Georgetown University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Washington, District of Columbia · Private nonprofit · Selective · CDS 2025-2026
Georgetown University is a private institution located in Washington, District of Columbia with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Georgetown University admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 44%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1433 and an ACT composite around 32. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $37,454 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Georgetown University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What parents should know about Georgetown University right now
Georgetown University is a Jesuit Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., enrolling 20,031 students as of fall 2024, with 7,833 undergraduates. For the Class of 2029, Georgetown admitted roughly 12 percent of 26,800 applicants, with about 11.1 percent admitted Early Action and 12.3 percent in Regular Decision. Selectivity varies meaningfully by school: the McDonough School of Business admitted only 9.1 percent, while the College of Arts and Sciences admitted about 10.9 percent and the School of Health admitted about 15 percent. Georgetown is need-blind for domestic applicants and meets 100 percent of demonstrated need, with over 55 percent of undergraduates receiving aid and roughly 70 percent of aid distributed as grants and scholarships. Distinctive programs include the Walsh School of Foreign Service, one of the country's leading international affairs programs, and a unique application that requires students to apply directly to one of four undergraduate schools rather than a single college. In January 2025, Georgetown launched Georgetown SFS Asia-Pacific in Jakarta, Indonesia, expanding its global footprint for both degree and executive programs. Families should note the religiously diverse student body, where about 41 percent of undergraduates identify as Catholic, and the university's $3.95 billion endowment as of 2025. Georgetown does not accept the Common Application; students apply through Georgetown's own platform with a separate timeline.
What GPA does my child need for Georgetown University?
Admitted students at Georgetown University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Georgetown University weight in admissions?
Georgetown University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Volunteer work
- • Standardized test scores
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Class rank
- • Interview
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Georgetown University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 670–750, with an EBRW midpoint near 700. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1310 |
| 50th percentile | 1390 |
| 75th percentile | 1450 |
| % submitting SAT | 36.51% |
| 25th percentile | 31 |
| 50th percentile | 32 |
| 75th percentile | 34 |
| % submitting ACT | 13.89% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Required for some
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 44.11% |
| Top 25% of class | 77.45% |
| Top 50% of class | 95.61% |
| % submitting class rank | 20.83% |
How much does Georgetown University actually cost?
Published tuition is $64,990 for in-state students and $64,990 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,300 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $37,454 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 15% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $72,000 |
| Room and board | $18,160 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $37,454 |
| Application fee | — (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Georgetown University
| Regular deadline | January 5 |
| Notification date | April 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 (or within 2 weeks if notified thereafter) |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from Georgetown University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in District of Columbia parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Georgetown University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Georgetown University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Georgetown University
What GPA do I need for Georgetown University?
Admitted students at Georgetown University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Georgetown University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 670–750, with an EBRW midpoint near 700. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 31–34.
How much does Georgetown University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Georgetown University after grants and scholarships is $37,454 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Georgetown University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Georgetown University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Georgetown University, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.