Johns Hopkins University

Overview

Johns Hopkins University sits in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, it describes itself as America’s first research university. It enrolls about 5,600 undergraduates, with a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, an average class size of 19, first-year retention of 97%, and a six-year graduation rate of 94%. According to the admissions office, 80% of undergraduates complete at least one research experience. The Class of 2029 comes from 49 states and 31 countries, and 24.1% of the class is eligible for federal Pell Grants, the highest share in the university’s history.

Two kinds of families tend to fit. In the first, the student already has a clear interest in research and wants to work in a lab or on a research project from the first semester. In the second, the student has settled on Hopkins as a first choice and is ready to accept a binding Early Decision commitment. Both Hopkins early rounds are binding, and there is no non-binding Early Action round. For Irvine families, the first question is how an Early Decision application fits alongside the University of California; the last section of this page lays that out by grade.

Admissions data

6.1%Class of 2029 admit rate

1. Applied50,259
2. Admitted3,072
3. Enrolled1,378

• Other US states78.6%
• International13.3%
• Maryland8.1%

Based on address at the time of application; 1,378 students enrolled.

• Arts and Sciences60%
• Engineering40%

The Class of 2029 Regular Decision round admitted 1,732 students. Arts and Sciences is the Krieger School; Engineering is the Whiting School.

The admissions office’s Fast Facts page uses a different count, listing 49,112 applicants and 1,297 enrolled students for the Class of 2029; the enrolled class had a middle-50% SAT range of 1530 to 1570, a middle-50% ACT of 35, and an average unweighted GPA of 3.95.

How to apply

Hopkins accepts the Common Application and Coalition on Scoir, and it is a QuestBridge college partner. The application fee is $70, and a waiver can be requested through the application platform or by a school counselor. Materials include the personal statement, the Hopkins supplement (for 2026-27, a 350-word essay on engaging across differences and building bridges), a secondary school report and transcript from the counselor, evaluations from two teachers in different academic subjects, and a midyear report in mid-February. Early Decision applicants also submit an Early Decision Agreement signed by a parent and the school counselor. The Peabody Institute publishes its own requirements.

Testing is required. Hopkins asks first-year applicants for the SAT (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) or the ACT (Math, Reading, and English) and superscores both. Scores may be self-reported; admitted students who enroll must send official reports. Applicants whose first language is not English are encouraged to submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or Cambridge English results, particularly with an SAT reading and writing score below 690 or ACT Reading and English scores both below 30.

Hopkins does not offer interviews and does not grant individual meeting requests. Admission is need-blind for domestic applicants, a group that includes US citizens, permanent residents, eligible noncitizens, and students with DACA or undocumented status, meaning a request for aid does not affect the decision. For international students Hopkins is need-aware, so financial circumstances are considered. An international student who may need aid at any point in four years must apply for it with the admission application, since aid cannot be requested later, and must submit the Certification of Finances form.

Cost and financial aid

2026-27$91,137billed total

• Tuition$68,670
• Matriculation fee (one-time)$500
• Housing$13,073
• Meals$8,894

What a family actually pays, by income

1. Up to $100,000$0Parent cost is zero; aid covers tuition and living expenses
2. $100,000 to $200,000Tuition $0Tuition is free
3. Above $200,000Most families earning up to $250,000 still qualify for significant aid

Most aid comes as need-based scholarships: Hopkins meets 100% of demonstrated need, and aid offers do not include loans. A small number of merit scholarships, such as the Hodson Trust Scholarship, are also awarded, and every applicant is considered automatically. The admissions office reports that 80% of students graduate debt-free and 53% receive need-based aid. The university’s net cost table shows a typical parent cost of about $13,000 for families earning $100,000 to $125,000 and about $61,000 for families earning $300,000 to $350,000. These tiers apply to families with typical assets, generally under three times annual income, and retirement savings are not counted. US families file the FAFSA and CSS Profile by the aid deadline for their round; the CSS Profile is free for US students with family income below $100,000. About 10% of international students receive financial aid.

Schools and fields of study

Johns Hopkins University has ten academic divisions, including the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Carey Business School, and the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), most of which serve graduate students. Undergraduates enroll mainly in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering on the Homewood campus; the Peabody Institute admits its own students. The admissions office’s program list shows 54 undergraduate majors plus 26 fields offered as minors only. Applicants do not need to declare a major, with the exception of biomedical engineering.

For students entering in fall 2026, a bachelor’s degree takes 120 to 130 credits depending on the degree. Arts and Sciences students complete a First-Year Seminar and a writing course, plus six Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication; Science and Data; Culture and Aesthetics; Citizens and Society; Ethics and Foundations; and Projects and Methods. Engineering students take a First-Year Seminar or the Design Cornerstone course in their first year and complete their own six Foundational Abilities. First-Year Seminars are capped at 12 students.

Biomedical engineering must be listed as the first-choice major, and admission to BME depends on credentials and space; a student admitted to the university but not to BME may choose any other major in either school. Students headed for medicine or law can pursue any major alongside the pre-health or pre-law advising tracks, and the admissions office reports an 85% admit rate to medical school. Applicants may also apply to one Direct Matriculation Program, which reserves a place in a master’s program: the Carey Business School MBA, the SAIS master’s in international relations (completed in five years), or the master’s in international health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Musicians can apply to the double degree program with the Peabody Institute.

Campus life

All undergraduates are required to live on the Homewood campus for their first two years, and housing is guaranteed for those two years. First-year students choose among five residence options: AMR I and AMR II are traditional halls with hallway bathrooms, while AMR III, Wolman Hall, and McCoy Hall are suite-style, and McCoy Hall houses both first- and second-year students. Juniors and seniors usually move off campus, most within a three-block radius, with support from the Office of Off-Campus Housing. The Homewood campus has seven dining locations and more than 350 registered student organizations.

A timeline for Irvine families

The five Irvine Unified high schools differ in when AP courses open, how weighting works, and how the math sequence accelerates, and those four years of scheduling shape the depth of an application. School-by-school rules are in the IUSD high school guides.

1. Grade 9Set the path, protect grades
   • Settle the math and science sequence
   • Protect core grades
   • Choose one or two activities that can run four years
2. Grade 10First AP courses
   • Take the first AP courses the school allows
   • Look for research or hands-on work that can continue
   • Consider an academic summer program or research
3. Grade 11Finish testing
   • SAT or ACT: first sitting in spring, second before summer ends
   • Run the net price calculator
   • Choose two recommending teachers in different subjects
4. Fall of grade 12Choose ED I, ED II, or RD
   • ED I: application by November 1, aid materials by November 15
   • File the UC application in the same window
   • ED II and RD: application by January 2

Dates and registration deadlines are on the 2026-27 test calendar, and preparation options are on the SAT page.

How EDUBUS helps

EDUBUS college planning runs year by year from grade 9: a four-year course plan built around the rules of each Irvine high school, a testing schedule, a clear research and activities direction, and in grade 12 a counselor review of every application component and supplemental essay. For families weighing a binding Early Decision application, counselors help complete a net price estimate and prepare the FAFSA and CSS Profile before November. To see where a student stands relative to schools like Johns Hopkins, start with a free assessment.