Transitions |
| Admitted | 12,718 (about 47%) | Class of 2028, College Transitions |
| Acceptance rate | 47.1% | 2025-26 Common Data Set, as transcribed by Esslo |
| Early Decision | 755 of 1,139 admitted (66%) | Class of 2028, College Transitions |
| International share of the class | 7% | Class of 2028, College Transitions |
| SAT middle 50% (about 37% submitted) | 1310 to 1450 | 2025-26 Common Data Set, as transcribed by Esslo |
| ACT middle 50% (about 14% submitted) | 31 to 34 | 2025-26 Common Data Set, as transcribed by Esslo |
Early Decision admits a much larger share than the overall pool. That helps families who can pay without aid, but ED is binding, so think hard before using it if a merit award decides whether you can come.
GW tuition for international students (2026-27)
| Item | New first-year students | Continuing students |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $72,000 | $72,000 |
| Mandatory fees | $420 | $420 |
| Matriculation fee (one time) | $350 | $0 |
| Housing and food | $18,160 | $21,520 |
| Books, transportation and personal | $4,225 | $4,225 |
| Total estimated cost | $95,155 | $98,165 |
GW announced the 2026-27 rates in March 2026; tuition rose 3%. The fees include a subsidised pass for unlimited Metrorail and Metrobus travel. The first-year housing figure is the base rate ($11,440 for the room and $6,720 for dining), and it rises in later years. Health insurance is not in the table. If you bring a spouse, GW adds $10,796 a year to the budget, and $5,394 for each child.
GW scholarships for international students
GW does not offer need-based aid or US government aid to international applicants. Merit scholarships are the main route, and most are automatic: GW decides from your application and tells you in the admission letter.
| Scholarship | Value | Who it is for | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presidential International Scholarship | Varies; can cover full tuition | International first-years entering in fall with strong academic records | Automatic |
| Presidential Academic Scholarship | Varies | International first-years who graduated from US high schools | Automatic |
| International Engineering Scholarship | Varies | International applicants to the School of Engineering and Applied Science who enrol there | Automatic |
| International Baccalaureate Scholarship | Varies | Applicants on track for the IB Diploma | Automatic |
| You Are Welcome Here Scholarship | Full tuition; two awards a year | International applicants committed to intercultural understanding | Short essay or multimedia project, plus the CSS Profile |
| Davis UWC Scholars | Need-based; can cover full tuition and fees | Admitted graduates of United World Colleges | CSS Profile |
You can qualify for more than one merit award but will receive only one. First-year merit awards renew for up to 10 consecutive semesters if you stay full time and make satisfactory academic progress, and they pay tuition only unless the award says otherwise. GW’s CSS Profile code is 5246, and its financial aid deadlines match the application deadlines.
Plan your funding
Even a full-tuition award leaves about $23,000 a year for housing, food and other costs at GW. You will need to show funds for a full year of the cost of attendance, minus any scholarship, before GW issues your I-20.
GW admission requirements for international students
- Application: the Common Application or the Coalition Application.
- Fee: $80, non-refundable. Review does not start until it is paid. Fee waivers can be requested in the application or through your counselor.
- Personal essay: one essay chosen from the application’s prompts.
- Transcripts: all four years of secondary school from each school attended, plus national exam marks such as WAEC, IGCSE or A level results. Non-English records need the original and a certified English translation.
- School Report and mid-year report: from your counselor. ED I applicants can send first-quarter or first-trimester grades.
- Recommendation: one letter from a counselor or academic teacher, sent by them.
- English score: or a waiver (below).
- Funding Your GW Education form: required of all international applicants. A bank statement is optional at this stage and required after admission.
- Permanent physical address: no P.O. boxes.
Testing policy
GW is test-optional for most first-year applicants and sets no minimum GPA or SAT. Scores are required for the B.A./B.S.-M.D. programme (with ACT Science if you send the ACT), homeschooled applicants, students from schools that give only narrative evaluations, and online high school students. GW superscores the SAT and ACT. You must choose your test option before submitting and can change it only within two weeks. Codes: SAT 5246, ACT 0664.
English requirements
| Test | GW minimum | Score that waives English for Academic Purposes |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 90 | 100 |
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| PTE Academic | 61 | Not stated |
| Duolingo English Test | 120 | 130 |
Students who meet the minimum but not the higher score may be placed in GW’s English for Academic Purposes courses. You are exempt from testing if you scored 650 or more on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, 29 or more on ACT English, or completed your most recent four years of secondary school in English. Institutional test scores are not accepted. GW takes optional unscripted InitialView interviews, but they do not replace the English requirement.
GW deadlines for fall 2027
| Plan | Application and aid forms due | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I (binding) | 1 November 2026 | Late December 2026 |
| Early Decision II (binding) | 5 January 2027 | Late February 2027 |
| Regular Decision | 5 January 2027 | Late March 2027 |
| Spring 2028 Regular Decision | 1 October 2027 | Early December 2027 |
GW’s first-year page lists days without a year, so the years above follow the fall 2027 cycle. The spring 2027 round closed on 1 October 2026; the spring date above is based on this year’s date, so confirm it on the official page when the call opens.
GW supplemental essays and special programmes
GW’s Writing Supplement is optional. GW says it reads it if you send it and does not penalise you if you do not. Three programmes need an extra essay: the B.A./B.S.-M.D. programme, the University Honors Program and Corcoran Scholars. Corcoran BFA applicants also submit a portfolio of 12 to 20 works through SlideRoom (not needed for the BFA in Interior Architecture).
I would write the optional supplement. An international applicant has few other places in the file to show why Washington, DC matters to them, and merit aid is decided from the same file. Good supplements here are specific about how you would use the city: a policy issue you follow, an organisation you want to intern with, a GW school or programme by name.
A short sample opening, for illustration only:
“In our town the price of rice is a political argument. I learned that at fourteen, when I started recording market prices every Saturday for a school project and kept doing it for three years after the project ended.”
What happens after you apply
- Checklist: the Funding Your GW Education form appears in your admissions checklist after your application is processed.
- English waiver: if you requested one, GW decides within about a week of receiving your documents.
- Decision and merit: any merit award is named in the admission letter.
- Deposit and documents: after you deposit, send an original English bank letter on letterhead, dated within the past year, showing liquid funds and the sponsor’s name, plus any sponsorship letter and your passport page.
- I-20 and visa: GW issues the I-20, then you pay the SEVIS fee and attend your F-1 interview.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Expecting need-based aid. GW does not offer it to international students outside the UWC partnership.
- Using Early Decision when a scholarship is essential. You commit before you see the award.
- Assuming an English-medium school always waives the test. GW asks for the last four years in English, not three.
- Leaving out national exam results. GW asks for them along with school grades.
- Missing the You Are Welcome Here essay. It is the one international award with its own application.
Costs GW scholarships will not cover
- Housing and food: $18,160 in the first year and $21,520 after that.
- Books, transport and personal costs, budgeted at $4,225.
- Health insurance, not shown in the cost table.
- The one-time $350 matriculation fee and the $420 in mandatory fees, since merit pays tuition only.
- Flights, visa fees and summer living costs if you stay in Washington for an internship.
Majors and campus life at GW
GW is best known for international affairs, political science and political communication, public policy, public health, law-related study, business and engineering. Its Foggy Bottom campus sits a few blocks from the White House, the State Department, the World Bank and the IMF, so internships during term are realistic. The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design gives it a strong arts side too, and the B.A./B.S.-M.D. route links undergraduate study to GW’s medical school.
Washington is an expensive city, but the Metro pass built into GW’s fees means you do not pay separately for daily trains and buses.
GW graduate admissions for international students
Graduate applicants need at least IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 81 or PTE 53, and some GW schools set higher minimums. A degree from a country where English is the only language of instruction can waive the test. The business school, education school and College of Professional Studies require a credential evaluation from a NACES member. You must show funds for two years (master’s) or up to five years (doctorate), and F-1 and J-1 students are enrolled automatically in GW’s health insurance unless they prove comparable cover. GW says applicants are considered for university funding even if they cannot yet show enough money.
GW compared with similar universities
| University | U.S. News 2027 | 2026-27 cost | Aid for internationals | First fall 2027 deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GW | #59 (tie) | $95,155 | Merit only (up to full tuition); no need-based aid | 1 November 2026 (ED I) |
| Boston University | #34 (tie) | $98,419 | Merit only: half tuition or full tuition and fees | 2 November 2026 (ED I) |
| Fordham | #85 | $102,720 | Merit up to full tuition; limited need-based grants | 1 November 2026 (EA and ED I) |
| Rochester | #49 | $96,022 | Merit $10,000 to $35,000; limited need-based aid | 1 November 2026 (ED I) |
For another option in Washington, see our Howard University guide.
Who should apply to GW
GW fits students who want politics, international affairs, public health or business in the US capital, have strong grades, and either can pay most of the cost or are competitive for a large Presidential award. If you need need-based aid, put your effort into full-need colleges such as Yale, Duke or Amherst, and keep GW as a merit option. Our list of US scholarships for international students has outside awards that can close the gap.
FAQ on GW admission requirements for international students
What is the George Washington University acceptance rate?
About 47%. Data sites citing GW’s Common Data Set report 47.1% for the latest cycle and 12,718 admits from 27,006 applicants for the Class of 2028.
Does GW give financial aid to international students?
Merit aid only. International applicants are considered automatically for awards such as the Presidential International Scholarship, which can cover full tuition, but GW gives no need-based aid except to Davis UWC Scholars.
What IELTS score does GW require?
IELTS 6.5 for undergraduates, or TOEFL 90, PTE 61 or Duolingo 120. An IELTS of 7.5 also exempts you from English for Academic Purposes courses.
How much is GW tuition for international students?
Tuition for 2026-27 is $72,000, and the total estimated cost for a new student living on campus is $95,155.
Sources and updates
Checked on 29 October 2026 against GW’s first-year applicants page, the international applicants page, the international student aid page, the cost of a GW education, the GW Today announcement of 2026-27 tuition (27 March 2026), the financial aid deadlines page and the graduate international application requirements. The U.S. News 2027 rank was reported by GW Today in September 2026. The acceptance rate and class profile come from College Transitions and Esslo’s transcription of GW’s Common Data Set because GW’s own file could not be opened; we will replace them with GW’s figures when we can.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
