George Washington University (GWU) vs UDenver

George Washington University (GWU) and University of Denver (DU) are two highly regarded institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. GWU, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on public service, while DU, nestled in the vibrant city of Denver, Colorado, emphasizes experiential learning and sustainability. With acceptance rates of 44% and 65%, respectively, both universities offer competitive admissions processes. GWU's popular majors include political science, international affairs, and business, while DU's strengths lie in business, engineering, and natural sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two esteemed universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the best fit for your academic and personal aspirations.
George Washington University logo

George Washington University

University of Denver logo

University of Denver

Overview

Location Washington, District of Columbia Denver, Colorado
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 84.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 49.7% 63.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $80
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1310 - 1490 1200 - 1390
ACT range 30 - 34 27 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 29.0% 24.0%
Students submitting ACT score 18.0% 27.0%
Total number of applicants 27,236 22,694
Total number of admissions given out 13,539 14,440
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,571 1,621
Yield rate 19.0% 11.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,335 $73,514
Average net price $31,240 $39,973
Tuition $59,780 $53,640
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $15,260

Meal plan: $3,240
Room/dormitory: $9,262

Meal plan: $5,412
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

74.0%
Average amount $31,678
98.0%
Average amount $31,672
Students receiving federal student loan 30.0%
Average amount $5,150
38.0%
Average amount $5,173
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $25,366
5.0%
Average amount $21,978

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 11,502
Men 36.3% Women 63.7%
5,867
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
Graduate students 14,955
Men 38.1% Women 61.9%
8,263
Men 33.8% Women 66.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 98.7% 71.9%
International students 11.6% 4.1%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 6,693 2,647
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York New Jersey Virginia California Pennsylvania Colorado California Illinois Texas Minnesota

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Psychology
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.7% 75.7%
Dropout rate 16.1% 23.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Systems Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $160,692
  • Year 2: $146,893
  • Year 3: $153,607
Human Resources Management and Services (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,764
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $130,306
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,241
  • Year 2: $127,142
  • Year 3: $127,952
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,834
  • Year 2: $114,046
  • Year 3: $119,393
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,809
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $112,813
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,922
  • Year 2: $104,061
  • Year 3: $111,679
Public Health (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $84,962
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $105,816
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,747
  • Year 2: $96,405
  • Year 3: $105,562
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,274
  • Year 2: $101,254
  • Year 3: $103,350
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,345
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $102,875
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,503
  • Year 2: $86,129
  • Year 3: $98,717
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,126
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $86,073
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,750
  • Year 2: $66,104
  • Year 3: $85,588
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,915
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $78,170
Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $70,020
  • Year 2: $72,667
  • Year 3: $77,585
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $66,104
  • Year 3: $75,452
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,899
  • Year 2: $60,704
  • Year 3: $73,790
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,139
  • Year 2: $73,949
  • Year 3: $73,641
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,983
  • Year 2: $62,632
  • Year 3: $73,152
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,647
  • Year 2: $65,905
  • Year 3: $72,754

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