The country's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university, Georgetown is one of the more expensive schools in Money's rankings. But one reason for that — its location in Washington, D.C. — is also one of its biggest draws, especially for students interested in politics or international relations. (Those happen to be some of the university’s strongest academic areas, too.)
With a beautiful red brick campus overlooking the Potomac, Georgetown frequently welcomes Washington's elite to lecture or teach. Among the university's more recent additions is former White House COVID-19 advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, who joined the faculty after retiring from government service.
Roughly 40% undergraduate students receive some form of grants or scholarships to help defray their costs. Georgetown's graduation rate is 95%, and students' post median earnings of roughly $103,000 a decade after enrollment. Sports are a big part of campus life: The school touts that 1 in 10 undergraduates is a varsity athlete. Its revered basketball team, the Hoyas, has made it to the NCAA Final Four five times and clinched the championship once, in 1984.
In one of Georgetown's more head-turning traditions, students can attend screenings of The Exorcist each Halloween — and then walk to sites on campus where the movie was filmed, including the "Exorcist stairs," where the film's climax takes place.
