Johns Hopkins University
#1 Best Online Colleges- Graduation Rate
- 94% A+
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $87,555 A+
- Top 3% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $18,809 C-
- Close to the national average
- Acceptance Rate
- 6% A+
- Rejects about 94 of every 100 applicants
Bottom line: A B+ overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 23.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $23.6 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Online Colleges.
Every $1 spent returns $23.6 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,701,973.
What The Data Says
-
A B+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 115% more than the national college median.
-
A 94% graduation rate — 65% above the national average.
-
Inventor rate in the top 10% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.
-
A top feeder school for 3 major employers.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 2.3%
- Top 10%
- Patents
- 147
- Linked to graduates
- World Rank
- #13
- Times Higher Education
- Employer Pipelines
- 3
- Top feeder programs
- Patent Citations
- 155
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 89/100
- Times Higher Education
Why Johns Hopkins University Matters
Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, MD ranked #13 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by exceptional admissions selectivity, a top-tier research enterprise, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network, and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 3% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R1 · Very High Research
- Enrollment
- 5,693
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Biology & Biomedical, Engineering, Computer Science & IT, Social Sciences
Why students choose Johns Hopkins University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Highly selective — admits about 6% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1520–1570. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $18,809 a year after grants and scholarships — 10% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $87,555 ten years after enrolling — 115% above the typical college, against $10,250 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.2% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 24% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.83 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an acceptance rate of just 6%, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore is tailored for driven students who are ready to engage deeply in their education. The standout programs here include Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science and IT, Social Sciences, and Health Professions, making it a solid choice for those interested in health, technology, and scientific research. The school's tight-knit community of about 5,700 students fosters collaboration and a culture of inquiry, appealing to individuals who thrive in an intellectually stimulating environment.
After graduation, alumni see impressive earning potential, with a median income of $87,555 ten years post-degree. This figure reflects the value of a degree from Johns Hopkins in the job market, particularly in fields like engineering and health professions. While 19% of students receive Pell Grants, this indicates that the university is accessible to a range of economic backgrounds, allowing for a diverse student body to grow and succeed.
Looking at the financials, the net price after aid comes to about $18,809, which is quite manageable given the high graduation rate of 94%. With a median debt of $10,250, graduates leave with a reasonable financial burden, setting them up for success. Students who make the most of their time here are often those who are proactive, curious, and willing to seek out opportunities in research and internships, setting themselves up for fruitful careers ahead.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Johns Hopkins University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Johns Hopkins University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins University turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 6%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,553. The graduation rate is roughly 94%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Retention Rate
- 98%
- SAT Average
- 1553
- SAT Range
- 1520–1570
- ACT Range
- 34–36
- Full-Time Faculty
- 94%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $18,971
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 6:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.81
- First-Gen Students
- 13%
- Applicants
- 37,844
- Admitted
- 2,745
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Johns Hopkins University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 45% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school many admits weigh against other offers.
- Yield Rate
- 45%
- of admits enroll
- Submitted SAT
- 57%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 20%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Early Decision Admit Rate
- 10.9%
- vs 6.1% overall
Applying early pays off here. Of 7,639 Early Decision applicants, 835 were admitted — a 10.9% admit rate, roughly 1.8× the 6.1% rate for the overall pool. That binding round alone filled about 61% of the entering class (835 of 1,378 first-years). The catch: Early Decision is a commitment you make before you can compare aid offers.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Johns Hopkins University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Johns Hopkins University is $65,230, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $18,809. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $428 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,250 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $65,230
- Out-of-State
- $65,230
- Avg Net Price
- $18,809
- Median Debt
- $10,250
- Pell Grant Rate
- 19%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 9%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $428
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $-213
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $4,179
- Family Income $110K+
- $37,774
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Johns Hopkins University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Johns Hopkins University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of $87,555, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $86,306
- 8 Years
- $94,324
- 10 Years
- $87,555
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.12x
- Earning > $25K
- 88%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (1,298)
- 89%
- 100% (1,298)
- 89%
- 100% (1,298)
- 89%
- 100% (1,298)
- 89%
Where Grads Go
Johns Hopkins University is a top feeder for:
Rank among programs feeding each employer.
Top employers of Johns Hopkins University’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.
- Abbott ✓ VerifiedOther · Class of 2024
- AstraZeneca ✓ VerifiedOther · Class of 2024
- Edward Jones ✓ VerifiedOther · Class of 2024
- McKinsey & Company ✓ VerifiedConsulting · Class of 2024
- Walmart ✓ VerifiedOther · Class of 2024
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- Sibley Memorial Hospital ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
How Johns Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Johns Hopkins University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Johns Hopkins University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $18,809/year ($75,236 total). Graduates earn $87,555 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,777,209 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,701,973 (23.6× your investment). The median debt is $10,250, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 94% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $75,236
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,777,209
- Net Return
- $1,701,973
- ROI Multiple
- 23.6×
- Cost Per Year
- $18,809
- Median Debt
- $10,250
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 94%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Johns Hopkins University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Johns Hopkins University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.15%, among the highest in the country. Access is narrower: only about 3.7% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 58.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $142,300, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.15%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 58.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 3.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $193,336
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Research & Teaching
Data: Times Higher Education World University Rankings
How Research-Intensive Is Johns Hopkins University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Johns Hopkins University at #13 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 89/100, teaching at 81/100, and citation impact of 92/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
- World Rank
- #13
- Teaching
- 80.9
- Research
- 89.2
- Citations
- 92.3
- International
- 58.5
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Johns Hopkins University produces inventors at an exceptional rate — the top 10% of U.S. colleges, with 147 patents tied to its graduates, and ranks among research universities with a 89/100 research score.
- Inventor Rate
- 2.31%
- Top 10% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 147
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 155
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 89/100
- Times Higher Ed
- Academic Influence
- 92/100
- Citation impact (THE)
- Industry Engagement
- 100/100
- Knowledge transfer (THE)
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.55%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-1,027,947,000
Top Programs
The fields Johns Hopkins University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Biology & Biomedical 23% $36,132 early-career
- Engineering 20% $100,584 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 10% $129,096 early-career
- Social Sciences 10% $89,170 early-career
- Health Professions 10% $83,234 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 6% $29,935 early-career
- Physical Sciences 4% $77,627 early-career
- Mathematics & Statistics 3% $103,215 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Johns Hopkins University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Johns Hopkins University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins University turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 6%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,553. The graduation rate is roughly 94%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Johns Hopkins University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Johns Hopkins University is $65,230, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $18,809. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $428 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,250 in federal student loans.
Is Johns Hopkins University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of $87,555, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Johns Hopkins University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Johns Hopkins University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.15%, among the highest in the country. Access is narrower: only about 3.7% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 58.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $142,300, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Johns Hopkins University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Johns Hopkins University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.83, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
How Research-Intensive Is Johns Hopkins University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Johns Hopkins University at #13 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 89/100, teaching at 81/100, and citation impact of 92/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
Does Johns Hopkins University offer Early Decision, and does it improve admission chances?
Yes. Johns Hopkins University offers a binding Early Decision plan, and it carries a real advantage: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 11%, about 1.8 times the overall 6% acceptance rate, and ED filled roughly 61% of the entering class. Because ED is binding, it makes sense only if Johns Hopkins University is a clear first choice and you can commit before comparing aid offers (2025-26 Common Data Set).
Is Johns Hopkins University really test-optional?
Johns Hopkins University reports test-optional admission, but most enrolled students still submit scores: about 77% of first-year students sent an SAT or ACT (2025-26 Common Data Set). Submitting strong scores is the norm here.
What percentage of admitted students enroll at Johns Hopkins University?
About 45% of admitted students choose to enroll at Johns Hopkins University — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
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Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Johns Hopkins University.
- University of ChicagoChicago, IL · Close peer95% grad $91,885 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Rice UniversityHouston, TX · Close peer95% grad $89,718 earn 8% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · Close peer93% grad $91,565 earn 6% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Close peer96% grad $100,533 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · Close peer91% grad $80,137 earn 11% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · Close peer97% grad $101,817 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Johns Hopkins University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Johns Hopkins University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.83, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note