Rising Costs at George Washington University
George Washington University (GW) estimates that students returning to campus will face nearly $100,000 in expenses for the upcoming school year.
All undergraduate students enrolled at GW for the 2026–27 academic year will see their tuition set at $72,000, marking a 3% increase from last year, as reported in a Friday press release. When considering all expenses, the total estimated cost climbs to $98,165 for returning resident students and $95,155 for new on-campus students, according to The GW Hatchet.
These numbers reflect an increase of nearly $3,000 for both returning and new students, the Hatchet mentioned.
Continuing students in their second, third, and fourth years will pay around $21,520 for housing and meals, along with approximately $4,225 for books, transportation, and other miscellaneous costs, plus $420 in mandatory fees for the 2026–27 school year, as noted by NBC 4 Washington.
GW stated in its press release that the actual cost can differ among students. They have not yet responded to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Why would you ever pay this,” a senior politics reporter at CNN commented on X, referencing the NBC 4 Washington report.
“I think that’s an extremely high amount. Like, definitely a big, big change,” a female student expressed to NBC.
A male student shared that while he views the private university as a “great place,” students “expect great resources and a great school by paying that tuition.” He added, “And hey, if it’s going to go up, the quality better go up as well.”
GW ranks tied for 59th in U.S. News & World Report’s list of best U.S. universities. For comparison, Princeton University, ranked first, estimates its total cost of attendance for the same academic year at $94,624, which is a few thousand dollars less than GW.
GW requires all first- and second-year students to reside on campus unless they obtain a university-authorized exemption. Starting with the class of 2030, third-year students will also be required to live on campus. About 40% of GW undergraduates live off campus, according to U.S. News & World Report.
