The university was founded in 1876 with funds from entrepreneur and philanthropist Johns Hopkins. "What are we aiming at?" — the first president of the university, Daniel Gilman asked during his inauguration in 1876. According to him, the main goal of the new university is "The encouragement of research . . . and the advancement of individual scholars, who by their excellence will advance the sciences they pursue, and the society where they dwell"[1]. Johns Hopkins University immediately defined its core mission as research. From the very first years, they have relied on postgraduate education and the support of research staff. One of the first Nobel Prize winners was the 28th US president, who received a doctorate in history and political science at Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins Universitypublishing House is the oldest U.S. university publisher. It opened in 1878. Famous scientific associations were created inside the university, conferences were held, which later became regular. In 1909, the гniversity launched a continuing education program, and in 1916 the first School of Public Health in the USwas established. During World War II, from 1942, the гniversity’s Applied Physics Laboratory served as the main state defense contractor. At the beginning of 21 century, new laboratories and institutes appeared at the university, The School of Education and Carey Business School were created.
Johns Hopkins University is one of the oldest research universities in the Western Hemisphere, known for its strong training in the field of medicine, chemistry, biology and law. For more than 140 years, many important discoveries have been made here. 36 university academics became Nobel Prize laureates. During the COVID-19 pandemic Johns Hopkins University conducts a number of studies on the topic of coronavirus and serological tests, and also publishes detailed daily statistics on cases of the disease in the world and the USA.
LocationBaltimore, United States
Establishment year1876
Students28,311
International students6,092
Female students52%
Acceptance rate11%
Place in ratings
Rating QS2024#28
Rating in the USA2021#14
Rating THE2023#15
By subject
Subject
Place in QS 2023
Life Sciences & Medicine
3
Anatomy & Physiology
4
Natural Sciences
67
Arts & Humanities
100
Social Sciences & Management
109
Accounting & Finance
112
Engineering & Technology
124
Data on COVID-19 gathered by Johns Hopkins University
Read more about the Johns Hopkins University activities during the pandemic
Being one of the world centers for biomedical research, Johns Hopkins University could not stay away from the pandemic. In mid-March 2020, Johns Hopkins University launched a large-scale program in search of possible actions and means against the coronavirus and redirected 6 million USD in funding for this cause. The program identified nine main areas of research: Community Research, Diagnostics, Health Care Worker Protection, Host Pathogenesis, Medical Supply Innovation, Modeling and Policy, Therapeutics, Viral Genetics and Viral Immunopathogenesis. In each area, there are leading scientists who organize multidisciplinary teams of experts in the field of medicine, engineering and healthcare. At the time of writing, the program involves 260 scientists and 25 projects. Links to some research and other resources that are publicly available can be found here.
In addition, Johns Hopkins University is working in a number of areas:
The university’s resources allowed it to become one of the main sources of information on the spread of COVID-19. The site offers an interactive map of COVID-19 with the most detailed and up-to-date statistics for the world and the USA; analytical materials on the topic are published. The initiative is aimed at giving the authorities and the public an understanding of what is happening in the world and what actions could be taken;
The Johns Hopkins Health Safety Center monitors the development and availability of serology tests for coronavirus, allowing to determine the virus in those who have already had the disease and now is a carrier with more accuracy, even in the absence of symptoms[2]. However, most of these tests are only certified for research. In turn, the university is developing a national strategy for serology testing in the United States;
The Bloomberg School of Public Health developed a free six-hour course on Coursera platform dedicated to the contacts tracing tools. In healthcare, this is understood as the process of identifying people who came into contact with the carrier of the infection, establishing their status and further monitoring their contacts. The course is an initial training for all who wish to undergo further training and work in this area;
For those who just want to understand what coronavirus is, university experts have developed a public course called Understanding the COVID-19 Pandemic. With it, you can learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, analyze pandemic development trends around the world, discuss the problems that society as a whole has encountered, and possible solutions.
The advantages of studying at Johns Hopkins University
Research opportunities. About 80% of students at Johns Hopkins University conduct independent research, often in collaboration with prominent scientists. The main area of studies is biomedicine. Thus, the Johns Hopkins Research Clinic is considered one of the best in the world. Such specializations such as neurosurgery and cardiac surgery originated here. In terms of spendings on medical and engineering research, Johns Hopkins University ranks first in the United States[3].
Campus infrastructure. Johns Hopkins University campuses are located in picturesque places, close to parks and green areas, some educational buildings are architectural monuments. Often they become a set for filming movies. For example, The Social Network was filmed at the Homewood Campus. The GeorgePeabody Library, which opened its doors in 1878, is considered one of the most beautiful and elegant libraries in the world. It contains many rare books of the XVIII-early XX centuries.
Flexible curriculum. Academic freedom at Johns Hopkins University isnot an empty statement. There are literally no disciplines prescribed by a particular program. Students are encouraged to independently build an individual curriculum from a wide range of courses by finding ones that suit their goals the most. More than 60% of students have double specializations (two majors or a major and minor)[4].
International internships. Although many prestigious universities have international partnerships with educational institutions around the world, the majority of them do not encourage long-term internships during the school year, focusing on their own educational programs. In turn, almost every student at Johns Hopkins University has studied abroad. Young researchers get the opportunity to expand the capabilities of their research, starting from the bachelor’s level.
Disadvantages of studying at Johns Hopkins University
Huge workloads. Johns Hopkins University is the first research university in the country, which imposes some responsibility on its students. It is not enough to simply study with minimal effort — future graduates need to demonstrate a strong desire for knowledge and scientific activity. Many students note that getting close to a high GPA is rather difficult here. The average performance of groups is about 3.0-3.4 out of 4.0.
Underestimation of humanitarian areas. The predominant number of programs and scientific research at the university relate to medicine, natural and technical sciences. This leads to the situation where students have a bias against schools focusing on humanities programs, considering them second class. In reality, this is not confirmed by facts. For example, Inside the Ivory Tower rating of programs in the field of international affairs, placed the master's School of Advanced International Studies 3rd in the world.
Baltimore. The location of the university, according to students, has several disadvantages. Firstly, the Johns Hopkins buildings are split between 4 campuses, which diminishes a sense of a single academic community. Secondly, besides historical monuments, there are not many interesting places in the city, not to mention various places of recreation and entertainment. At the same time, it is rather difficult for students to go somewhere in the neighborhood: buses rarely run. The only saving grace is the train to Washington, the price of which is 16 USD[5] for a round-trip.
Faculties of Johns Hopkins University
The university has an extensive academic network that consists of nine academic units located on campuses in Maryland and Washington:
In addition, the university has branches in Bologna (Italy) and Nanjing (China), as well as the largest Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in the United States, one of the main contractors of the US military-industrial complex.
Infrastructure of Johns Hopkins University
The university’s main campus — Homewoodis in Baltimore, Maryland. It is one of the most beautiful US campuses[6]. The educational and administrative buildings are located in the magnificent old residences of Homewood House and Evergreen House. Residences for students and staff are also located here. Mainly freshman and sophomores live here. You can take a virtual campus tour here.
The university has numerous laboratories, including Johns Hopkins Digital Media Center (DMC), a multimedia center designed specifically for students. DMC has the software to perform tasks related to audio, video, photos, graphics, animations, 3D modeling, and design, as well as development of the web and multimedia projects.
Tuition varies depending on the school and level of education. Below are the prices of full-time programs for 2020. Current data must be checked on the official websites of schools.
Almost all freshman and sophomore students live in Johns Hopkins dormitories. Some stay longer[7]. Master’s and doctoral students, as a rule, rent housing in the vicinity of the university, the university helps them in selecting suitable options[8].
Expenses
Cost per year
Dormitory
9,736 USD
A complete nutrition plan at the university
7,064 USD
Room for rent + meals
12,235 USD
Training materials
1,250 USD
Personal expenses
1,118 USD
Medical insurance
3,900 USD
Admission process at Johns Hopkins University
Foreign applicants enter on the same basis as US citizens, the admission process differs only in a few additional documents confirming financial viability (certificate of a foreign student on material well-being, aka ISCF) and language certificate (TOEFL/IELTS).
Bachelor’s
The main package of documents includes the following:
If a prospective student is applying for financial assistance, this must be indicated in the main application.
The university does not establish minimum requirements for standardized tests. A reference point for applicants can be the average scores for students accepted in 2019: 1480-1550 according to the test SAT Composite (new scale) and 33-35 according to the test ACT[9].
Application for graduate programs happens through the University website. The set of documents may vary depending on the school and curriculum. The standard list of requirements includes:
Online application;
Payment of registration fee 85-100 USD (together with the application);
CV / Resume;
Analytical or academic essay (for master’s);
Sample of written work (for doctoral studies);
Theme of future dissertation;
Motivation letter;
Academic transcripts of all previous higher education diplomas;
One or two recommendations sent personally by the teacher/employer;
The minimum threshold for TOEFL iBT is 100, IELTS is 7.0, but may be higher depending on the program.
For admission to a medical specialty, it is also necessary to provide MCAT results and have at least a year of study / work in one of the accredited US universities. Read more about the requirements of the School of Medicine here.
Master's / doctoral calendar of admission
Each Master program determines the deadlines independently. As a rule, they fall on the first days of January-February. For master's programs, they also often offer an additional early deadline on November 1 — Early Notification (similar to Early Decision for bachelor’s studies). The results are published in December and March, respectively. However, there are exceptions. Current dates can be found on school websites.
Statistics on admission to Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is a picky university, of the total number of applicants, only 11.5% receive an invitation[10].
These are the approximate dates for the school year 2019/20. It is necessary to check the exact dates on the official website.
Education at Johns Hopkins University is conducted in 51 majors and 46 minors bachelor’s courses, as well as hundreds of areas of postgraduate programs.
Upon admission to the undergraduate student independently determines his specialization, compiling a curriculum from the many available courses. Academic supervisors and teachers help them create their own educational trajectory. In the learning process, the curriculum can be changed and supplemented to the point of the complete change in specialization[11].
Most of the classes are held in the format of seminars in small groups of up to 15 people, which allows for an individual approach and to devote more time to the applied aspects of education.
The specifics of the university also determines the significant role of scientific research in the educational process, and not only in master's and doctoral programs, but also in bachelor’s studies. Students have access to leading laboratories of the university and the country, for example, the Applied Physics Laboratory. Not only they participate in the projects of professors, but also create their own initiatives, thanks to which they have the opportunity to receive scholarships that cover the cost of tuition. In postgraduate programs, individual research, as a rule, should end with a dissertation.
Scholarships and grants at Johns Hopkins University
All students in need of financial assistance are eligible for financial aid. For foreign students, there is even a separate grant category — Johns Hopkins International Student Scholarships. For financial assistance, you must make an appropriate note in the application for admission and attach the International Student Certification of Finances Form. The scholarship is calculated individually on the basis of supporting documents, and averages at 25,000 USD.
In addition, grants and scholarship programs based on individual achievements are being implemented at Johns Hopkins University:
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship is provided to study a topic for four years of bachelor’s studies, with payments of up to 10,000 USD per year;
Hodson Trust Scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic achievement and can cover about two-thirds of the cost of training. With high academic performance, the scholarship is extended for all 4 years of study at the bachelor's level. However, it is extremely difficult to get it: only 20 of the most gifted freshmen become the laureates (GPA of at least 3.0/4.0).
Applications are submitted simultaneously with admission (deadline in January), the results are known by the end of March.
International collaboration and exchange programs at Johns Hopkins University
Every year, hundreds of university students participate in exchange and research internship programs conducted by faculties, foreign universities, and third-party organizations. It can be both short-term trips (among recent destinations are Cuba, Ireland, Italy, Ecuador, Japan), and semester or one-year projects:[12]
The Vredenburg Scholarship for biological research in London;
Social internship in Chile;
Study of global health in Brazil, India and South Africa;
The Global Leadership Fellows Program in Tokyo, etc.
Johns Hopkins University also has agreements with institutes, clinics, and laboratories around the world. So, students can conduct their research at the University Hospital Santa Fe de Bogota (Colombia). In addition to traditional research, the hospital offers online courses and work in virtual clinics[13].
The Bloomberg School of Health even has an interactive map that shows projects involving Johns Hopkins scientists around the world. As part of a partnership with Hospital Moinhos de Vento, one of Brazil’s leading healthcare providers, the parties are working on developing patient-friendly medical practices.
Together with Princeton, Johns Hopkins University implements a number of programs in which students from both universities can participate. The jointly formed Institute for Quantum Matter conducts research in the development of new materials.
Online courses at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is actively developing its online curriculum, including the following:
Full-fledged programs in many areas, implemented through distance learning (certificates, master's degrees, doctoral studies);
Over 60 free online courses at Coursera. Topics include, for example, bioinformatics, data analysis, patient safety, care for people with Alzheimer's disease, etc.;
Prospects after graduating from Johns Hopkins University
According to a survey, six months after graduating from bachelor’s studies, 59% of university graduates find employment, 33% continue their studies, 5% go on an internship or start a business, and only 3% continue to look for work[9]. Schools in general, also show good results when taking master’s and doctoral students into account: for example, at the Bloomberg School of Health, 96% of students are employed in various fields after 6 months[14].
Graduates work in 35 different fields, the most popular among which are research (17.9%), engineering and IT (17.1%), consulting (9.68%), finance (9.68%) and healthcare (5.65%). Judging by the 2018 class, employers most often include companies such as Google, Amazon, Deloitte, ScribeAmerica, Accenture, Epic, as well as Johns Hopkins University itself and its medical institutions[15]. The average salary is 60,768 USD.
To help students find employment the university has a career centre Life Design Lab and the career guidance service Pre-Professional Advising. It is noteworthy that the university itself also offers many vacancies.
Scientific achievements of Johns Hopkins University
The works of scientists and researchers of Johns Hopkins University have one of the highest citation indexes in the world. At the beginning of 2020, the university as a whole ranked 41st in the world for this indicator[16];
Johns Hopkins University receives one of the largest federal research grants in the billions of US dollars[17];
The university professor Arthur Oncken Lovejoy was the philosopher, known for his ideas about the principle of abundance and continuity. The professor created his most significant works at JHU;
For the revolutionary discovery of restriction enzymes, the Nobel Prize was awarded to professor Hamilton Othanel Smith of JHU;
JHU scientists found a compound that can be used to strip a cancerous tumor of its building material;
The Johns Hopkins Universitypresented evidence for the existence of dark matter;
University researchers found the stupid virus: it turned out that the ATCV-1 virus is able to make a person dumber[18];
Johns Hopkins University found that nicotine suppresses the ability to experience pleasure;
Here, improved DNA matching tools have been developed;
University geneticists have found a way to normalize memory and learning disorders inherent in Down syndrome;
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University found that the PARIS protein contributes to the development of the most common form of Parkinson's disease. This should help develop new anti-disease drugs.
Wes Craven — the director who shot cult horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes, Scream, has a master’s degree of Johns Hopkins University;
Denton Cooley — surgeon, pioneer of heart transplantation, the first to transplant an artificial heart for a person;
John Austin — an actor known for his role as Gomez Addams in the television series Addams Family;
Peter Agre — biologist, American professor, Nobel Laureate in chemistry for the discovery of aquaporin, MD at Johns Hopkins University;
Virginia Apgar — anesthetist-neonatologist, author of the Apgar scale (APGAR), which is used by most of the perinatal centers of the world;
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the 108th mayor of New York, a businessman, one of the richest people in the world.
Interesting facts about Johns Hopkins University
In the 70s of the XIX century, the founder of the University, Johns Hopkins, donated most of his inheritance — 7 million USD — to create a hospital. In the history of the United States, this was one of the largest donations: today that summ would amount to about 148 million USD. The hospital is functioning to this day and is one of the research centers of the university;
The main annual festival at Johns Hopkins University is the Spring Fair, which takes place over three days in mid-late April. This is the largest student fair in the United States;
It was at Johns Hopkins University that the tradition of holding Gordon conferences, which have been held since 1931, was laid. Today, conferences have gone beyond the framework of one university, they are held in different countries, summaries of conferences are published in the renowned journal Science;
The film The Invasion with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig filmed partly in the Mudd laboratoryof Homewood campus.
