About The George Washington University
Our University actively engages Washington, D.C., and the world. Our location in the heart of Washington places us at the core of U.S. government, policy and law. We sit where the worlds of science, technology, media and the arts converge. Our students and faculty have the unparalleled opportunity to study and work alongside leaders and practitioners in every discipline, to take part in the interchanges that shape our community and the world.
Our History
The George Washington University was created in 1821 through an Act of the Congress, fulfilling George Washington’s vision of an institution in the nation’s capital dedicated to educating and preparing future leaders.
Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. We have more than 20,000 students—from all 50 states, the District and more than 130 countries—studying a rich range of disciplines: from forensic science and creative writing to international affairs and computer engineering, as well as medicine, public health, the law and public policy.
GW comprises three campuses—Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon in Washington, D.C., and Ashburn, VA.—as well as several graduate education centers in the metropolitan area and Hampton Roads, VA.
Our Commitment
Our mission is to provide an environment where knowledge is created and acquired and where creative endeavors seek to enrich the experiences of the global society. With nine schools and colleges and nearly 100 research centers and institutes, our students receive hands-on experience as they explore nearly any avenue of personal interest.
The depth and breadth of our academic programs, the exceptional qualifications of our full-time faculty, the unmatched experiences of our adjunct faculty and the strengths of our research initiatives allow our students, our faculty and our staff to look at the world beyond the classroom. They allow us to prepare the next generation of leaders.
GW Alumni Maps
Check out our U.S. and international maps to find how many GW alumni live in the 50 states and 150 countries around the globe.
The GW Experience
Students
All in the Family
Greg and Heather Hachenburg talk about their undergraduate experience at GW, one of many sibling pairs to share in the Colonials legacy.
Creating Next Generation Leaders
GW program helps female students connect with leading women across a variety of fields and develop their roles as future women in leadership.
Where the City is a Classroom
Freshman volunteers experience life beyond Foggy Bottom...
Faculty
Fighting Neglected Diseases
GW professor works to eradicate diseases that affect the health, education and economic development of the world's poorest people.
Building the Super Computer
Pioneering lab puts GW at the forefront of high-speed computing and offers GW students unprecedented access to science and skills of the future.
Blast From the Past
Students map an ancient—and dramatic—eruption as part of a geological research program in the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
Alumni
Giving Back to the District of Columbia
D.C. public health director calls GW education the foundation of his career.
GW Opens Doors
A chance encounter with a GW alumna helped give one GW undergraduate, an aspiring broadcast journalist from Texas, his big break.
The Legend Lives On
The $2 million bequest commitment caps a lifetime of philanthropy and service to GW, establishing the Elyse B. and Donald R. Lehman Endowed Professorship in Theoretical Physics.