Virginia vs Johns Hopkins - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Johns Hopkins admits 6.4%, Virginia admits 16.8%.
The larger international cohort belongs to Johns Hopkins: 15.2% of students against 4.9% (Virginia).
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Johns Hopkins reports aid for international students ($16,051 on average), Virginia does not.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Johns Hopkins starts at $89,539 against $80,859 and ends at $22,380 against $43,736 (Virginia).
The indicators describe a university as a whole, and your own course can sit a long way from that average.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Johns Hopkins is the more selective of the two (6.44% vs 16.81% acceptance). Johns Hopkins ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#201-300 vs #17). Median earnings 10 years after enrollment are effectively tied ($87K vs $88K). Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($62,923 vs $67,170 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Virginia for: a higher graduation rate, lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Johns Hopkins for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Johns Hopkins is more selective (6.44% vs 16.81% acceptance); Johns Hopkins has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Johns Hopkins graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($88K vs $87K); Virginia has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.6% vs 93.8%).
Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($62,923 vs $67,170); Johns Hopkins offers a larger average aid package ($67,159 vs $37,123).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Virginia | Johns Hopkins |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #201-300 | #17 |
| Rank · THE | - | #16 |
| Acceptance rate | 16.81% | 6.44% |
| Yield rate | 40% | 47% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | 3.93 |
| Number of applications | 58,951 | 45,895 |
| International students | 4.9% | 15.2% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $87K | $88K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $59K | $65K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $130K | $135K |
| Graduation rate | 95.6% | 93.8% |
| Retention rate | 97.9% | 98.1% |
| Median debt | $17,500 | $10,250 |
| Tuition · year | $62,923 | $67,170 |
| Avg. aid package | $37,123 | $67,159 |
| % of need met | 100% | 99.5% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $25,137 | $30,803 |
| Application fee | $75 | $70 |
| Enrollment | 26,470 | 30,210 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Virginia or Johns Hopkins?
It's harder to get into Johns Hopkins. Virginia accepts 16.81% of applicants, while Johns Hopkins accepts 6.44%.
Do Virginia or Johns Hopkins graduates earn more?
Earnings are practically equal - 10 years after enrollment, the median is $87K at Virginia and $88K at Johns Hopkins.
How much is tuition at Virginia vs Johns Hopkins?
Sticker-price tuition is $62,923 per year at Virginia and $67,170 per year at Johns Hopkins.
What SAT score do you need for Virginia or Johns Hopkins?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Virginia and 1540 at Johns Hopkins; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Virginia or Johns Hopkins?
Johns Hopkins ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #201-300 for Virginia vs #17 for Johns Hopkins.
Which university offers more financial aid - Virginia or Johns Hopkins?
The average aid package is $37,123 at Virginia and $67,159 at Johns Hopkins.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Washington University
Northwestern
North Carolina