Johns Hopkins surprises with its breadth and affordability
By Karen Hott, May 2026
Fast facts for
Johns Hopkins University
Located in:
Baltimore, MD
Number of students:
6,400 undergraduate
Acceptance rate:
6% of applicants
Type:
Private, no religious affiliation
Test Policy:
SAT or ACT Required
This blog post is about a specific college or university, so we've included some key details right up top. These facts were last updated May 26, 2026.
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University may be in the city of Baltimore, but the campus doesn’t feel urban at all; it feels clean and bright and very green. In fact, it carves 140 acres of green space out of the Homewood section of Baltimore, with enough acreage to form what they call The Beach, a grassy hillside that slopes down to an iron fence running along North Charles Street (no seashore).
The students
Around 6,400 undergraduates belong to one of three main schools: the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Whiting School of Engineering, and the Peabody Institute. Hopkins has a robust array of graduate programs as well, but at 6,400, undergraduates have an intimate college experience. While the name Johns Hopkins is well known for its STEM and pre-med programs, the Peabody Institute is a renowned conservatory for music and dance, and they have the second-oldest creative writing program in the country.
Mission and new developments
Calvin Wise, dean of undergraduate admissions, spoke plainly about the school’s mission when I toured with about 50 other counselors on May 18. He said they have an interdisciplinary, research-focused mission, to “create new knowledge for the world to make the world a better place.” He also said he’d like to see more humanities and social sciences majors explore all that JHU has to offer.
New and notable on campus: the gleaming Bloomberg Student Center that opened this year; the library revitalization project under way; the Agora Institute focused on civil discourse; the Green Energy Tech Lab; and the Data Science and AI Institute. New majors include Critical Diaspora Studies, Moral and Political Economy, and Systems Engineering. Hopkins also offers a double degree with Peabody, so you can earn a Bachelor’s of Music or Fine Arts and a B.A. or B.S. from the School of Arts and Sciences, typically a five-year program but ideal for serious artists who also want a “regular” college degree.
Academics
Students are admitted to the university as a whole. Your intended major does not affect your odds (they have a 6 percent admit rate) except for Biomedical Engineering, which has capped enrollment of only 100 to 120 students per year. JHU’s academic approach for first-years, “Guided Exploration,” adds dimension to a student’s major through co-curricular, interdisciplinary, and hands-on opportunities, in cohorts of 20 to 25 students. Professors lead first-year seminars with a dozen students per class, providing an intellectually exciting and supportive transition to Hopkins.
Financial aid
Thanks to huge monetary gifts from Michael Bloomberg to his alma mater, Hopkins meets 100 percent of demonstrated need without loans. Tuition is free for families earning under $200K, and parents contribute nothing if the family earns under $100K. Bloomberg’s gift specifically addresses First-Generation/Low-Income (FGLI) students. Financial support continues even when juniors and seniors move off campus.
Life after Hopkins
Post-graduation results are high, in part due to the Life Design Lab, Hopkins’ take on the career center. Engagement begins in the first and second year. The Design Your Life program helps students identify environments where they thrive and discourages narrow career tunnel-vision. It also funds unpaid or underpaid internships.
Getting in
Hopkins is what I’d call a highly rejective school: about 46,000 applied and fewer than 3,000 were offered admission in 2024, yielding a 6.4 percent admit rate. That means that 43,000 students were turned away, most of whom likely met at least the minimum qualifications. So what do they want?
Calvin Wise, the dean of admissions, said they’re looking for multifaceted, bright students with a bias toward action. These students see a problem and ask, “What are we going to do about it?” They’re looking for innovators and changemakers, for students who have been highly engaged in the city, clubs, organizations, students who can think in interdisciplinary ways. As I said before, they’d also welcome students who recognize JHU’s strength in humanities and social sciences. Avoid using AI in your essay. Wise said, “They haven’t given AI a soul yet.” In other words, they want to hear your voice, not AI’s.
Hopkins will be offering virtual workshops to walk you through applying. Counselors: supplements will likely change this year; watch for a release this summer.
Safety
Baltimore’s reputation for high crime has been earned, but it has become much safer in recent years, and Hopkins has paid attention to concerns about safety. They have their own police department in addition to security, and they provide shuttles with security stationed at the near-campus stops.
Student life
You won’t be bored at Johns Hopkins. In Division III, football and lacrosse draw crowds. A student involvement fair introduces incoming students to over 400 clubs and organizations. Hoptoberfest is the Hopkins version of Oktoberfest, with a petting zoo, carnival, and giveaways. The Blue Jay statue, their mascot, gets painted and decorated seasonally. When I visited, someone painted “Marry me, Jen?” on the statue. If you get stressed, you can go into the Bloomberg Student Center to relax.
Johns Hopkins is a place where the pre-med student and the ballerina can thrive side by side—and where a working-class kid from anywhere in the country, if the academic fit is right, can now afford to go.
Upcoming workshops from Johns Hopkins:
- May 27 — Breaking Down the College Search: https://admissions.jhu.edu/register/?id=2f7ff3f7-79d5-47a1-91ce-e71e5a2008f6
- June 24 — Telling Your Story: https://admissions.jhu.edu/register/?id=9b3c0b48-daaa-4708-9ea7-8b7d3bf347f9
The main workshops page where future sessions will be posted: https://apply.jhu.edu/event_group/workshops/
Hopkins has long posted “Essays That Worked”: https://apply.jhu.edu/college-planning-guide/essays-that-worked/