Georgetown University

Overview

Georgetown University, a private institution in Washington, D.C., is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States.

Among its distinguished alumni are two former U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton and Lyndon Johnson, as well as international leaders like King Felipe VI of Spain. Founded in 1789 by John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop and archbishop in the U.S., Georgetown awarded its first bachelor's degrees in 1817.

The American Civil War nearly led to the university's closure, as its student population plummeted from 313 to just 17 between 1859 and 1861. However, the institution was revitalized in the post-war era, particularly under the leadership of Patrick Healy, who served as president from 1873 to 1882. Healy, the first African American to earn a PhD, modernized Georgetown’s curriculum to include history and natural sciences and initiated the construction of Healy Hall, the iconic Flemish Romanesque building at the heart of the campus.

Today, Georgetown is organized into nine undergraduate and graduate schools, including Georgetown College, which focuses on liberal arts, and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, renowned for educating global leaders and policymakers. The university hosts over 7,000 undergraduate and approximately 10,000 postgraduate students, with 11% hailing from more than 130 countries.