Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore and the oldest research university in the United States, renowned for biomedical engineering, medicine, and public health. Admission is extremely selective — Hopkins admitted about 6% of more than 50,000 applicants for its most recent class, and enrolled first-years posted a middle-50% SAT of 1530–1565 and an average high school GPA near 3.93. The biological and life sciences are the single largest area of study, closely followed by engineering, mirroring the university's research strengths. Hopkins was test-optional for its most recent entering class but will require SAT or ACT scores beginning with Fall 2027 applicants, and it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need — recently extending free tuition to families earning up to $200,000.
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Johns Hopkins admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Johns Hopkins offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~2.1× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Johns Hopkins requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Johns Hopkins's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 23.4% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Johns Hopkins does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Johns Hopkins weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Johns Hopkins's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Johns Hopkins admissions
Is it hard to get into Johns Hopkins?＋
Yes — Johns Hopkins is extremely selective, admitting about 6.1% of applicants in the most recent cycle, or roughly 3,072 students out of more than 50,000 applications. Enrolled first-years post an average high school GPA near 3.93 and a middle-50% SAT of 1530-1565, so a strong academic record paired with the most rigorous courses available is essentially a baseline expectation.
What is Johns Hopkins' acceptance rate?＋
Johns Hopkins admitted about 6.1% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 3,072 of more than 50,000 applicants and enrolling about 1,378 first-year students. Hopkins also runs a binding Early Decision program (ED I and ED II), which drew 7,639 applications.
Does applying Early Decision to Johns Hopkins improve your chances?＋
Johns Hopkins offers a binding Early Decision plan with two rounds (ED I and ED II), and the early pool is admitted at a noticeably higher rate than the overall 6.1%. In the most recent cycle Hopkins admitted about 835 of 7,639 Early Decision applicants — roughly an 11% ED admit rate — but ED is binding, so apply early only if Hopkins is clearly your first choice.
Does Johns Hopkins require the SAT or ACT?＋
Hopkins was test-optional for its most recent entering class, but it will require SAT or ACT scores beginning with students who apply for Fall 2027. Among enrolled first-years who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1530 and 1565 on the SAT, and the median ACT was a 35.
Is a 1500 SAT good enough for Johns Hopkins?＋
A 1500 sits just below Hopkins' competitive range and would need a strong rest of the application to offset it. The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1530-1565 on the SAT — with nearly all (about 99%) scoring 1400 or above — and the median ACT was a 35. Hopkins was test-optional for its most recent class but will require scores starting with Fall 2027 applicants.
What GPA and class rank do you need for Johns Hopkins?＋
Enrolled first-years at Johns Hopkins average about a 3.93 high school GPA, and among the roughly 23% who reported a class rank, every one of them placed in the top tenth of their graduating class. There is no hard cutoff, but academic GPA and the rigor of your high school record are both weighed as very important factors in the holistic review.
How much does Johns Hopkins cost, and is it really tuition-free for some families?＋
Annual tuition and required fees run about $68,670, with the total higher once housing and food are added. Johns Hopkins meets 100% of demonstrated financial need — the average need-based package for first-years is about $70,919 — and undergraduates from families earning up to $200,000 now receive free tuition.
Does the application essay matter at Johns Hopkins?＋
Yes — Johns Hopkins rates the application essay as a very important factor in its admissions review, on the same tier as GPA, course rigor, and test scores. With an admit rate near 6%, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways a strong applicant can stand apart from a pool of similarly high-achieving students.
Source: Johns Hopkins University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Johns Hopkins. Banner photo by Chris Rycroft, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).