Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University (commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Johns Hopkins is organized into ten divisions on campuses in Maryland and Washington, D.C. with international centers in Italy, China, and Singapore. The two undergraduate divisions, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering, are located on the Homewood campus in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood. The medical school, the nursing school, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health are located on the Medical Institutions campus in East Baltimore. The university also consists of the Peabody Institute, the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, the education school, the Carey Business School, and various other facilities.

Founded in 1876, the university was named after its first benefactor, the American entrepreneur, abolitionist, and philanthropist Johns Hopkins. His $7 million bequest—of which half financed the establishment of The Johns Hopkins Hospital—was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States at the time. Daniel Coit Gilman, who was inaugurated as the institution's first president on February 22, 1876, led the university to revolutionize higher education in the U.S. by integrating teaching and research. Adopting the concept of a graduate school from Germany's ancient Heidelberg University, Johns Hopkins University is considered the first research university in the United States.

Undergraduate admissions at Johns Hopkins University are highly selective and involve a comprehensive review process. Prospective students must submit an application through the Common Application or the Coalition Application, along with a Johns Hopkins-specific supplement. The application fee is required, although fee waivers are available for eligible students. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate academic excellence through their high school transcripts, which should include a rigorous course load, including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or other honors courses if available. Standardized test scores are optional for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, but submitting SAT or ACT scores can strengthen an application if available. Extracurricular involvement, leadership roles, community service, and personal essays are vital components of the application, providing insight into the applicant’s character and potential contributions to the campus community.

Applicants must also submit two teacher recommendation letters and a counselor recommendation. Johns Hopkins values diversity, equity, and inclusion, encouraging applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. International students are required to demonstrate English language proficiency through TOEFL or IELTS scores unless they have completed secondary education in English. The university employs a holistic admissions process, considering academic achievements, personal qualities, and potential impact. Early decision options are available, allowing students committed to Johns Hopkins to apply early and receive an admission decision by December. The regular decision deadline is typically in January. Admitted students are notified via email and receive comprehensive guidance on the next steps, including financial aid options, housing, and orientation procedures. Admissions decisions are communicated with a focus on building a diverse and talented student body committed to research, innovation, and community engagement.

The University stands among the top 10 in US News' Best National Universities Rankings and among the top 20 in a number of international league tables. Over the course of almost 140 years, thirty-six Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Johns Hopkins. Founded in 1883, the Blue Jays men’s lacrosse team has captured 44 national titles and joined the Big Ten Conference as an affiliate member in 2014.

Sport life:

Johns Hopkins fields 24 varsity teams, 22 of which compete in NCAA Division III. The other two, men's and women's lacrosse, both compete in Division I. Eighteen of our programs are members of the Centennial Conference.

Hopkins men's lacrosse is one of the most decorated athletics programs in all of college sports. We first fielded a men’s lacrosse team in 1883, seven years after the founding of the university. Since then, the Blue Jays have won 44 national titles, including nine since men’s lacrosse became an NCAA sport.

Beyond varsity sports, many students take part in one or more of the university’s 11 intramural sports, which include 3-on-3 basketball, flag football, innertube water polo, and wallyball. There are also approximately 30 club sports, including badminton, Brazilian jujitsu, cricket, ice hockey, ultimate frisbee, and water polo.

Arts & Culture

The Peabody Institute, the nation's first conservatory, is home to some of the world's most gifted musicians and puts on more than 50 events each year that are open to the public—orchestral and jazz concerts, operas and symphonic performances, Renaissance music and modern arrangements that defy description.

But you don’t have to be a music major to perform at Hopkins—with more than 30 student a cappella and dance groups and the Hopkins Pep Band (a fixture at football and lacrosse games), anyone can be a performer. There’s the Choral Society, founded in 1883 by Woodrow Wilson as the first student group on campus. We also have a chamber ensemble and a gospel choir, a wind ensemble and jazz bands, and the acclaimed Hopkins Symphony Orchestra.

If the stage is more your speed, you can choose from a handful of theater groups that perform everything from Shakespeare to improv comedy; or learn about acting, directing, and playwriting by pursuing an undergraduate minor in theatre arts. And if you’re feeling especially adventurous, there’s the Entertainers Club, fit for fire-jugglers, unicyclists, yo-yo enthusiasts, and the like.

For the more visually inclined, Center for Visual Arts gives students a studio environment to hone their painting, drawing, cartooning, design, and photography skills. 

Student Health Center 

Student Health and Wellness Center on  Homewood campus is open six days per week to address student health concerns, free of charge. Certified health care professionals provide primary care, including injury and illness treatment, routine gynecologic care, immunizations, and travel consultation. All students are required to carry health insurance, through either JHU or another provider with comparable coverage.

A founding member of the American Association of Universities, Johns Hopkins has been considered one of the world’s top universities throughout its history. The University stands among the top 10 in US News' Best National Universities Rankings and among the top 20 in a number of international league tables. Over the course of almost 140 years, thirty-six Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Johns Hopkins. Founded in 1883, the Blue Jays men’s lacrosse team has captured 44 national titles and joined the Big Ten Conference as an affiliate member in 2014.