Georgetown University Admission Requirements for International Students 2027: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, Scholarships and Deadlines

Georgetown University admission requirements for international students are stricter than at many of its peers in two ways: you must send SAT or ACT scores, and Georgetown expects an alumni interview wherever it can arrange one. You can apply on the Georgetown Application or the Common Application, and you apply directly to one of six undergraduate schools. Georgetown admitted 3,618 of 26,822 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of about 13.5%, and it is tied at No. 23 among National Universities in the U.S. News 2027 edition.

Money is the hard part. Tuition for 2026-27 is $74,520, and with fees, housing and food the bill reaches $96,912 before books, insurance and flights. Georgetown offers admitted international students “a very limited number” of need-based scholarships, and only 48 nonresident undergraduates received aid in its latest Common Data Set. For fall 2027 entry, Early Action closes on 1 November 2026 and Regular Decision on 1 January 2027.

Georgetown at a glance

1. Ranking: tied at No. 23 among National Universities, U.S. News 2027 edition, up from No. 24 in the 2026 edition.
2. Size: 7,908 undergraduates in fall 2025, of whom 1,140 were nonresidents (the Common Data Set term for international students).
3. Acceptance rate: about 13.5% for fall 2025 first-years.
4. Cost for 2026-27: $96,912 for tuition, fees, housing and food.
5. Aid for international students: a very limited number of need-based scholarships; CSS Profile required.
6. Testing: SAT or ACT required for every applicant, including international students.
7. Interview: alumni interview offered to every applicant where possible; some international applicants have it waived.
8. Schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Walsh School of Foreign Service, McDonough School of Business, Berkley School of Nursing, School of Health, and McCourt School of Public Policy.

Georgetown ranking

U.S. News ranks Georgetown tied at No. 23 among National Universities in its 2027 edition, published in September 2026, alongside Emory. It was No. 24 in the 2026 edition. That places it a few spots below Notre Dame (No. 20) and above Boston College and Tufts (tied at No. 31).

For international relations, diplomacy and government, Georgetown’s name carries more weight than the overall number suggests, because of the Walsh School of Foreign Service and its Washington location.

Georgetown acceptance rate and class profile

These figures come from Georgetown’s Common Data Set 2025-26, which reports the class that entered in fall 2025.

Georgetown does not publish a separate international acceptance rate. It says it reviews each applicant in the context of their school and country, that citizenship has no effect on the admission review, and that it has no quotas by school or country. Citizenship does affect financial aid, which is covered below.

Georgetown tuition for international students in 2026-27

International and US students pay the same charges. The Common Data Set 2025-26 lists these for first-year students in 2026-27.

Books, personal costs, health insurance and travel come on top. Georgetown’s pages that I checked do not give a single international cost of attendance figure, so build your own budget from these lines and add your flights and insurance.

Does Georgetown give scholarships to international students?

Only a little. Georgetown’s international admissions page says that admitted students who are not US citizens or permanent residents and who request aid are considered for “a very limited number of need-based scholarships”. To be considered you must:

• tick that you are applying for aid on your admission application, and
• submit the CSS Profile through the College Board.

Georgetown’s financial aid application is due on 1 February 2027, and aid candidates hear about their awards or missing documents by the first week of April.

The numbers show how limited this is. In the Common Data Set 2025-26, 48 nonresident undergraduates received institutional aid, with an average award of $75,050. When Georgetown does fund an international student, the award is large, but there are very few of them across the whole undergraduate body. Georgetown’s pages do not describe a merit scholarship programme for international first-years.

If you cannot pay most of the cost yourself, apply to Georgetown alongside colleges that are need-blind or meet full need for international students.

CSS Profile and financial documents

The CSS Profile asks about your parents’ income, assets and household. Have your parents’ tax returns or salary letters ready, and convert figures into US dollars at the rate the Profile asks for. Georgetown may ask for further documents after you submit.

If you enroll, you request your Form I-20 (F-1 visa) or DS-2019 (J-1 visa) from Georgetown’s Office of Global Services, which needs proof that you can pay. The process takes time, so start as soon as you confirm your place.

Testing and English requirements

Georgetown requires SAT or ACT scores from all applicants, including international students, which is rarer than it used to be among colleges at this level. If you truly cannot reach an SAT or ACT test centre, you may apply without scores, but you must explain your situation in a form inside the application. Send scores officially (SAT and AP code 5244, ACT code 0668). Georgetown also recommends sending AP scores and, for science applicants, taking the ACT with the science section.

English tests are recommended, not required, for students whose school does not teach in English. Georgetown accepts the Duolingo English Test, IELTS and TOEFL (iBT, paper and IPT Plus), but its pages do not set minimum scores. With a class SAT reading range of 710 to 760, I would aim for at least 7.0 on IELTS or about 100 on the TOEFL iBT if you take one, though Georgetown has not published those figures.

What goes into a Georgetown application

1. Application form: the Georgetown Application (opens 1 June) or the Common Application (opens 1 August).
2. School choice: you apply to one of the six undergraduate schools.
3. Essays: two short essays and two longer essays (details below).
4. Secondary School Report: your transcript, school profile and counselor letter, sent by your school.
5. Teacher recommendation: one required from a core academic subject, ideally from your last two years; a second is optional. McDonough applicants need a maths or social studies teacher, science and health applicants need a science or maths teacher, and language applicants need a language teacher.
6. SAT or ACT scores: required.
7. Alumni interview: assigned from September after you submit the first part of your application.
8. Midyear School Report: due 10 February 2027 with your first-term grades from your final year.
9. Academic credentials: records from 2023-24 onwards for fall 2027 entry. Non-English documents need English translations sent with the originals. If you take A Levels, IB or the French Baccalaureate, your school sends predicted or final results.

Georgetown’s admissions pages that I checked do not state the application fee, so confirm it on the application form before you pay.

Georgetown deadlines for fall 2027

Early Action is non-binding. You may apply early to other non-binding Early Action programmes, but you may not apply to any binding Early Decision programme at the same time.

How to write the Georgetown supplemental essays

Georgetown asks for more writing than most colleges:

• Short essay 1 (250 words): the significance of the school or summer activity you have been most involved in.
• Short essay 2 (250 words): an experience with someone who held a different viewpoint, and what you learned.
• Essay 1 (650 words): a personal or creative essay about yourself. You may reuse your Common App personal statement if it fits.
• Essay 2 (500 words): a school-specific essay, such as your interest in the College of Arts & Sciences, your motivation for international affairs (SFS), business (McDonough), nursing, health, public policy (McCourt) or environment and sustainability (Earth Commons).

How I would approach them:

• Make the viewpoint essay a real disagreement. Georgetown wants to see you listen and change your mind, or hold your ground with reasons. A story about a class debate you “won” shows neither.
• Tie the school essay to Washington. For SFS, McCourt or McDonough, name what you would do with the city itself: an embassy, a policy institute, a regulator. Show you know why Georgetown and not a college elsewhere.
• Keep the activity essay narrow. Pick one role and one result. A list of every club reads like a CV.

A sample opening for the SFS essay, for illustration only:

“The first treaty I ever read was a fishing agreement between my country and its neighbour, pinned to the wall of my uncle’s boat shed in Takoradi. He could not read it. I could, and I still did not understand why it let foreign trawlers take most of his catch.”

Use your own story, starting from something local and specific that leads to the global questions SFS teaches.

What happens after you apply

1. Interview: if an alumni interviewer is assigned, you must complete the interview. If none is available in your region, the requirement is waived and it does not count against you.
2. Portal checks: watch your applicant portal for missing documents.
3. Decision: Early Action applicants hear by 15 December 2026, and Regular Decision applicants by 1 April 2027.
4. Aid decision: aid applicants hear by the first week of April.
5. Reply and visa: confirm by 1 May 2027, state your visa type on the enrollment form, then request your I-20 or DS-2019.

Common mistakes international applicants make

• Assuming tests are optional. At Georgetown they are required unless you truly cannot reach a test centre.
• Ignoring an interview request. If you are assigned an interviewer and do not respond, your application is incomplete.
• Choosing the wrong teacher. A McDonough applicant with only an English teacher’s letter does not meet the subject rule.
• Forgetting the aid box. Georgetown considers students who indicate aid on the application, so leaving the box empty can cost you any chance of a scholarship.
• Sending translations without originals. Georgetown wants both.
• Treating Georgetown as a funded option. With 48 aided international students across all years, plan as if you will pay in full.

Costs that Georgetown aid does not cover

• English test, SAT or ACT fees and score-sending fees.
• The CSS Profile fee.
• The SEVIS fee and US visa application fee.
• Flights, which the $96,912 subtotal does not include.
• Health insurance, books and personal spending.
• Living costs in Washington during breaks if you cannot fly home.

Majors and strengths

Georgetown is strongest in international affairs (the Walsh School of Foreign Service), government, economics, business (McDonough), public policy (McCourt), languages, global health and nursing. Students often hold internships in Congress, federal agencies, think tanks and international organisations during term time, because they are a short ride away.

Campus and city

The main campus sits in the Georgetown neighbourhood of Washington, DC, above the Potomac River. Georgetown is a Jesuit university, and students of all faiths study there. Washington gives you museums, embassies and a large international community, but rents and daily costs are high, so budget carefully for off-campus years.

Graduate admissions at Georgetown

Graduate applicants apply to the specific school: the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for master’s and PhD programmes, the Walsh School of Foreign Service for programmes such as the Master of Science in Foreign Service, the McDonough School of Business for the MBA, and the Law Center for law degrees. Each sets its own tests, English minimums and deadlines. Funding is mostly limited to PhD students, so expect to pay for most master’s degrees.

Georgetown compared with similar colleges

If you want Washington and international affairs but need money, compare Georgetown with GW’s merit scholarships and with Notre Dame and Tufts, which promise to meet full need for the international students they admit.

Who should apply to Georgetown

Apply if you want to study international affairs, policy, business or health in the US capital, your SAT or ACT score sits near the middle of Georgetown’s range, and your family can pay most of the cost. It is a natural choice for students aiming at diplomacy, development work or international organisations.

Think carefully if you need significant aid, or if you cannot sit the SAT or ACT. For better-funded options, look at Duke, Yale and our list of the best American scholarships for international students.

FAQ on Georgetown admission requirements for international students

What is the Georgetown acceptance rate for international students?

Georgetown does not publish a separate international rate. Its overall first-year acceptance rate for fall 2025 was about 13.5% (3,618 admitted from 26,822 applicants).

Does Georgetown give financial aid to international students?

Only a very limited number of need-based scholarships. You must indicate aid on your application and submit the CSS Profile by 1 February 2027; 48 international undergraduates received aid in the latest Common Data Set.

Is the SAT required for international students at Georgetown?

Yes. Georgetown requires SAT or ACT scores from all applicants, unless you cannot reach a test centre and explain this in the application.

What IELTS score does Georgetown require?

Georgetown recommends, but does not require, an English test for students not taught in English, and it does not publish a minimum IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo score.

Sources and updates

I checked these figures on Georgetown’s own pages on 29 October 2026: the Office of Undergraduate Admissions first-year applicant page, its application requirements and forms page, the international applicant page and the international applicant FAQ, and Georgetown’s Common Data Set 2025-26 from the Office of Assessment and Decision Support. The U.S. News profile page could not be opened, so the 2027 rank comes from published reports of the new edition; The Hoya reported the earlier No. 24 rank. Georgetown’s pages list dates without years, so the years here are for the fall 2027 cycle. We update this guide when Georgetown changes its dates, costs or aid rules.

Jude Chinecherem

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.