Life in D.C.

You will get an education in D.C. and from D.C.
Our roots run deep and our networks wide, providing

opportunities you won't find elsewhere.

When you study at GW, your experience will be anything but typical. You might learn from Pulitzer Prize-winners, run into world leaders on campus, or be challenged by the first lady to serve our community. But the real difference at GW is that as a student you’ll immediately put your knowledge in action. From the heart of Washington, D.C., you’ll be able to explore hundreds of internship opportunities (in your field alone), take part in groundbreaking research that changes lives, join student organizations, and volunteer with fellow students in the District or around the world. If you come to GW, you won’t just live in D.C. — you’ll become a part of the nation’s capital and make a difference in it every day.

GW’s historic location, nestled between the White House, the Kennedy Center, and a number of federal and international agencies, gives you unparalleled opportunities and turns the city into your classroom.

Dara Molotsky

Dara Molotsky

Class of 2021
Judaic Studies and History Student

My experience at the George Washington University has been incredible and I am so proud to say that I attend my dream university. Located in downtown D.C., GW utilizes the space and city in our community to provide us with the best experience possible. We engage with our community through GW’s so many lenses: service, research, internship, socially, professionally, and more. The faculty at GW engage with their community and encourage their students to join them, which gives us opportunities like no other. GW has encouraged me to be the independent, passionate, go-getter that I’ve always wanted to be, and I’m thrilled to be a student at the University.




 

Learn from D.C.

You may take classes and course trips in a Smithsonian Institution, study at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, intern at the White House, a national research lab, or a Fortune 500 company, participate in a community service project, or enjoy a new cultural experience – all a short Metro ride or bike-share from campus.

 

A World Tour

Our students can also explore the world through their taste buds, with restaurant offerings from different ethnic traditions across D.C.’s vibrant neighborhoods. This culinary tour is made easier thanks to our dining and grocery partners on and near campus.

 

Make D.C. Yours

Walk to a variety of museums, parks, and attractions or hop on the Metro, a bus, or bike-share for adventures all over the city. And your city experiences don’t need to be confined to daylight hours, as many students enjoy “midnight monumenting” after the tourists have turned in for the night.

 

When you live and study at GW,
the District is yours to explore fully.

 

 

Research at Your Fingertips

graphic presentation of a student at a desk looking at a pie chart

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Learning at GW doesn’t end in the classroom. Conducting research as an undergraduate is an important way to build relationships with mentors, prepare for graduate studies, explore careers and translate skills into real-world applications. Faculty from all disciplines are eager to bring students into their labs and fields, and the university supports these projects through fellowships, scholarships and exhibitions.

 Participate in research
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Research Centers & Institutes

Research and innovation are driving forces advancing GW as an academic institution and society as a whole. Our approximately 70 centers and institutes investigate groundbreaking cancer research, high-performance computing, arts, global security, public health, sustainability, and cross-disciplinary initiatives. GW research drives policy through partnerships with powerful institutions, like the Smithsonian, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Library of Congress.

 View a list of our research centers and institutes

Start Your Career Before Graduation

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The GW Alumni Network

Elizabeth Acevedo, Mark Lerner, and Kerry Washington - they are just three of GW's monumental alumni who have helped to make the world a better place. The GW alumni community numbers over 300,000 across more than 150 countries worldwide. Our alumni make an impact in their communities - and they play an active role in the life of the university, enriching student experiences, forging professional networks, and giving back through volunteerism and philanthropy.

 Take advantage of our ever-expanding alumni network
graphic presentation of student interns in front of the Capitol, National Mall and Washington Monument

GW is “Best for Internships”

Some college students head back to their beds after class, while GW students walk to work on Capitol Hill, at the Washington Post or even to the White House. Washington, D.C., is a mecca for internship opportunities — more than 15,000, in fact, are available for 10,000 GW undergraduate students. You don’t need to be a math major to know those are pretty solid odds.

 Take advantage of the city’s thousands of internship opportunities

Part of the Community

  • A Spirit of Service
    Students volunteering in food warehouse

    A Spirit of Service

    GW students are passionate about making a difference at their university, in their community, and around the world. Our community completed over 650,000 hours of community service in the 2020-2021 academic year, and we are consistently among the top universities in the country to provide Peace Corps volunteers and Teach for America corps members.

    Learn more about service opportunities at GW
  • Day of Service
    First-year students volunteering for Day of Service

    Day of Service

    Initiated by a call to action from then-First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009, GW’s Day of Service has become an annual tradition of giving back to the Washington, D.C., community and the residents who live here. Each incoming class of first-year students comes together to complete dozens of service projects around the city, including painting murals, cleaning up parks, and helping the homeless.

    See how GW students give back to their community