Admit rate has ranged 7%–11% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Johns Hopkins University is a powerhouse of research and intellectual intensity, where pre-med ambitions collide with groundbreaking discoveries. With an acceptance rate that has plummeted to 5.7% and SAT scores averaging 1540, JHU attracts students who thrive under pressure and crave access to world-class labs and faculty. The Baltimore campus hums with a work-hard ethos, where library study sessions double as social gatherings and 79% of students report feeling 'extremely safe' despite the urban setting.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
5,693
In-state tuition
$65,230
Out-of-state tuition
$65,230
Total Cost
$88,976
Acceptance Rate
5.7%
Graduation Rate
93%
Student-Faculty Ratio
6:1
Financial Aid Recipients
52%
Median Earnings 1 Year Post-Grad
$36,427
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$87,555
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
4.7×
Median debt at graduation
$10,250
Graduation rate
94%
First-year retention
98%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
82%
Pell (lower-income) share
28%
First-generation share
13%
Endowment / student
$2,294,585
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer and Information Sciences, General$108,649
Mathematics$86,867
Computer Engineering$84,653
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$79,653
Economics$75,047
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$72,509
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
79
Per 1,000 students
13.88
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
86
Summer high
85°F
Winter low
30°F
Annual rain
61.1"
Annual snow
13.5"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
2,254
Scholarly works
496,688
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
2.2%
Bottom → top quintile
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Johns Hopkins University?
Johns Hopkins University's acceptance rate is approximately 6% (Baltimore, MD), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Johns Hopkins University?
Admitted students at Johns Hopkins University typically score 1520–1570 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Johns Hopkins University cost?
At Johns Hopkins University, the average net price (after aid) is about $18,809 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Johns Hopkins University?
Johns Hopkins University enrolls approximately 5,693 undergraduate students.
Where is Johns Hopkins University located?
Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, MD.
Admissions
Getting into Johns Hopkins is a feat reserved for the academic elite. The Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. has dropped from 11.2% to 5.7% over five years, with only 6.4% of applicants making the cut for the Class of 2029. Successful applicants typically boast:
SAT scores between 1530–1560 (middle 50% range)
ACT scores of 34–36
GPA averaging 3.93, with 92% of admits having a 3.75+ GPA
The student body reflects growing diversity: 6.1% Black, 10.1% Hispanic/Latino, 13.5% international. Early Decision applicants have a slight edge with an 11.7% acceptance rate versus the regular decision pool.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Mechanical Engineering
$71,015
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$70,051
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
59%
From bottom quintile
4%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
International relations (SAIS is a feeder for diplomatic careers)
Neuroscience (with direct ties to the Johns Hopkins Hospital)
Undergrads praise the 'world-renowned' faculty and relatively easy access to research opportunities—if they're persistent about emailing professors. The 6:1 student-faculty ratio means intimate seminars, though some complain about 'sink-or-swim' introductory courses in STEM fields.
Social life at Hopkins orbits around academics—literally. As one Reddit user notes, 'We socialize a lot in the library.' The vibe is intense but supportive:
79% feel 'extremely safe' on campus despite Baltimore's reputation
Blue Jay traditions like Spring Fair and Lighting of the Quads provide relief from the grind
Greek life exists but isn't dominant (about 30% participation)
Students describe peers as 'smart, motivated, and putting academics first.' Those craving raucous parties often trek to nearby universities, while others bond over midnight study snacks at Brody Café.
A Hopkins degree opens doors to elite graduate programs and high-paying careers:
Median earnings 1 year post-graduation: $36,427
Graduation rate: 93% within six years (well above national averages)
Top employers include Johns Hopkins Hospital, Deloitte, and Goldman Sachs
Pre-med students benefit from the university's hospital ties, while engineers frequently land at SpaceX or NIH. Notably, every 1% increase in instructional spending correlates with a 6.63% bump in graduation rates—a testament to JHU's academic investments.
At $88,976 total cost, Hopkins isn't cheap—but its financial aid policies are surprisingly generous:
52% of students receive aid, with average packages of $67,159
Tuition Promise covers full need for families earning <$250k
Net price calculator helps estimate actual costs (often $22,844 after aid)
The university meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans for most students, making it more affordable than sticker price suggests for middle-income families.
Johns Hopkins isn't just a university—it's an intellectual boot camp with a hospital attached. Where else can undergrads:
Publish cancer research alongside Nobel laureates before graduation
Attend class in a building named after the founder of modern epidemiology
Join a student body where 30% are First-generation (first-gen)A student who would be the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this in context. or low-income despite the Ivy-level rigor
The trade-off? A culture that prizes academic achievement above all else. As one student bluntly puts it: 'If you're looking for football tailgates, this isn't your school. But if you want to cure diseases? Welcome home.'
Johns Hopkins University logo · sourceJohns Hopkins University | TCLF · sourceOur Network of Campuses | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · sourceJohns Hopkins University — Homewood Campus Master Plan and Planning Studies — Ayers Saint Gross · source
