At schools with acceptance rates below 10%, nearly every applicant has near-perfect grades and test scores. Admissions decisions are driven by essays, extracurriculars, recommendations, and institutional priorities — factors no stats-based model can predict. Our likelihood labels reflect academic competitiveness only.
Johns Hopkins University is a pioneering research institution in Baltimore, Maryland, that established the model for the modern American research university. It leads the nation in federal research funding and is home to the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the oldest and largest school of public health in the world.
Mascot: Blue Jay
Notable Alumni
Michael Bloomberg (founder of Bloomberg LP)•Rachel Carson (pioneering environmentalist)•Wolf Blitzer (CNN news anchor)
At a Glance
Cost
Published sticker prices for 2025-2026. Actual cost after aid varies.
Top Programs & National Ranking
Approximate national ranking based on departmental rankings, research output, and program reputation.
Highlights
Campus Experience
Hopkins has a strong pre-med culture that creates real academic intensity, though the cutthroat reputation has softened in recent years as the administration has invested in student wellness. Greek life is modest, and the social scene is quieter than peer schools, though Baltimore's Fells Point and Inner Harbor offer off-campus options. Students who thrive here tend to find tight-knit communities through research labs, student orgs, or their major rather than big social institutions.
The Homewood campus features Georgian red-brick buildings set around manicured quadrangles with a Frederick Law Olmsted-influenced landscape plan, mature magnolias, and the iconic Gilman Hall clocktower.
Based on Niche reviews, Princeton Review surveys, student forums, and institutional data.
Safety
JHU invested $6 million in 2025 for campus safety, maintaining a well-funded police force with patrols, security cameras, blue-light phones, and escort services on the Homewood campus.
Baltimore has high city-wide violent crime rates, and the Charles Village and Remington neighborhoods near Homewood have seen robberies and assaults. JHU's off-campus shuttle and neighborhood patrol help, but caution is warranted beyond the immediate campus perimeter.
Based on Clery Act data, student surveys, and local crime statistics.
Plan Your Visit
Schedule: Most weekdays and select Saturdays
Duration: About 60-75 minutes (session + tour combined)
All visitors must be registered -- no walk-ins. Admissions session with committee member + student-led tour. Group tours (10+) available most weekdays 10:30-11:45am or 2:30-3:45pm, must request 15 business days in advance.
Book a TourCampus maps available from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The Homewood campus is compact and walkable.
Tour ResourcesMarch-May (lacrosse season, Spring Fair -- the largest student-run festival in the country since 1972) or September-October. Avoid winter break and summer. Lighting of the Quads in December is beautiful if you can catch it. Blue Jay Opening Day (fall) is a big campus celebration.
South Garage is the most convenient for campus tours, directly connected to Mason Hall. Paid visitor parking available in garages across campus. From BWI airport: I-95 North to Russell Street to Mulberry/Orleans Street, ~20 min drive. MARC train from BWI to Penn Station Baltimore, then taxi/bus to campus. Courtesy shuttle and walking security escorts available on campus (call 410-955-5585).
Location
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