How to Estimate Your Total Cost of Attendance at GW

A Guide to Estimating Your Educational Expenses: Undergraduate Students

This page is to help undergraduate students enrolled in bachelor degree programs offered by GW’s Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Elliott School of International Affairs or Milken Institute School of Public Health, understand and estimate what it may cost them to attend GW during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Full-time/Part-time Status

Undergraduate students registered for less than 12 credit hours in a semester are considered part-time and will be charged a per-credit rate. Financial aid, including scholarships and work-study, may be impacted if a student falls below full-time status at any point during the semester. Students registered for more than 18 credit hours will be charged $2,170 or each credit hour that exceeds 18 credits. Exception: GW Engineering students may take up to 19 credits with no additional per credit charge.

Student Fees

The following mandatory fees will be applied:

• U•Pass Transportation: Unlimited use of Metrorail and Metrobus at a discounted, flat fee of $100 per semester for all full-time students.
• Student Government Association Dues: All students at the undergraduate, graduate, law, medical and professional/doctoral level are charged $3 per credit hour each semester to help fund the Student Government Association, GW’s student governing body.

The following fees may be applied based on your enrollment status:

• Student Health Insurance Plan: The university mandates that all students must have medical health insurance coverage while enrolled at GW. GW offers a comprehensive Student Health Insurance Plan (GW SHIP) through Aetna Student Health and all students–including undergraduate, graduate, law, medical and doctoral students–are automatically enrolled in GW SHIP unless the student waives out of the GW health plan.
• Matriculation fee: A one-time fee for new, incoming students is charged the first semester a student enrolls. ie: The first semester in their first-year of study at GW after high school or the first semester a student transfers to GW from another college. 

Housing and Food
The established estimated rate for on-campus housing and food is the average cost by class-year and is the base level for allocating financial aid. Students who receive financial aid who choose to select a room or meal plan at a higher rate than the listed estimate will be responsible to cover any additional costs from their own resources or via a PLUS/alternative loan option.

• View GW’s five tiers of housing rates. As a student transitions through GW, more room styles, buildings and options are available such as suite style and apartment living at various rates. These options provide greater flexibility based on preference than the traditional two-person room most students live-in during their first-year in college.  
• View GW’s meal plan options available by class year. A meal plan is required for all students who live in the residence halls.

The university, in accordance with D.C. regulations, requires all first- and second-year students to reside on campus unless their permanent address is within commuting distance or are approved for a residency exemption through a process managed by the Campus Living and Residential Education Office.

Indirect Costs
When determining how much to budget/plan to spend during college, there will be indirect costs such as books, supplies, transportation, personal expenses (clothes, entertainment, etc) to consider. The university uses standard allowances for these indirect costs when estimating how much a student and their family can contribute towards their overall yearly expenses during the academic year when calculating the financial assistance the university can provide. Each student’s indirect cost will vary based on personal circumstances.

View the charts/tables on this page based on your class year to learn more about estimating your expenses for the 2024-2025 academic year

Students in their fifth academic year at GW follow the fixed tuition pricing set in fall 2019.

In addition to the more traditional four-year undergraduate degree programs offered in the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Elliott School of International Affairs and Milken Institute School of Public Health, GW offers several accelerated and/or degree completion bachelor degree programs in the School of Nursing, School of Medicine & Health Sciences and College of Professional Studies.

The information listed in each section here is for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Accelerated Nursing Program (ABSN)

Financial assistance is awarded to cover educational costs within a specific academic year. Review the 2023-2024 academic year estimated costs based on the year the student entered GW. Estimated costs vary by academic year and program. The cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, books, supplies and an allowance for personal and living expenses.  The COA includes transportation costs intended to cover the cost of getting to and from school and related offsite locations; however it does not include an allowance for car payments.  The charts below reflect full time enrollment (12 or more credit hours).

ABSN Cohorts and Academic Years

The cohort the student is in will impact the structure / schedule of financial assistance they receive within each academic year. Academic years for financial assistance purposes consist of fall, spring and summer semesters (in that order). 

Note that tuition rates and COA figures are subject to change at any time

Accelerated Nursing Program (ABSN) - Classes entering Summer 2023

Notes:

• The figures above represent an estimated cost of attendance for an independent student.
• Tuition is capped at 12 credit hours per semester.
• Health Insurance costs are not included automatically but can be added in upon request by completing the Cost of Attendance Appeal section of the Undergraduate Change Form.
• Undergraduate Change Form is used to request consideration that additional expenses (e.g. higher housing and food estimates) are included in the COA.  Please refer to that form for documentation requirements.

Fees include:

• Lab Fee of $300 per semester
• NCLEX Review Fee of $200 per semester.
• One time Criminal Background Check and Immunization Fee of $122 (first semester only)
• One time Health Assessment Equipment Fee of $220 (first semester only)
• One time Neehr Perfect Subscription of $155 (first semester only)
• One time Orientation Fee of $75 (first semester only)

College of Professional Studies

Financial assistance is awarded to cover educational costs within a specific academic year. Review the 2023-2024 academic year estimated costs based on the year the student entered GW. Estimated costs vary by academic year and program. Amounts listed below reflect the costs for one academic year (fall and spring semesters).

Note that tuition rates and COA figures are subject to change at any time

Notes:

• The figures above represent a estimated cost of attendance for an independent student for one academic year (fall and spring semesters).
• Fees include:
  • Student Association Fee of $3 per credit to a maximum of $90 for Fall/Spring

Online Learning

Financial Assistance is awarded to cover educational costs within a specific academic year. The following provides estimated costs for undergraduate students enrolled in online learning programs for the 2023-2024 academic year. Estimated costs vary by location and program.

Note that tuition rates and COA figures are subject to change at any time.

Notes:

• The figures above represent a estimated cost of attendance for an independent student for one academic year (fall and spring semesters).
• Tuition amount is dependent on the program.
• Fees include:
  • Registration Fee of $35 per semester