Georgetown University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Georgetown University is a private nonprofit college in Washington, DC. Students pay about $40,815 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $103,494 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3.1 years and adds $389,180 over a decade, ranking it #20 of 918 (top 3%) by value added.
What is Georgetown University's acceptance rate?
Georgetown University has an acceptance rate of 12.9%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Washington, DC enrolling about 7,569 students, with a 94.5% graduation rate.
How much does Georgetown University cost?
Georgetown University costs about $40,815 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $178,760. Published sticker cost of attendance is $88,741 per year.
How much do Georgetown University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Georgetown University student earns $103,494 per year. That is $56,794 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Georgetown University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Georgetown University pays back its roughly $178,760 cost in about 3.1 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $389,180 net of cost, a 3.18x return on the money invested. That ranks it #20 of 918 (top 3%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Georgetown University graduation rate and student debt
94.5% of Georgetown University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $15,500 in federal student debt. That debt is about 15% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Georgetown University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Georgetown University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $40,815 | $20,299 | cheaper than 5% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $103,494 | $54,768 | 98th |
| Graduation rate | 94.5% | 57.0% | 99th |
| Acceptance rate | 12.9% | 75.7% | more selective than 96% |
| 10-yr value added | $389,180 | -$28,192 | 98th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.18x | 0.73x | 92th |
| Payback period | 3.1 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 90% |
How Georgetown University compares with its nearest rivals
Georgetown University ranks #20 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 3 of them cost less per year and 2 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Georgetown University is a private nonprofit college in Washington, DC with 7,569 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $88,741 a year, but the average aided family pays $40,815, a 54% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $15,500, equal to 15% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Georgetown University: 12.9% of applicants are admitted.
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA; #19 of 918; 92.9% graduate) costs $27,334 less per year ($13,481 net), and its graduates earn $11,048 less ten years out ($92,446). University of California-Berkeley adds $1,356 more ten-year value than Georgetown University. University of California-Berkeley pays back its cost in 1.5 years.
- Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA; #21 of 918; 90.9% graduate) costs $889 more per year ($41,704 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($103,937). Georgetown University adds $2,626 more ten-year value than Boston College. Boston College pays back its cost in 3.2 years.
- Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA; #18 of 918; 88.2% graduate) costs $9,247 more per year ($50,062 net), and its graduates earn $5,689 more ten years out ($109,183). Santa Clara University adds $16,240 more ten-year value than Georgetown University. Santa Clara University pays back its cost in 3.5 years.
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY; #22 of 918; 83.4% graduate) costs $4,587 less per year ($36,228 net), and its graduates earn $1,443 less ten years out ($102,051). Georgetown University adds $4,332 more ten-year value than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute pays back its cost in 3 years.
- University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN; #17 of 918; 96.0% graduate) costs $14,035 less per year ($26,780 net), and its graduates earn $3,514 less ten years out ($99,980). University of Notre Dame adds $17,500 more ten-year value than Georgetown University. University of Notre Dame pays back its cost in 2.4 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame | #17 | $26,780 | $99,980 | 96.0% | $406,680 |
| Santa Clara University | #18 | $50,062 | $109,183 | 88.2% | $405,420 |
| University of California-Berkeley | #19 | $13,481 | $92,446 | 92.9% | $390,536 |
| Georgetown University | #20 | $40,815 | $103,494 | 94.5% | $389,180 |
| Boston College | #21 | $41,704 | $103,937 | 90.9% | $386,554 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | #22 | $36,228 | $102,051 | 83.4% | $384,848 |
Paying for Georgetown University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Georgetown University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Georgetown University ranks #20 of 918 (top 3%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.18x the money invested over a decade.
Is Georgetown University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $40,815 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 5% of them.
Do Georgetown University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $103,494 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 98% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Georgetown University compared to other colleges?
Its 12.9% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 96% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.