Johns Hopkins University admission for international students, 2027 entry

For entry in autumn 2027, Johns Hopkins takes one application through the Common Application or Coalition on Scoir, due November 1, 2026 for Early Decision I or January 2, 2027 for Early Decision II and January 2, 2027 for Regular Decision, and its testing page (as of October 2026) requires SAT or ACT scores from first-year applicants. Hopkins estimates the cost of attendance at $95,000 for the 2026-27 academic year before aid, one year before the year you would start.

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, was founded in 1876 as the nation's first research university. The Peabody Institute, part of Johns Hopkins, sets its own requirements and deadlines on peabody.jhu.edu.

The Hopkins cost of attendance covers tuition, fees, housing, and meal plans, plus books, school supplies, travel costs, and day-to-day personal expenses.

George-peabody-library

What the calendar means in October 2026

In October 2026, the Johns Hopkins Early Decision I deadline of November 1, 2026 is the next deadline, and the financial aid deadline for that round is November 15, 2026. Hopkins encourages Early Decision applicants to complete their tests no later than October of your senior year, and Regular Decision applicants no later than December of your senior year. Applicants who plan to take a later test note this on the application.

If you are not ready for November, Johns Hopkins Early Decision II and Regular Decision both stay open until January 2, 2027. Early Decision II is binding but gives you more time for tests and first-semester grades; Regular Decision is not binding and lets you compare offers. An Early Decision I applicant can still move to Early Decision II or Regular Decision until November 15.

Three rules that catch international applicants out

• Need-aware admission, one chance to ask for aid. Johns Hopkins is need-aware for international students: their financial circumstances are considered in the admissions process. Hopkins still meets 100% of demonstrated need for every admitted student, and about 10% of international students receive aid. If you do not apply for aid as a first-year applicant, you cannot apply later. US citizens and permanent residents living abroad are reviewed need-blind.
• The SAT or ACT is required. The Hopkins testing page (as of October 2026) requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, and Hopkins superscores across test dates.
• Early Decision is binding, and there is no Early Action. Johns Hopkins Early Decision I and II are both binding: if admitted, you withdraw all other applications and enrol. Admission is offered through Early Decision and Regular Decision only, so there is no Early Action and no rolling admission.

Every international applicant to Johns Hopkins submits the Certification of Finances (COF) form in the applicant portal, aid or not; the financial aid page sets the date: by the financial aid deadline for your admissions plan. Aid applicants add the CSS Profile.

Johns Hopkins, founded in 1876 as the nation's first research university, owes its reputation to research: its admissions site lists it as #1 for annual research funding in the U.S.

For a ranking position, read it on the U.S. News, Times Higher Education, QS or ShanghaiRanking site itself and note the edition before you compare universities.

Johns Hopkins calls its schools of Public Health, Medicine and Nursing top-ranked without naming a ranking, and its admission page counts more than 180 programs regularly recognized as being among the nation's best. U.S. News lists for medicine, public health and nursing rank graduate schools, and a Johns Hopkins Hospital ranking is a hospital ranking; neither ranks an undergraduate major such as biomedical engineering.

What the Johns Hopkins reputation rests on

Johns Hopkins describes itself as America's first research university, founded on the belief that teaching and research are interdependent.

Johns Hopkins today has more than 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students across ten academic divisions. Its admissions site gives #1 for annual research funding in the U.S. The Johns Hopkins About page credits its people with water purification, CPR and corrective surgery for infant heart defects, among other discoveries.

View from Levering Plaza

In public health, Johns Hopkins describes its Bloomberg School of Public Health as a leader in public health research, education, and practice with ongoing work in more than 100 countries.

A short history of America's first research university

The Bloomberg gift let Johns Hopkins eliminate student loans from financial aid packages for all undergrads. It did not make admission need-blind for applicants from abroad: Hopkins is need-aware for international students, so financial circumstances are considered, while it is need-blind for domestic applicants. Johns Hopkins says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students, including international students.

Notable Hopkins alumni

The Johns Hopkins notable-alumni page counts a past U.S. president among those with Johns Hopkins degrees. The page gives no degrees or class years.

Johns Hopkins's application, Early Decision and testing pages state no first-year admit rate. What those pages do fix for autumn 2027 entry is when you hear back: December 11, 2026 for Early Decision I, February 12, 2027 for Early Decision II and March 24, 2027 for Regular Decision.

The academic figures Hopkins publishes for recent admits sit in a separate profile document. Hopkins's Peabody Institute tells applicants to review the academic profile of recently admitted Johns Hopkins students and links the JHU Admitted Student Profile. Read it there, and check which entering class it describes before you compare it with a figure you saw elsewhere.

The Johns Hopkins international page counts more than 450 international students from 61 countries across the whole undergraduate population, without a year. That count covers every class year together, not one admitted class.

Early Decision and Regular Decision

Johns Hopkins admits first-year students only through Early Decision and Regular Decision, so there is no Early Action. Early Decision I and Early Decision II are both binding: if Hopkins admits you, you withdraw all other applications and enrol, and you can apply Early Decision to one school at a time.

The Hopkins application and Early Decision pages give no Early Decision admit rate and do not say what share of the entering class is filled through Early Decision. Applying early commits you to Hopkins; it is not a promise of better odds.

The two Early Decision rounds differ in what can happen to you. Hopkins defers some Early Decision I applicants to Regular Decision to review their application in the context of its broader applicant pool. In some cases, Early Decision II applicants may be waitlisted. If either Early Decision round denies you, you cannot reapply in Regular Decision that year.

Profile of the admitted class

Johns Hopkins requires the SAT or ACT from first-year applicants and superscores, taking your highest section scores across all test dates. The admissions pages do not print the middle range of SAT or ACT scores of admitted students, the share who sent each test, or their class rank or grades. Take those figures from the JHU Admitted Student Profile and read them as the level of students Hopkins admitted, not as a minimum.

The only SAT and ACT numbers on the Hopkins testing page are about English. Hopkins encourages a TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or Cambridge score if you score below 690 on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or below 30 on both ACT Reading and English. Those numbers tell you when to add an English test; they are not admission minimums and not the level of admitted students.

Biomedical Engineering: a second selection

Getting into Johns Hopkins does not guarantee a place in Biomedical Engineering. Hopkins admits students to BME based on evaluation of credentials and space available, and you can be admitted to the university without acceptance to the BME major. There is no separate application: you list BME as your first-choice major and learn the BME outcome at decision release.

If Hopkins admits you but not to BME, you may choose any other intended major in the Whiting School of Engineering or the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. Hopkins gives no BME admit rate and no admit rate for any other programme.

The Peabody double degree adds the same kind of second hurdle across two schools. You must be a competitive applicant for both Peabody Conservatory and Johns Hopkins, and Peabody notes that students may be admitted to one institution and not the other.

As of October 2026, Johns Hopkins's admissions pages say it reads your required SAT or ACT scores alongside your transcript, AP or IB scores, if any, and the rigor of your courses within the context of your school curriculum, plus your essays, teacher evaluations from teachers of two different academic subjects and your counselor recommendation. If you apply as an international student, Hopkins is also need-aware: your family's finances are considered in the admissions process.

Johns Hopkins requires the SAT or ACT from first-year applicants. The Hopkins admissions pages publish no minimum SAT or ACT score, grade or class rank. Your activities list is inclusive of family or work responsibilities, so a paid job or regular duties at home belong on it.

Course rigor when you study outside the US

Johns Hopkins measures rigor against your own school, not a fixed list of subjects: the committee weighs AP or IB scores, if any, and the rigor of your courses within the context of your school curriculum. Hopkins publishes no typical offer for the IB Diploma, A-levels or national diplomas, and no class-rank target.

In practice, the school profile shows which courses your school offered and your transcript shows which you took. An A-level or national-diploma student without AP or IB scores is read on the transcript, the profile and the SAT or ACT.

Ability to pay and interviews

Johns Hopkins is need-blind for domestic applicants, a group that includes U.S. citizens and permanent residents. For international applicants Hopkins is need-aware, meaning financial circumstances are considered in the admissions process, and every one of them submits the Certification of Finances form.

The aid request at Johns Hopkins is a one-time choice: international students must indicate their interest in financial aid as a first-year applicant and will not be able to reapply later on. Admitted students, international ones included, have 100% of demonstrated need met.

The first-year application checklist on the Johns Hopkins admissions site includes no interview, so your case rests on the written file.

Deferral, waitlist and applying again

Both Early Decision rounds at Johns Hopkins are binding agreements, but they end differently. In Early Decision I, you can be admitted, deferred to Regular Decision, or denied. In Early Decision II, you can be admitted, waitlisted, or denied.

If Johns Hopkins defers you, you will be required to send mid-year reports; additional materials are not required, but you can update your application with additional letters of recommendation, an updated resume, standardized test scores, or a written statement of interest for review during the Regular Decision selection process.

An Early Decision denial at Johns Hopkins ends that cycle: you are not eligible to reapply for Regular Decision. Applicants who have graduated high school and completed more credits at another institution apply as transfer applicants: Transfer applicants must have graduated high school and completed more than 12 semester-based credits at another institution.

Johns Hopkins's testing page (as of October 2026) requires first-year applicants to submit SAT (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) or ACT (Math, Reading and English) scores, so Hopkins is not test-optional. You can self-report scores, Hopkins superscores across test dates, and it encourages you to finish testing no later than October of your senior year for Early Decision (Early Decision I deadline 1 November 2026) and no later than December for Regular Decision (deadline 2 January 2027).

The Johns Hopkins requirement covers the SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections, or the ACT Math, Reading and English sections. It applies to first-year applicants; transfer applicants are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores.

Johns Hopkins reads test scores inside its holistic review: the admissions committee considers them alongside your transcripts, AP or IB scores, if any, and the rigor of your courses within the context of your school curriculum.

How Johns Hopkins receives and reads your scores

Johns Hopkins reviews self-reported and official SAT or ACT scores, and you self-report through the Common Application or Coalition on Scoir. If you self-report, official score reports are required once you are admitted and choose to enroll.

Johns Hopkins superscores: if you take the SAT or ACT more than once and submit multiple scores, Hopkins considers your highest section scores across all test dates, so your best Math result can come from one sitting and your best Evidence-Based Reading and Writing result from another. Official reports go to recipient code 5332 for the SAT and 1704 for the ACT.

When to take the SAT or ACT for Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins encourages Early Decision applicants to complete their standardized tests no later than October of your senior year, and Regular Decision applicants no later than December of your senior year; for autumn 2027 entry that means October 2026 and December 2026. If you intend to sit a later test, Hopkins asks you to note it on your application.

• Hopkins's testing page (as of October 2026) says Hopkins considers your highest section scores across all test dates if you take the SAT or ACT more than once and submit multiple scores. This applies to first-year applicants.
• Hopkins's testing page (as of October 2026) tells Early Decision applicants it encourages them to complete standardized tests no later than October of your senior year.

The Hopkins testing page does not say whether the October advice also covers Early Decision II, which shares the Regular Decision deadline. The SAT and ACT dates that remain before 2 January 2027 are set by the College Board and ACT, not by Hopkins, so check their test-date pages before you register; you can only self-report a score once it has been released.

The SAT score you need for Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins states no minimum SAT or ACT score, and its official pages publish no score range for admitted students.

The only SAT and ACT score levels on the Hopkins testing page concern English, not admission. If you score below 690 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, or below 30 in both ACT Reading and English, Hopkins encourages you to add TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test or Cambridge English scores. These are triggers for an English test, not admission targets.

Because Johns Hopkins superscores, a retake aimed at your weaker section is the direct way to raise the score Hopkins considers, as long as it fits before your deadline.

AP exams, IB scores and optional ACT sections

Hopkins considers AP or IB scores, if any, alongside your transcript and the rigor of your courses. The Hopkins testing page names no AP or IB score level.

Peabody Institute applicants

The Peabody Institute, the Johns Hopkins music school, is the exception: Peabody is test-optional for undergraduate applicants. For Recording Arts, Music for New Media and Computer Music, Peabody says scores of SAT math 700+ and ACT 32+ are typical of students who succeed in those programs.

If you apply to Johns Hopkins for autumn 2027, the Hopkins testing page (as of October 2026) encourages applicants whose primary language is not English, or who have not attended an English language school for the last three years, to send TOEFL, IELTS, DET or Cambridge English scores if they score below 690 on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and says competitive applicants typically receive IELTS 7.0 or higher on each band, a Duolingo English Test composite of 120 or higher, or a Cambridge English score of 185 or higher. The Peabody Institute, the Hopkins conservatory, lists for international applicants minimum scores of TOEFL: 4.5 or IELTS: 6.5 overall band score.

On Johns Hopkins's testing page (as of October 2026), the English advice is for applicants whose primary language is not English, or who have not attended an English language school for the last three years: Hopkins encourages TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test (DET) or Cambridge English scores if you score below 690 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) section of the SAT or below 30 on both the ACT Reading and English sections. Hopkins requires the SAT or ACT of first-year applicants anyway, so your SAT or ACT result shows early whether an English score helps.

Johns Hopkins presents its IELTS, DET and Cambridge figures as scores competitive applicants typically receive, under the heading "To be competitive, applicants should typically receive", not as a cut-off. Peabody's figures are listed as minimum score requirements for international applicants. The IELTS figure of 7.0 applies to each band, so check your weakest section, not only your overall score.

Sending English scores to Johns Hopkins

Send TOEFL scores to Johns Hopkins with recipient code 5332, the same code Hopkins lists for the SAT. For the SAT and ACT, Hopkins says it will review self-reported and official scores. For English tests, ask Johns Hopkins admissions about self-reporting and about at-home test versions before you book.

Peabody: minimum scores

Peabody lists minimum scores for international applicants of TOEFL - 4.5, IELTS - 6.5 overall band score. Peabody does not accept the Duolingo English Test. Peabody's TOEFL code is 5532, not the Hopkins 5332.

Peabody says you may be exempt from its English proficiency requirement if you have completed at least two years of full-time study in an English-language academic program, or if you will graduate from a qualifying English-language academic program prior to enrolling at Peabody.

Johns Hopkins publishes no minimum grades and no typical offer for the IB, A-levels or any national diploma on its admissions pages for 2027 entry. Hopkins reads your transcripts, AP or IB scores, if any, and the rigor of your courses within the context of your school curriculum, and it requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores whatever diploma you hold.

There is no IB point total, A-level grade set or Abitur average to aim for. Johns Hopkins judges how demanding your courses were among those your school offered, and how you did in them, from your secondary school report, which includes your counselor recommendation, transcript, and high school profile. International applicants must submit an official record of academic performance for the equivalent of 9th, 10th, and 11th grades under the U.S. system, per the Hopkins International Applicants FAQ (as of October 2026).

IB, A-levels and national diplomas at Hopkins

The Hopkins International Applicants FAQ (as of October 2026) asks for an official record of academic performance for the equivalent of 9th, 10th, and 11th grades under the U.S. system, with any certificates or exam results that mark the end of secondary school, such as O-level, A-level or IB results. No national qualification has a grade rule of its own on the Hopkins admissions pages.

What your school sends to Hopkins

Johns Hopkins asks your school, through the Common Application or Coalition on Scoir, for the documents that carry your record.

Johns Hopkins uses the mid-year report to see your final-year grades: the mid-year school report allows Hopkins to review your grades and performance in the first half of your senior year, your last year of secondary school. Ask your counselor to make sure the high school profile explains your curriculum and its grading scale.

Transcripts not in English

The Peabody Institute, the Hopkins conservatory with its own application, says its international applicants upload original academic transcripts and official English translations directly through the application portal (Peabody International Applicants page, as of October 2026). If your school documents are not in English, ask your counselor to send an English translation with them and confirm the format with your Hopkins regional admissions counselor.

Tests you add to your diploma

Your diploma does not replace a test at Johns Hopkins. Besides the required SAT or ACT, Hopkins encourages English scores from applicants whose primary language is not English when their SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score is below 690; the English chapter gives the scores Hopkins looks for.

AP, IB and A-level credit at Hopkins

On A-levels, the Johns Hopkins external credit policies for the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering (latest published edition) state: Only Advanced A-Levels are awarded credits. Do not plan your first year around exam credit, and confirm with Hopkins once you are admitted.

For entry in autumn 2027, the Johns Hopkins application includes the Hopkins supplement, which carries the 2026-2027 Supplemental Essay Prompt. Write from your own experience, not from a list of Hopkins resources.

The prompt sits on the Johns Hopkins Application Deadlines & Requirements page next to the Early Decision I deadline of November 1, 2026. Read its wording and word limit there before you start a draft.

Your essay answers the prompt as Hopkins writes it, on that page.

How to read the Hopkins prompt

Answer what the prompt asks and use one moment from your own life rather than a tour of Hopkins labs, professors and courses.

Show the moment happening in scenes: what you did, what you noticed and what changed. One moment told in detail reads better than a list of activities or causes.

The supplement section of the Johns Hopkins requirements page also tells engineers: If you are interested in applying to our biomedical engineering program, be sure to indicate it as your first-choice major. There is no separate application process.

The rest of your written file

Johns Hopkins says a completed application through the Common Application or Coalition on Scoir includes your transcript, an activities list inclusive of family or work responsibilities, a list of academic achievements and honors, the personal essay (known as the personal statement), parent or guardian information, the Hopkins supplement and test scores. A job or caring for relatives belongs on that activities list next to clubs and sports.

The teacher evaluations are the Johns Hopkins letters of recommendation, and these should be from teachers of two different academic subjects.

Optional materials and the DMP essay

If your Early Decision I application is deferred to Regular Decision, Hopkins says you will be required to send mid-year reports; additional materials are not required. You can update your application with additional letters of recommendation, an updated resume, standardized test scores, or a written statement of interest in Hopkins, for review during the Regular Decision selection process. Send them only when they show something the rest of your file does not.

Direct Matriculation Programs (DMPs) at Johns Hopkins let you apply to a master's degree program at the same time as your undergraduate application; the DMP application is optional. If accepted, you lock in your spot, no further application or entrance exam required. You may only apply for admission to one DMP, and after you submit your admissions application, you must submit a short essay in response to the prompt in your applicant portal. The listed DMPs include the Master’s in International Health and the Master's in International Relations.

Interviews and advice from Hopkins

The first-year checklist on the Johns Hopkins requirements page has no interview step, so treat your written file as everything the committee reads about you.

For autumn 2027 entry, Johns Hopkins offers three admission plans: Early Decision I, due 1 November 2026, and Early Decision II and Regular Decision, both due 2 January 2027. Both Early Decision rounds are binding. Hopkins has no Early Action and no rolling admission, and you get the same financial aid offer and merit scholarship consideration in every plan.

Johns Hopkins says Early Decision may be right for you if, after your research, Hopkins is your top-choice college. Regular Decision suits applicants who want the flexibility to compare admissions and financial aid offers from other colleges. Early Decision II suits you if you want more time for materials, tests or first-semester grades.

Johns Hopkins encourages Early Decision applicants to finish their standardized tests no later than October of your senior year.

What binding means at Johns Hopkins

Early Decision I and Early Decision II at Johns Hopkins are both binding. You, a parent or legal guardian and your secondary school counselor sign the Early Decision Agreement, which states that you will enroll at Hopkins if admitted and withdraw every application to other schools.

• Early Decision elsewhere: not allowed. You can apply Early Decision to one school at a time.
• Other applications: withdrawn if admitted. If Hopkins admits you in Early Decision I or II, you withdraw all other applications and enrol.
• Denied in Early Decision: you are not eligible to reapply for Regular Decision.

Deferred, waitlisted or denied: Early Decision outcomes

In Early Decision I at Johns Hopkins you can be admitted, deferred to Regular Decision, or denied. A deferred application is reviewed again in the context of the broader applicant pool. You will be required to send mid-year reports; additional materials are not required, but you can add letters of recommendation, an updated resume, new test scores or a statement of interest.

In Early Decision II at Johns Hopkins you can be admitted, waitlisted, or denied; in some cases, Early Decision II applicants may be waitlisted.

Switching plans after you submit

Johns Hopkins lets you change plans with the Admissions Plan Change Request Form in your applicant portal. The Early Decision page (as of October 2026) gives these switch deadlines:

• Early Decision I to Early Decision II or Regular Decision: until 15 November at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Early Decision II or Regular Decision to Early Decision I: until 15 November at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Early Decision II to Regular Decision: until 16 January at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Regular Decision to Early Decision II: until 16 January at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Early Decision, admit rates and financial aid

The Johns Hopkins admissions pages give no separate Early Decision and Regular Decision admit rates and no share of the class filled early.

Johns Hopkins states that the plan does not change the money: you receive the same financial aid offer and merit consideration in every plan, and an Early Decision admit receives the aid offer at the same time as the admissions decision. If Hopkins is clearly your first choice, applying early costs you no aid; what you give up is the chance to compare offers.

Early Decision for international applicants

Johns Hopkins is need-aware for international applicants: financial circumstances are considered in the admissions process. Hopkins says it meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans for international students in all admission plans, and about 10% of international students receive financial aid.

The aid request has to go in with the application: international aid applicants indicate need on the admissions application, and there is no aid application later. Hopkins offers a free alternative to the CSS Profile for international applicants, the JHU International Student Financial Aid Application.

To start at Johns Hopkins in autumn 2027, you apply through the Common Application or Coalition on Scoir by November 1, 2026 in Early Decision I, or by January 2, 2027 in Early Decision II or Regular Decision. Hopkins releases decisions on December 11, 2026, February 12, 2027 and March 24, 2027 for the three plans, and as an international applicant you also file the Certification of Finances form by the financial aid deadline for your admissions plan.

Johns Hopkins has no Early Action or rolling admission: Early Decision and Regular Decision only. Early Decision I and Early Decision II are binding agreements: you, a parent or guardian and your school counselor sign the Early Decision Agreement, and if Hopkins admits you, you enroll and withdraw your other applications. The Early Decision chapter compares the plans.

Deadlines for autumn 2027 entry

Johns Hopkins publishes one set of dates per plan, and updates them each August. Here is every first-year date from November 2026 to the decision releases, in order.

The January deadline for Early Decision II and Regular Decision is January 2, 2027. The only times of day Hopkins gives are for plan changes, which you request with the Admissions Plan Change Request Form in your applicant portal:

• Early Decision I to Early Decision II or Regular Decision: until November 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Early Decision II or Regular Decision to Early Decision I: until November 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Early Decision II to Regular Decision: until January 16 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Regular Decision to Early Decision II: until January 16 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Documents, fee and forms

A completed Johns Hopkins application on the Common Application or Coalition on Scoir includes your high school transcript, activities list, academic honors, personal statement, parent or guardian information, the Hopkins supplement and test scores. Your counselor and teachers send their parts through the same platform, and the international forms go into the Hopkins applicant portal.

Johns Hopkins requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, so it is not test-optional; the SAT and ACT chapter has the details. The English requirements chapter covers what Hopkins expects from non-native speakers.

Forms only international applicants file

Every international applicant to Johns Hopkins, with or without an aid request, must document the available funding for their education by submitting the Certification of Finances form in the applicant portal. Hopkins' financial aid page sets the date: by the financial aid deadline for your admissions plan.

To ask Johns Hopkins for aid as an international applicant, indicate need on the admissions application and submit the CSS Profile with code 5332 by the same deadline. If you cannot complete the CSS Profile, Hopkins offers a free alternative, the JHU International Student Financial Aid Application; allow 5 to 7 days for processing. Decide before you apply: international students who do not apply for financial aid as a first-year applicant will not be able to apply for aid later. The financial aid chapter covers what Hopkins pays.

QuestBridge, Peabody, Direct Matriculation and transfer

Johns Hopkins is a QuestBridge College Partner. QuestBridge supports high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds and runs its own procedure, which Hopkins lists at apply.jhu.edu/questbridge. QuestBridge sets who can apply, so read its eligibility rules before you plan on this route.

The Peabody Institute, the music conservatory of Johns Hopkins, runs its own application. For the Peabody/JHU Double Degree you submit separate applications to Johns Hopkins and to Peabody in the same application round, and answer "Yes" to the Double Degree question on the Peabody application. In Regular Decision the two deadlines differ: the Peabody application is due Dec. 1, the Johns Hopkins one Jan. 2. In Early Decision the Peabody application is due Nov. 1, like the Hopkins one. You join the Double Degree only with an offer of admission from both institutions.

Direct Matriculation Programs let you apply to a master's degree program at the same time you apply to Hopkins as an undergrad: the Master’s in International Health and the Master's in International Relations are listed. You may only apply for admission to one DMP, and after you submit your admissions application you write a short essay in the applicant portal.

Transfer applicants enter Johns Hopkins for the fall semester only and need more than 12 semester-based credits from another institution. Financial aid is available for domestic transfer students only.

After you apply

After you submit, Johns Hopkins sends you login instructions for the applicant portal, where you check your application status, view your financial aid checklist, and access your admissions decision. The visa chapter covers the F-1 paperwork that follows for international students.

Johns Hopkins has more than 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students across ten academic divisions; undergraduates are taught in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering, while the Peabody Institute admits to its Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts through its own application. For autumn 2027 entry you choose an intended major when you apply, a place in the Biomedical Engineering major is a separate decision from admission to Hopkins, and Hopkins's admissions pages describe no BS/MD programme.

One Johns Hopkins application covers the majors of both the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering, and on it you name an intended major. The Peabody Institute, the Hopkins conservatory, runs its own admissions through peabody.jhu.edu. The Hopkins admissions pages do not say how or when you can change your major after you enrol.

A Direct Matriculation Program (DMP) lets you apply to a master's degree program at the same time you apply to Hopkins as an undergrad. If accepted, you lock in your spot, no further application or entrance exam required. Check the DMP's own page for eligibility before you count on it as an international applicant.

AMR I, JHU

Biomedical Engineering

To be considered for Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Johns Hopkins, you mark it as your first-choice major; there is no separate application. Hopkins admits students to BME based on evaluation of credentials and space available. You can be admitted to the university without acceptance to the BME major, and you find out at decision release. If Hopkins admits you but not to BME, you may select any other intended major in the Whiting School or the Krieger School. The admissions pages do not say whether you can move into BME later.

Pre-med and life sciences

Hopkins's admissions pages do not say whether pre-med is a major or an advising track, or what its pre-professional advising office offers, and it does not say whether American medical schools admit international applicants. Confirm the first with Hopkins and the second with each medical school before you plan on a US medical degree.

Is there a BS/MD programme at Hopkins?

No. For autumn 2027 entry, the Hopkins application page lists its Direct Matriculation Programs, including the Master’s in International Health and the Master's in International Relations, and none of the ones named here leads to a medical degree. Hopkins's admissions pages describe no BS/MD programme or guaranteed admission to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, so medical school means a separate application after your bachelor's degree.

Public health and the Bloomberg School

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has ongoing work in more than 100 countries. The direct undergraduate route into it is the DMP Master's in International Health: while you are enrolled full-time in the MSPH you receive a 75% tuition scholarship in its second year. The admissions pages do not describe the undergraduate Public Health Studies major or its entry rules, so check the official Hopkins majors and minors list.

International Studies and SAIS

The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) has campuses on three continents: Washington DC, SAIS Europe and the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. The direct undergraduate route into SAIS is the DMP Master's in International Relations. The Hopkins admissions pages do not describe the undergraduate International Studies major or say which majors the DMP accepts.

Computer Science

Computer Science has no admission rule of its own on the Hopkins application page, unlike Biomedical Engineering. The Hopkins admissions pages do not describe the major's requirements.

The Writing Seminars

The Hopkins admissions pages do not describe the Writing Seminars or how students enter the major, so look it up on the official majors and minors list. The notable alumni page names the novelists Adichie, Barth, Erdrich among Johns Hopkins graduates, without saying which programme each took.

Music at the Peabody Institute and the Double Degree

The Peabody Institute admits undergraduates to the Bachelor of Music (BM), the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and the Peabody/JHU Double Degree. Every Peabody applicant has an artistic evaluation: an audition for performance programmes, an interview for the others, and pre-screening first in some programmes. Unlike a double major, the Double Degree requires admission to two separate institutions, adds a degree from the Krieger or Whiting School, and typically takes five years.

Peabody does not accept the Duolingo English Test (the English chapter compares the rules), and all Peabody applicants, regardless of citizenship, are automatically considered for merit-based scholarship funding through the admissions and audition process. If you want academic study without a second degree, Peabody students can add an approved minor offered across Johns Hopkins University.

Study abroad at Johns Hopkins

Each year, hundreds of Hopkins undergraduates spend a semester or a year abroad, most as juniors, though depending on the major the sophomore or senior year also works. Hopkins undergraduates take part in study abroad and international projects in more than 50 countries, and more than 40 percent have an international experience before graduation.

• Short programmes: specialized international programs offered during the summer or Intersession; recent destinations include Cuba, Dublin, Florence, Ecuador and Japan.
• Financial aid: Hopkins financial aid covers study abroad during fall and spring semesters.
• Where to ask: the Global Education Office.

Research is how Johns Hopkins describes itself: its admissions site lists it as #1 for annual research funding in the U.S., and teaching and research are interdependent in its founding belief. This chapter covers where that research reaches beyond Baltimore.

Johns Hopkins organises its work across ten academic divisions. For what undergraduates can join, ask the Hopkins Office of Undergraduate Research and the student research pages of the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences.

Peabody Institute, Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore, MD

The scale behind Hopkins research

Johns Hopkins lists #1 for annual research funding in the U.S. That is a rank for funding, not a total research budget.

Hopkins around the world

The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) has campuses on three continents; its Master of Arts in International Relations can be taken entirely in Washington, DC, or start with a year in Bologna or Nanjing.

As an undergraduate, you go abroad through study abroad and international projects: more than 40 percent of Hopkins undergrads have an international experience prior to graduation, and most students study abroad as juniors.

Johns Hopkins publishes no employment rate, graduate school share or starting salary for a recent graduating class on its official pages as of October 2026.

Career support and internships at Hopkins

Hopkins lists no top employers, industries, graduate schools or recruiter count for its graduates on its official pages. Ask Hopkins whether it has first-destination data for a recent class, and what share of graduates that data covers, before you compare Hopkins with other universities.

If you will need financial aid as an international student, ask for it at the start: international students who do not apply for financial aid as a first-year applicant will not be able to apply for aid later.

Medical school and law school after Hopkins

Hopkins publishes no pre-health or pre-law outcomes page with medical or law school admission rates. If you plan on a US medical or law degree after Hopkins, ask Hopkins how many international applicants were admitted before you count on that route.

Johns Hopkins estimates the undergraduate cost of attendance for the 2026-2027 academic year at $95,000 before any financial aid, and no figure for 2027-2028, the year you would start, is published yet.

Johns Hopkins splits the $95,000 cost of attendance, what you would pay with no aid, into two parts. Billed costs go straight to Hopkins: tuition, fees, housing and meal plans. Estimated costs cover what you buy yourself: books, school supplies, travel costs and day-to-day personal expenses. Those personal costs count in the total, but you pay them directly, not on your tuition bill.

The Johns Hopkins cost page lists what the total includes but gives no dollar amount per line, so plan with the total rather than a tuition figure from other sources.

What international students pay at Johns Hopkins

The Johns Hopkins undergraduate admissions cost page gives one total, $95,000, and does not split it by citizenship or list a separate tuition rate or fee for international students. Travel costs are already part of the estimated costs.

Health insurance is a cost to plan for at Johns Hopkins: All full-time students must keep adequate health coverage. If you do not show proof of comparable insurance, Hopkins enrolls you in the university plan and charges the premium to your student account. Hopkins offers limited funding toward the premium, based on your aid status. The Hopkins cost page gives no undergraduate premium amount.

Every international applicant to Johns Hopkins files the International Student Certification of Finances (COF) in the applicant portal, whether or not you ask for aid. International applicants who ask for aid must submit the CSS Profile; Hopkins also offers the free JHU International Student Financial Aid Application as an alternative.

What families pay at Johns Hopkins after aid

Starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, Hopkins changed its undergraduate financial aid program: for families earning up to $100,000 the aid offer fully covers tuition, fees, housing, dining and most personal expenses, and families making up to $200,000 pay no tuition.

Hopkins expects a student contribution of $1,800 in the first year and $2,600 each year after that.

How the income table applies to international families

The income thresholds above, such as no tuition for families making up to $200,000, are stated for domestic families. For international students Hopkins says: it is need-aware for international students, so your finances are considered in the admission decision; aid for international applicants is limited; and about 10% of international students receive aid. If Hopkins admits you, it meets 100% of demonstrated need, without loans.

Johns Hopkins gives international students one chance to ask for aid: as a first-year applicant. If you are not offered scholarship assistance for your first year, you cannot receive it in any later year as an undergraduate. The financial aid chapter covers the forms, deadlines and merit scholarships.

Paying the Johns Hopkins bill

Johns Hopkins offers no-interest payment plans that split tuition, housing and meals in equal installments. Hopkins aid offers include no loans.

Johns Hopkins gives every cost in US dollars. Use the exchange rate on the day you build your budget.

Johns Hopkins gives need-based aid to international undergraduates but reads their applications need-aware: if you ask for aid, your finances count in the admission decision, and if you are admitted, Hopkins meets 100% of your family's demonstrated need without loans. About 10% of international students at Hopkins receive aid. For autumn 2027 entry, the aid forms are due by 15 November 2026 for Early Decision I or 15 January 2027 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision.

Johns Hopkins draws the line by citizenship, not residence. Hopkins reviews U.S. citizens and permanent residents need-blind even while they live outside the U.S., and international citizens who apply for financial aid need-aware.

Johns Hopkins makes the same promise in every admissions plan: 100% of demonstrated need met without loans for international citizens admitted in Early Decision I, Early Decision II or Regular Decision. Need is the gap between the total cost of attendance, estimated at $95,000 for 2026-2027, and what your family can pay.

The aid request at Johns Hopkins is a one-time choice. Asking brings your finances into the need-aware review. Not asking closes need-based aid for good: international students who do not apply for financial aid as a first-year applicant will not be able to apply for aid later, and those not offered scholarship assistance for their first year are not eligible for it in any later period as undergraduates. If your family anticipates changes in its finances, Hopkins says to apply for financial aid as a first-year applicant.

The Bloomberg gift: loan-free aid, need-aware admission for internationals

Michael Bloomberg's $1.8 billion donation for financial aid, announced in November 2018, allowed Johns Hopkins to eliminate student loans from the aid packages of all undergraduates, and Hopkins says over 80% of its students graduate debt-free. The gift did not make Hopkins need-blind for international students: Hopkins is need-aware for international students.

How international students apply for aid

Johns Hopkins asks international aid applicants for the aid request on the admissions application, the CSS Profile (code 5332) and the Certification of Finances (COF). You can file the free JHU International Student Financial Aid Application (JHU ISFAA) instead, processed in 5 to 7 days. No tax or financial documents are needed up front.

Every international applicant to Johns Hopkins submits the COF, aid or not, because admissions uses it during the need-aware review. The financial aid page asks for it by the financial aid deadline of your plan; sending it with your application, by 1 November 2026 for Early Decision I or 2 January 2027 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision, meets every date Hopkins gives.

To add or withdraw an aid request at Johns Hopkins, ask Undergraduate Admissions yourself, before the financial aid deadline: parents or guardians may not request changes. If you receive aid in your first year, it renews automatically, with no yearly reapplication. Financial aid is available for domestic transfer students only.

Merit scholarships open to international students

Johns Hopkins considers you for merit scholarships automatically when you apply, and international citizens are also eligible for merit scholarships in all admissions plans, but Hopkins offers a small number to international citizens each year. Merit scholarships are awarded at the time of admission, with no appeal process.

Check the QuestBridge rules for who can enter the National College Match; QuestBridge sets eligibility, not Hopkins.

What families pay at each income level

Johns Hopkins publishes typical costs by family income instead of an average grant. Families making up to $200,000 pay no tuition, and for families earning up to $100,000 the aid offer fully covers tuition, fees, housing, dining and most personal expenses (both figures are stated for domestic families). The bands assume typical assets, less than three times annual income.

Hopkins publishes no average grant and no share of undergraduates on aid, only that about 10% of international students receive aid. The $80,000 figure belongs to QuestBridge, not to a Hopkins rule that poorer families pay nothing.

What else Johns Hopkins aid pays for

Federal Work-Study and Hopkins Work-Study are included in Hopkins aid offers; Federal Work-Study is federally funded. Hopkins pays student workers a $15 minimum wage, caps work at 20 hours a week and pays wages by biweekly paycheck, not as tuition credit.

Hopkins financial aid can include one-time financial assistance of up to $2,000 to purchase a computer, and it covers study abroad during fall and spring semesters. SAIS and other graduate schools run their own aid. For outside funding, see our guides to scholarships for US universities and studying in the US for free.

Johns Hopkins estimates its undergraduate cost of attendance for the 2026-2027 academic year at $95,000, and housing and meal plans are billed by Hopkins inside that total. The Hopkins admissions and aid pages publish no room or meal-plan rates, and no 2027-2028 cost of attendance yet.

What housing and meals cost in 2026-2027

Johns Hopkins splits the cost of attendance into two parts. Billed costs, paid directly to Hopkins, are tuition, fees, housing, and meal plans. Estimated costs are what you buy yourself: books, school supplies, travel costs, and day-to-day personal expenses. Hopkins gives no housing or food amount in that breakdown and no price per room type.

Johns Hopkins gives one official way to spread the housing bill. Regardless of financial aid eligibility, Hopkins offers no-interest payment plans that split the cost of your tuition, housing, and meals into equal installments.

Johns Hopkins measures financial need against the whole cost of attendance: demonstrated need is the difference between the total cost of attendance each year and what a family can pay, so an aid offer pays toward housing and meals as well as tuition. For international citizens Hopkins promises to meet 100% of demonstrated need, but it is need-aware for international applicants, and an international student who does not apply for aid as a first-year applicant cannot apply later. The financial aid chapter explains how to apply.

First-year housing for autumn 2027

The Johns Hopkins admissions pages do not say whether first- and second-year students must live on campus, how rooms and roommates are assigned, or which residence halls house first-year students. Once Hopkins admits you, confirm with Hopkins whether you must live on campus and how to apply for housing and by when, rather than relying on third-party guides.

Later years, off campus and Baltimore neighbourhoods

The Johns Hopkins admissions pages do not describe university-owned apartments for upper-year students, or how students find a flat off campus near the Homewood campus. The Hopkins About Baltimore page names the neighbourhoods students enjoy exploring: Charles Village and Hampden, Mount Vernon and Station North, and the historic waterfront neighborhoods of Fells Point, Canton and Federal Hill. That page presents them as places to explore, not as places to live, and says shops, restaurants and museums are a short walk or a free shuttle ride away from the four Baltimore campuses.

Johns Hopkins states that more than 200 campus police officers, security personnel and support staff are charged with keeping the Homewood campus and the surrounding communities safe.

Breaks and housing help for international students

The Johns Hopkins admissions pages do not say whether residence halls stay open over winter break or other breaks, or whether international students can stay in them then. The Hopkins Office of International Services (OIS) assists international students with visas and immigration and with other issues, including housing. Write to OIS about break housing before you book flights home or plan to stay in Baltimore over a break.

Student life at Johns Hopkins runs on the Homewood campus in Baltimore, where Hopkins counts more than 450 international undergraduates from 61 countries, according to its own pages as of October 2026. More than 200 campus police officers, security personnel and support staff are charged with keeping Homewood and the surrounding communities safe, and their officers do not carry firearms.

Peabody Conservatory students have access to student organizations across Johns Hopkins University, and Peabody/JHU Double Degree students take part in university life on both the Peabody and Homewood campuses. Varsity sport has its own official site, hopkinssports.com.

Where you live in your first years is covered in the housing chapter; this chapter covers the city, campus security and the support Hopkins lists for international students.

The Homewood campus and life in Baltimore

Johns Hopkins says Baltimore's museums, restaurants, concert venues, coffee houses and shops are a short walk or a free shuttle ride away from its four Baltimore campuses. Hopkins describes Baltimore as a city with a history as a working-class port that keeps the small-town feel behind its nickname, Charm City. These are the Baltimore neighbourhoods Hopkins says its students explore:

For days out, Hopkins points to the Inner Harbor, the National Aquarium and Fort McHenry. Johns Hopkins also teaches outside Baltimore: the School of Advanced International Studies, a graduate school, lists Washington DC, SAIS Europe and the Hopkins-Nanjing Center as places to study.

How safe is the area around campus?

Johns Hopkins charges its security staff with keeping the Homewood campus and the surrounding communities safe. Officers patrol campus on foot, bikes, Segways and in security vehicles, and they do not carry firearms. Pressing the button at a blue light call station sounds an alarm and connects you to the 24-hour Homewood Communication Center.

Johns Hopkins publishes crime reports and security alerts in accordance with the Clery Act, and its Security page points to the Public Safety website for more; the Clery Disclosure link sits at the foot of jhu.edu pages. Read those reports before you choose where to live off campus, rather than going on Baltimore's reputation either way. Plan how you will get home late at night.

Support for international students

Johns Hopkins has more than 450 international undergraduates from 61 countries, and its Office of International Services (OIS) assists international students with visas and immigration and with housing, transportation, tax preparation and legal assistance. After admission, OIS helps with visa documentation, immigration requirements, travel guidance and arrival preparation, as the Peabody admissions pages list it. Hopkins describes no separate orientation for international students on those pages, so ask OIS what your first week looks like once you hold an offer.

Johns Hopkins also sends its own undergraduates abroad: more than 40 percent have an international experience before graduation, in more than 50 countries.

To start at Johns Hopkins in autumn 2027 as an international student you need an F-1 student visa. Visa fees, steps and entry windows are set by the US State Department, DHS and ICE and change, so read their current pages before you pay or book. What Hopkins itself states covers the Certification of Finances, on-campus work and health coverage.

Hopkins's Office of International Services (OIS) assists international students with visas, immigration, housing, transportation, tax preparation and legal assistance. Start with OIS for any visa question about your Hopkins degree.

Proof of funds and the Hopkins Certification of Finances

The Certification of Finances (COF) is a Johns Hopkins admissions form. International applicants must submit the International Student Certification of Finances (COF) form in the applicant portal, by the financial aid deadline for your admissions plan. The COF is separate from any proof of funds that the US government asks for in the visa process. If you apply for aid, the CSS Profile code for Hopkins is 5332.

Working on an F-1 visa at Johns Hopkins

At Johns Hopkins, F-1 students may work full-time, 40 hours per week, during the summer, and the Hopkins work-study page caps student work at 20 hours a week. Rules for work off campus and after graduation are set by DHS; read them on studyinthestates.dhs.gov.

After you accept: Hopkins support, health insurance and arrival

The Johns Hopkins Office of International Services (OIS) assists international students with visas and immigration, and with housing, transportation, tax preparation and legal assistance. The Peabody Institute's page for international applicants says that after you are admitted, OIS assists with visa documentation, immigration requirements, travel guidance and arrival preparation.

All full-time Hopkins students must maintain adequate health coverage. If you do not show proof of comparable health insurance, Hopkins enrolls you in the university plan and charges the premium to your student account.

The undergraduate admissions and financial aid pages of Johns Hopkins do not say when to arrive or when orientation runs. Ask OIS for that timeline once you accept your place. For the F-1 process in general, read our US student visa guide.

Johns Hopkins suits you for autumn 2027 entry if you want undergraduate research, will sit the SAT or ACT and can commit to binding Early Decision by 1 November 2026 or apply by 2 January 2027. It suits you less if you need aid: Hopkins is need-aware for international applicants, though it meets 100% of demonstrated need for every student it admits, against a cost of attendance estimated at $95,000 for 2026-2027.

Research is the clearest reason to choose Johns Hopkins: Hopkins says teaching and research are interdependent, and its admissions site lists it as #1 for annual research funding in the U.S.

Johns Hopkins is need-aware for international students and need-blind for domestic applicants, and about 10% of its international students receive aid, so decide on aid before you apply.

Hopkins versus the Ivy League

Johns Hopkins is not in the Ivy League, so compare policies one by one. For international applicants Hopkins is need-aware, not need-blind; check each other university's international aid page for its own rule.

Compare each university's cost of attendance with the Hopkins $95,000 for 2026-2027. Hopkins offers no Early Action, so its only early route binds you.

Hopkins versus Stanford, MIT and Duke

Johns Hopkins is need-aware for international students; check the aid pages of Stanford, MIT and Duke for their rules, deadlines and test policies before you decide where to apply early.

Recommendations for international applicants

For autumn 2027 entry to Johns Hopkins, finish the SAT or ACT by October of senior year for Early Decision or by December for Regular Decision. Choose your plan with care: a denied Early Decision applicant cannot reapply in Regular Decision.

For autumn 2028 entry, Johns Hopkins makes updated dates public in August each year, so use the 2027 calendar as a pattern only. Start now on what needs no date: SAT or ACT practice, the funding records the Certification of Finances asks for, and your aid decision.

Official pages of Johns Hopkins University, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

About Us | Johns Hopkins University · Admissions | Johns Hopkins University (admission page) · International | Johns Hopkins University · How to Apply for Financial Aid · Estimate Your College Costs | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · Common Financial Aid Questions | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · Standardized Testing | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · Early Decision | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · Application Deadlines & Requirements | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · Beyond tuition: housing and dining | Johns Hopkins apply site · Financial aid | Johns Hopkins University · Notable alumni | Johns Hopkins University · Double Degree | Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University · Transfer Application Deadlines & Requirements | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · Undergraduate Applicants | Peabody Institute · https://peabody.jhu.edu/admissions-and-financial-aid/audition-apply/instructions/international-applicants/ · https://apply.jhu.edu/international-applicants/ · https://e-catalogue.jhu.edu/ksas-wse/undergraduate-policies/academic-policies/external-credit-policies/external-credit-policies.pdf · Johns Hopkins University | QuestBridge · Hopkins Around the World | Johns Hopkins University · Admissions | Peabody Institute · Baltimore College Exchange | Peabody Institute · Study Abroad | Johns Hopkins University · Cost of Attendance | Johns Hopkins SAIS · Types of Financial Aid | Johns Hopkins University Admissions · Merit Scholarships · Hodson Scholars · Westgate Scholarship · Davis UWC Scholars Program · Need-Based Scholarships · Work-Study Opportunities · About Baltimore | Johns Hopkins University · Security | Johns Hopkins University · Aid for Non-US Students | Johns Hopkins SAIS

Photos: Johns Hopkins' Historic Dome - panoramio: photo Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · George-peabody-library: photo Matthew Petroff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · View from Levering Plaza: photo Iracaz, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · AMR I, JHU: photo Iracaz, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · Peabody Institute, Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore, MD: photo Daderot, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons