Georgetown University is one of the few highly selective American universities where the headline admissions numbers have barely moved over the past five years. The admit rate has held in a tight 12 to 13.5 percent band. The entering class has hovered around 1,580 students. Yield has slipped only modestly, from 48 percent to 44 percent. Need-based aid programs and graduation rates have been stable to slightly improved. From a distance, Georgetown looks like an admissions operation running its playbook with very few adjustments.
Look closer, though, and a particular set of choices comes into view. Georgetown is now one of a small minority of highly selective schools that requires standardized tests, having held that line while most peers stayed test-optional. It runs a Restricted Early Action plan rather than Early Decision and states publicly that there is no statistical advantage to applying early. It still treats the interview as an Important admissions factor at a time when peers have largely set it aside. It has run its own application platform rather than the Common App, though that changes next cycle. And the total cost of attendance now approaches $100,000.
For families weighing whether to apply, the operative question is not whether Georgetown has gotten harder to get into. It hasn’t, in any statistical sense. The substantive questions are what the school is looking for, how its idiosyncratic policies shape application strategy, and where its stated priorities reveal what gets a file to the top of the pile. What follows is a closer look at the admissions trends that matter, a section on the mechanics of applying and what Georgetown’s published admission factors actually say, and a few observations on what students, families, and counselors should take from the data.
Application volume and selectivity
Georgetown received 26,822 first-year applications for the Fall 2025 entering class. Five years earlier, for Fall 2021, the count was 27,629. Application volume actually peaked during the test-optional pandemic cycles and has settled into a stable 25,000 to 27,000 range since the test requirement returned. The admit rate has moved in a narrow band between 12.0 and 13.5 percent.
| Metric | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| Applications | 27,629 | 26,648 | 25,485 | 26,131 | 26,822 |
| Admits | 3,311 | 3,257 | 3,334 | 3,374 | 3,618 |
| Admit rate | 12.0% | 12.2% | 13.1% | 12.9% | 13.5% |
| Enrolled | 1,585 | 1,578 | 1,599 | 1,575 | 1,589 |
| Yield | 47.9% | 48.4% | 48.0% | 46.7% | 43.9% |
Source: Georgetown University Common Data Sets, 2021–22 through 2025–26. Figures for 2021–22 and 2022–23 reflect totals reported by Georgetown’s CDS as compiled by third-party trackers.
Two points in the data stand out. First, the slight uptick in the admit rate over the past three years, from 12.2 to 13.5 percent, is largely a product of Georgetown admitting more students off the waitlist than it used to. The 2025–26 CDS shows 356 students admitted off the waitlist, well above the 93 to 163 in prior years. Underlying selectivity has not softened; the office is leaning more on its waitlist to calibrate the class. Second, yield has dropped about four percentage points across the window. That is a much smaller decline than peers such as Pomona have seen over the same period, and Georgetown’s 44 percent yield stays strong by national standards. The direction matches what is happening across selective private universities as cross-admit competition intensifies and admitted students hold more offers.
Restricted Early Action: what it actually does
Georgetown’s REA program is its most distinctive admissions feature. It is non-binding, since admits are not required to commit, but restrictive, since applicants cannot apply ED or REA anywhere else (they may still apply early action to public universities and to a small number of other categories). The university states publicly that there is no statistical advantage to applying REA, and the numbers support that.
| Metric | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| REA applications | 8,710 | 8,832 | 8,196 | 8,584 | 8,254 |
| REA admits | 940 | 881 | 965 | 881 | 917 |
| REA admit rate | 10.8% | 10.0% | 11.8% | 10.3% | 11.1% |
| REA as % of admits | 28% | 27% | 29% | 26% | 25% |
Source: Georgetown University REA admissions announcements (via The Hoya) and Georgetown CDS, 2021–22 through 2025–26.
The REA admit rate has run between 10.0 and 11.8 percent across the five years, basically identical to or slightly below the overall rate. REA admits make up about a quarter of all admitted students, well below the share binding ED contributes at peer schools, where ED can fill 40 to 55 percent of the class. For applicants, REA is a chance to receive a decision earlier, in mid-December, and to signal clear interest, but it does not work as the structural lever ED provides at Williams, Amherst, Penn, Duke, or other similarly selective colleges.
One practical wrinkle. Because Georgetown’s REA is restrictive, applying REA rules out applying ED to another school. For a student whose top choice runs binding ED, where the ED boost is real, applying ED there is the higher-leverage move; save Georgetown for the regular round. Apply REA only if Georgetown is the clear preference, your application will be at its strongest by November 1, and an earlier answer matters.
Testing: required when most peers stayed optional
Georgetown made a notable choice after the pandemic. Most highly selective private universities extended their test-optional policies indefinitely, and the Ivy League largely held test-optional through Fall 2024, with several institutions (Dartmouth, Yale, Brown) only recently reversing course. Georgetown never adopted an indefinite test-optional policy at all. It required scores throughout, waiving them only for applicants who could not access testing during the pandemic, and it removed that accommodation for the Fall 2023 cycle, well ahead of the Ivies. Applicants submit either an SAT or an ACT.
The score profile of enrolled students has held steady since the requirement was fully restored:
| Metric | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| Testing policy | Optional* | Optional* | Required | Required | Required |
| SAT submission rate | — | — | 75% | 78% | 78% |
| ACT submission rate | — | — | 34% | 30% | 30% |
| SAT 25th–75th | — | — | 1390–1530 | 1400–1540 | 1405–1530 |
| SAT 50th | — | — | 1480 | 1490 | 1480 |
| ACT 25th–75th | — | — | 32–34 | 31–35 | 32–35 |
| ACT 50th | — | — | 33 | 33 | 34 |
Source: Georgetown University Common Data Sets, 2021–22 through 2025–26. *Georgetown required scores throughout but waived them for applicants unable to access testing during the pandemic; the accommodation was removed for Fall 2023, so the published profiles for the two earlier years are omitted here due to selection effects in submitters. Some students submit both the SAT and ACT, which is why the two submission rates sum to over 100 percent.
The middle 50 percent for the SAT (roughly 1400 to 1540) and ACT (32 to 35) has held effectively flat across the three years of required testing. Class rank, where reported, looks tighter than the test profile suggests: 87 percent of enrolled students in the Fall 2025 class ranked in the top tenth of their high school, and 97 percent in the top quarter. That fits how Georgetown reads a file, treating class rank as Very Important when it is available, alongside GPA and rigor.
For applicants, the guidance is straightforward. Aim for the 50th percentile (around 1490 SAT, 33 ACT) or above. A score at or above the 75th percentile (1540 SAT, 35 ACT) is where the result starts to feel like an advantage rather than a baseline. There is no test-optional path, so the score becomes part of the file no matter how strong everything else is. A student who cannot reach Georgetown’s middle 50 percent on testing should think hard about whether the application is worth the effort, since the score sits alongside GPA and rigor as a Very Important factor and a weak number is a real obstacle.
One change is coming for the next cycle. Georgetown will let applicants send a single SAT or ACT result rather than every score on record, and will form its own best-section composite from what is submitted.
What it actually takes: the C7 factors
Georgetown still uses its own application platform, though that changes next cycle, when the university adds the Common App alongside it. Students currently apply through the Georgetown Application System, pay a $75 application fee (waivable for financial hardship), and submit a high school transcript, a school report and counselor recommendation, and one teacher recommendation. They write a short personal statement plus a one-page essay specific to the Georgetown school they are applying to: the College, the Walsh School of Foreign Service, the McDonough School of Business, the School of Health, or the School of Nursing. REA applicants submit by November 1; Regular Decision applicants by January 10. An alumni interview is part of the process for the substantial majority of applicants.
Section C7 of the Common Data Set is where Georgetown’s admissions philosophy shows up in writing. The 2025–26 filing:
| Very Important | Important | Considered | Not Considered |
| Rigor of secondary school record Class rank Academic GPA Standardized test scores Application essay Recommendations Talent / ability Character / personal qualities | Interview Extracurricular activities | First generation Alumni/ae relation Geographical residence State residency Volunteer work Work experience | Religious affiliation / commitment Level of applicant’s interest |
Source: Georgetown University Common Data Set 2025–26, Section C7. The list of factors and their ratings have been substantively stable across the five years analyzed.
A few points stand out. First, every academic factor is Very Important, not just GPA and rigor but class rank and test scores too. Many highly selective schools have downgraded class rank to Considered or Not Considered as more high schools stop publishing it. Georgetown’s posture is that when rank is available, it carries serious weight. Students at high schools that do not rank are not penalized for the absence; students at schools that do should know that finishing outside the top tenth is a real headwind.
Second, the talent and character ratings say something about how Georgetown reads files. Many peer schools rate these Important rather than Very Important. Georgetown’s signal is different: it looks for distinguishing intellectual or extracurricular accomplishment paired with personal qualities that align with the school’s Jesuit identity, meaning service, ethics, civic engagement, and intellectual seriousness. The supplemental essays are where most of that read happens, and applicants who treat them as throwaway prompts leave real ground uncovered.
Third, the interview is rated Important. Most peers have downgraded interviews to Considered or dropped them. Georgetown keeps an active alumni interview program and treats the interview as a real data point. Students should match that: arrive prepared, have substantive things to say about why Georgetown specifically, and be ready to discuss intellectual interests in some depth. A perfunctory interview will not sink a strong application on its own, but an engaged one can lift it.
Fourth, level of applicant’s interest is officially Not Considered. Georgetown’s admissions office has long said it does not track demonstrated interest, in part because the application volume makes it impractical, though contacts with the school can register informally in reader notes. A campus visit is not essential. It is still worth requesting information through the admissions website, registering for a virtual tour or information session, and meeting a Georgetown representative who visits the student’s high school. These steps cost little and signal seriousness.
Fifth, alumni relation is Considered rather than Very Important. Georgetown’s legacy preference is real but lighter than at many peers, and the university confirmed in 2025 that it will keep legacy consideration. Being a legacy helps; it does not substitute for a strong application.
A note on the supplement. Georgetown’s most distinctive prompt asks for a one-page essay specific to the school the student is applying to, and it rewards specificity. A generic “why Georgetown” essay that could be sent anywhere will not stand out. The strongest school-specific essays show concrete knowledge of the curriculum, with named courses or programs and named faculty, and a clear sense of how the student would contribute to and draw from that particular school. The supplement is where an application most often separates itself from the academically qualified pool.
Demographic composition: SFFA shows up modestly
Georgetown’s demographic data across the post-SFFA cycles show shifts consistent with the June 2023 Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions, though the changes are more modest than at some peers.
| Metric (% of first-year) | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| Hispanic / Latino | 8.5% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| Black / African American | 5.4% | 5.5% | 4.4% |
| White | 52.3% | 47.7% | 43.9% |
| Asian | 18.6% | 17.5% | 22.2% |
| Two or more races | 7.1% | 8.9% | 3.7% |
| International | 8.5% | 9.5% | 8.4% |
| Race/ethnicity unknown | 3.3% | — | 7.9% |
Source: Georgetown University Common Data Sets, 2023–24 through 2025–26, Section B2. Percentages are of first-year enrolled students and, by CDS convention, may not sum to exactly 100 percent.
The Black/African American share has held in a 4.4 to 5.5 percent range across the three reported years, with a modest decline in the Fall 2025 cohort. The Hispanic/Latino share dropped in the first post-SFFA cycle, then recovered. The most pronounced shift is the rise in the “unknown” category, from 3.3 percent in Fall 2023 to 7.9 percent in Fall 2025, a pattern visible at many selective schools that likely reflects students choosing not to report race or ethnicity after the ruling, which mechanically lowers the reported share of every identified group.
For applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, the takeaway is not that Georgetown has become unwelcoming. The school’s commitments, including the Georgetown Scholars Program for first-generation, low-income students and the full-need aid pledge, have held, and Georgetown began weighing Pell eligibility in admissions in 2024. The data argue for applying if Georgetown is a good fit while building a list that also includes schools whose post-SFFA composition has held more steadily.
Cost, aid, and what families actually pay
Georgetown’s published cost of attendance reaches about $100,700 for the 2026–27 academic year: $74,520 tuition, $212 required fees, $22,180 for food and housing on campus, plus roughly $3,790 in books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses, per the 2025–26 CDS G1 figures. Tuition has risen about 10 percent across the three reported years, close to 4.8 percent a year (a 4.9 percent increase for 2025–26 and 4.75 percent for 2026–27).
| Academic year reported | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | 2026–27 |
| Tuition | $67,824 | $71,136 | $74,520 |
| Required fees | $192 | $202 | $212 |
| Food + housing (on-campus) | $20,596 | $21,202 | $22,180 |
| Total billed | $88,612 | $92,540 | $96,912 |
Source: Georgetown University Common Data Sets, 2023–24 through 2025–26, Section G1. By CDS convention, G1 in each report lists forward-looking costs for the academic year following the publication year. Total billed excludes books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses (roughly $3,790 to $4,750 more).
The sticker misleads families who qualify for aid. Georgetown commits to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for admitted students, and that commitment has held throughout the period. In 2024–25, the most recent year reported, the average need-based grant for first-year students was $57,490 and the average total package was $62,505, with need fully met for 100 percent of recipients.
| Metric | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| % first-year receiving need-based aid | 36% | 37% | 32% |
| Avg need-based grant (first-year) | $52,187 | $56,082 | $57,490 |
| Avg total aid package (first-year) | $54,513 | $60,931 | $62,505 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| % of graduating class with debt | 33% | 34% | 28% |
| Avg debt per borrower | $26,733 | $30,904 | $33,272 |
Source: Georgetown University Common Data Sets, 2023–24 through 2025–26, Section H. First-year cohort figures.
Two points are worth attention. The share of first-year students receiving need-based aid, around 32 to 37 percent, is lower than at most peers in this tier; Yale, Harvard, MIT, and Pomona all sit above 50 percent. That is not because Georgetown is stingy. It is because the Georgetown applicant pool skews wealthier than the pools at most need-blind peers, so a larger share of families do not qualify under the school’s calculation and pay closer to sticker. For families in the middle, roughly $150,000 to $300,000 in income, this matters: Georgetown’s aid is excellent for those who qualify, but the qualification threshold is more conservative than at some peers (Harvard’s commitment to no tuition for families under $200,000 is more generous than Georgetown’s published thresholds).
Second, average debt per Georgetown borrower has crept up, from $26,733 in 2022–23 to $33,272 in 2024–25, while the share of graduates borrowing has declined modestly. The combination suggests fewer Georgetown graduates are borrowing, but those who do borrow more. Private-loan borrowing is notable: about 7 percent of graduates leave with private loans averaging in the low-to-mid $80,000s. That is a striking figure for a school with a full-need commitment, and it points to families using private loans to bridge the gap between Georgetown’s calculated need and what they are willing to pay out of pocket. Run the net price calculator before committing, and ask hard questions about borrowing if the aid offer feels short.
Retention and graduation
First-year retention has held above 96 percent throughout the period. The six-year graduation rate for the most recent reported cohort (Fall 2019) was 94 percent, in line with prior years. Pell-recipient and Stafford-loan-recipient sub-rates stay strong at 93 to 95 percent, which means Georgetown is retaining and graduating students well across the income distribution.
| Metric | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
| Entering cohort | Fall 2022 | Fall 2023 | Fall 2024 |
| Retention to year 2 | 97.1% | 97.0% | 96.4% |
| Six-year grad rate | 94% | 95% | 94% |
| Six-year grad rate (Pell) | 92% | 92% | 93% |
Source: Georgetown University Common Data Sets, 2023–24 through 2025–26, Sections B4 and B22.
These are excellent numbers by any national standard. Nine of every ten Georgetown students graduate within six years, and the Pell sub-rate gap with full-pay peers is small. The slight slip in retention from 97.1 to 96.4 percent is not significant; one year does not make a trend, and the figures remain well above national averages for comparable institutions.
Takeaways for applicants and counselors
Georgetown is one of the most selective universities in the country and one of a small number that chose to keep a testing requirement while peers went optional. The five-year CDS data show an institution whose admissions outputs, selectivity, yield, and retention, have stayed steady while peer schools saw more volatility. The admit rate has held in a tight band. Yield has slipped modestly but stays strong. Aid has grown faster than tuition. Demographic shifts after SFFA have been smaller than at some peers.
For students and the families and counselors advising them, the data point to a few specific conclusions. First, Georgetown’s REA does not provide the structural advantage that binding ED gives at peer schools. Apply REA only if Georgetown is the clear top choice and the application will be at its strongest by November 1. If another school is the top choice and offers binding ED, applying ED there is the higher-leverage move. Second, prepare for standardized testing. Aim for the middle 50 percent or higher (1400+ SAT, 31+ ACT), with 1500+ or 34+ providing real upside. There is no test-optional path. Third, take the supplemental essays, and the school-specific essay in particular, seriously. The Georgetown supplement is where strong applications most often separate from the academically qualified pool.
Fourth, prepare for the interview. Most peers have de-emphasized interviews; Georgetown has not. Fifth, run the net price calculator. Georgetown’s aid is excellent for families who qualify, but the threshold for qualification is more conservative than at some peers, and private-loan borrowing among graduating students is notable. Sixth, look hard at fit. Georgetown’s identity as a Jesuit university with a distinctive emphasis on service, ethics, international affairs, and civic engagement is a real part of its admissions read, and applications that reflect honest alignment with that identity read differently from those that do not. Finally, with Georgetown adding the Common App next cycle, a three-year pilot beginning in August 2026 for the Fall 2027 entering class, expect application volume to rise, likely sharply, and the admit rate to compress further. What Georgetown is looking for will not change, but the competition for a similar-sized class is likely to intensify.
The Common Data Set is an imperfect instrument. Schools have discretion in how they report categories, the cohorts referenced in different sections do not always align, and small year-to-year moves often reflect reporting changes rather than real shifts. Georgetown’s CDS has been reasonably consistent across years, but a few sections, notably the demographic data in Section B2 and the financial aid figures in Section H, need careful reading to make sure the cohorts match. Where judgment calls arose, this report errs toward the conservative read.
