The George Washington University Reviews

  • 255 Reviews
  • Washington D.C.
  • Annual Tuition: $62,200
92% of 255 students said this degree improved their career prospects
87% of 255 students said they would recommend this school to others
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Student & Graduate Reviews

Debtttt
  • Reviewed: 3/15/2022
  • Degree: Biology
"Unfortunately, my experience at GWU has been awful. The cost of tuition is absurd. The professors actually don’t care about their students. The networking and career advice and help is lacking. And the social evens and engagement are lacking as well. For the ranking of the school and cost of living in DC or surrounding areas I would absolutely not suggest this university and wish I could change my decision to attend."
anonymous
  • Reviewed: 3/2/2022
  • Degree: Public Health
"DO NOT ENROLL IN THE ONLINE PROGRAM!!! Advising is beyond appalling. GWSPH has vastly overenrolled since 2020 and can't deliver what they advertise online. Impossible to finish in one year, very challenging to finish in two. Not enough spots in required classes. Glorified independent study at best. The recorded lectures from GW faculty are fantastic. Most of the section leaders were great except for two during the entire program (one was almost impossible to understand and the other was rude and unprofessional to several students in my section). But they have vastly overenrolled during the pandemic and cannot handle the number of students they already have. Academic, practicum and master's thesis (CE) advisers do not return emails or process required paperwork for days or weeks (sometimes not at all), have no available appointments for weeks or months, most do not know the program well enough to competently advise students, and they have had a very high turnover in the last year. So many people I know have tales of being ghosted by their advisers. I got into another great MPH school but chose GW in the end because I wanted to work in DC and thought the practicum and connections from GW would be valuable for my career. Huge mistake. Everyone is on their own finding a practicum, and the only suggestions they give you are for full-time, usually unpaid, jobs. I did end up getting a great job after graduation, but not because of anything GW did for me other than putting their brand on my diploma. That is what you are paying for in the end, but in my opinion, that won't be worth much if they keep running the online program the way they have been for the last 2 years. Incredibly frustrated and disappointed. I'm in my last term and can't wait to be done with this whole experience. I ended up with a 4.0, but I did not get the experience I thought I was paying for. GW needs to stop enrolling so many students to make money, hire more competent advisers, and start actually delivering on the promises they advertise all over the internet."
T.V.
  • Reviewed: 7/27/2021
  • Degree: Biomedical Sciences
"Not a school that is equipped for biomedical research. The research facilities are subpar (at best) and they lack core facilities that most other biomedical research institutions, of any notable caliber, have readily available. They push unhealthy work/life balances amongst their PhD students and lack resources to help graduate students maintain any semblance of a healthy life."
Bill
  • Reviewed: 1/10/2021
  • Degree: Electrical Engineering
"If I could give one recommendation to anyone considering this school, it is to stay away. I had a horrible experience. It is incredibly expensive and many students have considerable amounts of debt after graduating. I had my financial aid revoked temporarily causing a great deal of stress during my freshman year. While it was eventually reinstated later that semester, there was no communication as to why it was revoked in the first place. The majority of the professors offered little to no guidance and the students essentially teach themselves. Many professors are simply not good teachers. The teaching assistants also were poor. Career services did nothing to help me find a job. Mental health services at the school are very poor. During my time at this university I became depressed. For the money spent I could have easily have attended a state school and been far better off both financially and mentally."
GWU is not for you
  • Reviewed: 1/26/2020
  • Degree: Chemistry
"Pros: name recognition. A few professors are rather good, but the outright hostility and neglect of the administration overwhelms that. Cons: the school clearly does not care about students: •health insurance is $1400/semester but does not cover ER, specialists, or anything beyond the student health center. •there are few to no academic services for graduate students. •as a TA, you end up providing the missing academic services for undergraduates, like advising and tutoring. •they pay well below minimum wage, to the point that you cannot afford to live a reasonable distance away. •you are expected not to hold any other jobs, which compounds the low pay. •you often are expected to work on campus well past 8pm •the academic buildings are falling apart •the school does not provide for research grants or stipends, so you have to fund your own research •there is a “boy’s club” atmosphere in many departments that prevents discriminatory professors and staff from facing consequences"
Zaryab Malik
  • Reviewed: 1/10/2020
"Very expensive university and the surrounding area is expensive as well. It is not a good value for a school because it is not highly ranked and you are basically paying for the location. My adviser was terrible and basically talked to me like a robot. Also the financial and mental health services offered at the school are terrible"
Berry
  • Reviewed: 5/13/2019
  • Degree: Political Science
"I regret doing my MAIA program here. The faculty and students here are rude and arrogant. The staff don't care about the students at all. The students here are the worst in terms of character. They swear and degrade others. If you want to act like a petulant high school student, ESIA is the perfect place to be before you go out into the real world! Besides, the Career Center is abysmal. I have seen many permaterns after graduating from here. However, the school still has the audacity to list internships as having secured full-time employment. The earning potential of the students is not that great. The school is just selling a pipe dream to a bunch of naive students."
D.C.
  • Reviewed: 12/30/2018
  • Degree: Law
"The law school is great. Plenty of teachers with expertise in their respective fields. The school has a lot of great resources, especially the career center, and it's great to go to school in DC if you are looking to get experience in government or in the private sector."
SubstantialDebt
  • Reviewed: 12/25/2018
  • Degree: Public Health
"The college offers plenty of opportunity for students to make the best of earning a credible education. I presume the public health topics discussed in the courses were also discussed in other public health programs at different universities. However, GWU also offered practicum experiences, research opportunities, and relationships with organizations within and around the community for internship opportunities. These opportunities contribute to student being able to not only gain experience in the field of their study, but to also work on building a network, which is important when exploring job opportunities. The only thing potential student should be aware of is this institution is far from being affordable. This is one of the most expensive institutions in the nation! Keep that in mind if you're taking out student loans! The scholarships the school offered were not highly advertised and not easy to get. Even for me as a veteran. My overall debt shot up significantly due to the loans I took out at this university."
Kelly
  • Reviewed: 9/9/2018
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Family)
"I chose the program thinking it was highly rated. I did fine in the program, but it is very poorly run. Little to no assistance from instructors. You must find your own clinical sites with no aid or guidance from the school. Program is extremely disorganized and staff cares very little about students. Staff can be degrading in addition to lacking knowledge and insight. Almost all of my classmates regret choosing this school for the FNP program."
Jenny Kimball
  • Reviewed: 5/7/2018
  • Degree: Paralegal
"I received a top notch education at GW. The professors were phenomenal and even though the courses were online, the classes are set up to where you feel like you are sitting in a classroom with everyone. This program was very difficult, but definitely worth the journey. I have learned how to look for and find answers to very difficult topics. The professors went out of their way to help the students learn. I definitely feel prepared for a great career in law."
Liam Tumas
  • Reviewed: 3/21/2018
  • Degree: Political Science
"Right in the middle of Washington, DC, mere blocks away from the White House and State Department, GWU is the perfect place to study International Affairs. The location gives students access to incredible extracurricular activities and resources, such as foreign embassy events, but the school itself also goes out of its way to the bring the world to its campus. Interested students are even invited to get involved in events such as foreign policy colloquia. Faculty are experienced, informed and responsive, as are program advisers. Of course, when students need a break from studying, the campus is a also a great place to hang out and make friends. Dorms are comfortable and community oriented, and the campus offers varied and interesting events of all sorts all year round."
Shanta' McDonald-Bey
  • Reviewed: 1/29/2018
  • Degree: Business
"The flexibility of the MBA Program at The George Washington University in Washington, DC is what set it apart from other business school programs. There was the standard full time day program, the part time evening program, and the accelerated program. This flexibility was essential since I worked full time and wanted to get my MBA in the evening. The facilities are still state of the art and my professors were very hands on. I even had the opportunity to do extra credit work when I was struggling in my Financial Management course. My professor saw I was trying to grasp the concepts but was having a tough time because of my other responsibilities. She offered me weekly tutoring sessions and assigned me additional questions to answer. Initially, it looked as though the additional work would be too much, but in fact, it helped me with a breakthrough. I was able to complete my MBA in 16-months, despite working full time, by taking four classes a semester and going to two summer sessions. It was well worth the effort and I am very proud to say I have an MBA from The George Washington University. Now my MBA and additional work experience will be key components to preparing me for my next educational adventure: law school!"
Simeon Doodat
  • Reviewed: 1/19/2018
  • Degree: Political Science
"Not great, but not terrible either. The program gives didn't give me much flexibility in terms of when and where I could take my classes. But there is some decent support for students. The curriculum is decent and all the professors are generally knowledgeable and helpful as well. The best aspects are its ranking and location."
Jeff Brand
  • Reviewed: 1/13/2018
  • Degree: Religious Studies
"This is review is for those interested in doing a PhD here. Most of the rosy reviews on here are by MA people who went to GW after work to take super simplified courses and were handed a degree like a receipt for their tuition money. For a PhD student, this is not a real university. The priority of its board of trustees is real estate investments, not scholarship. The administration doesn't care what happens to its PhDs. They give a ridiculous amount of TAing loads (4 out of 5 years) while real universities like Michigan only make their students do 1 or at most 2 years. There is no opportunity to teach your own course either even though that is crucial for academic hiring. Even if you get a fellowship, this penny pinching university will make you pay for foreign language courses out your own pocket. They also make you pay for a semester of tuition if you don't file for graduation within the deadline in your final semester for graduating. The campus is also hideous. The buildings look like hideous Soviet public housing projects. All the bathroom faucets have only freezing water. I kid you not. This place is a penny pinching joke. Getting a PhD here makes you overqualified for a job you could've gotten with an MA. And hardly anyone outside the DMV area knows about this place. AVOID GW."
Tess Riabokin
  • Reviewed: 11/26/2017
  • Degree: Fine Arts
"GW is not a traditional choice for art majors. I chose it for the location and access to some of the best free art museums. This combined with the study -abroad placement I was able to connect with through the school provided me with an incredible experiential education in art history and interior design. As with any school, the experience of the program and professors is subjective and personal. I found the program well established and designed with thoughtful and well rounded requirements that set me up with creative and artistic skills as well as professional practice. My professors were well established in various fields and most were available and eager to support me with finding work and internships during and after school."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Public Health
"Well suited for those who work 9-5. All graduate classes scheduled in the evening. Open to part-time students, though advising is better if you're a full-time student."
rou
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Biomedical Sciences
"Well-regarded, prestigious, lots of options"
JS
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: History
"GWU's American Studies program was a small department within their larger liberal arts college, but it was an absolutely wonderful department. Each professor took the time to interact and get to know with their graduate students and I loved that the Masters students had the same classes with PhD students, which allowed for a great learning environment."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Public Health
"Great program, good opportunities since it's in DC! Get to know your professors as they are very connected and will open doors for you if you let them! Public Health Communication and Marketing is especially good at GWU."