How to Get Into Johns Hopkins: Acceptance Rate and Strategies
July 24, 2025
Like many other elite private colleges, Johns Hopkins University has fared quite well in higher education鈥檚 selectivity arms race since the start of the present millennium. As the Baltimore Sun back in 1996, the school received an all-time record of 8,503 applicants for a spot in the Class of 2000. At the time, the Johns Hopkins acceptance rate was 40.5%. The dean of enrollment management at the time lamented that it was hard 鈥渂ecause you want to take all of these kids.鈥 Oh, if he only knew what the future had in store for the soon-to-be Ivy-equivalent JHU.
By 2009, 26.7% of applicants got into Johns Hopkins. By 2018, the school had hit single digits and, the following year, the acceptance rate hit a record low of 9.2% and attracted over 30,000 applicants. In 2022, that number fell to just 6.5%. Accordingly, it鈥檚 time to begin the hard work of preparing to apply to this highly selective school that rejects more than nine out of every ten students who apply.
This article will cover the following critical areas of knowledge:
- Johns Hopkins acceptance rate 鈥 Class of 2029 (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
- Johns Hopkins Early Decision acceptance rate 鈥 Class of 2029
- SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Johns Hopkins applicants
- Admissions trends from the Class of 2028
- Johns Hopkins鈥 system for rating applicants
- A look at the demographics of Johns Hopkins undergraduates
- The percentage of accepted students who attend the university
- Tips for applying to Johns Hopkins
- Johns Hopkins essay advice
- How to assess whether applying to Johns Hopkins is even worth the $70 application fee (for you)
Johns Hopkins Admissions Calculator
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Johns Hopkins Acceptance Rate — Class of 2029
Though JHU hasn’t released the overall numbers for the Class of 2029, here’s what we know so far. Out of the likely record-breaking 41,549 Regular Decision applications, 1,732 were accepted. This gives JHU a miniscule 4% RD acceptance rate. If Early Decision numbers hold steady, JHU likely received upwards of 48,000 applicants for the Class of 2029.
Here are JHU’s historical acceptance rates:
| Applicants | Admits | Acceptance Rate | |
| Class of 2028 | 45,859 | 2,954 | 6.4% |
| Class of 2027 | 38,926 | 2,943 | 7.6% |
| Class of 2026 | 37,844 | 2,745 | 7.3% |
| Class of 2025 | 39,515 | 2,972 | 7.5% |
| Class of 2024 | 29,612 | 2,604 | 8.8% |
Johns Hopkins Early Decision Acceptance Rate
JHU offers two ED options. The ED 1 deadline is November 1 and the ED II deadline is in early January. For the Class of 2028, JHU admitted 825 ED applicants from a pool of 7,028 candidates. This gives Johns Hopkins an Early Decision admit rate of 11.7%. (I know that’s low, but it’s twice the overall rate.)
What GPA do you need to get into Johns Hopkins?
For enrolled Class of 2028 students, the average GPA was 3.93. Moreover, 65% had a GPA of 4.0 while 27% scored between 3.75 and 3.99.
What class rank do you need to get accepted to Johns Hopkins?
Based on the aforementioned average GPA, there should be no surprise that Johns Hopkins students are typically at the very top of their graduating class. In fact, 100% of enrolled students placed in the top decile.
What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Johns Hopkins?
Although JHU remains test-optional for now, over half of enrolled 2024-25 freshmen submitted test scores. Of that bunch, the mid-50% SAT range was 1530-1560 and the mid-50% ACT range was 34-36.
Admissions Trends & Notes 鈥 Class of 2029
- Although Johns Hopkins has not announced their acceptance rate for the Class of 2029, they have announced that 1,732 students were admitted during the regular decision round and 793 were accepted during the early decision rounds.
- The ED acceptance rate is typically double that of the regular decision rate.
- 18% of those admitted during the RD round are first-generation college students.
- 61% of students admitted during the RD round attend a public high school.
- 92% held part-time jobs, internships, or summer jobs; 45% were active in the arts; 51% were involved in athletics; and 48% were involved in policy, civic engagement, or advocacy work.
- Of admitted students in ED I and ED II, respectively, 68% and 67% will be matriculating to the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS), and the remainder to the Whiting School of Engineering.
How Johns Hopkins Rates Applicants
There are five factors that Johns Hopkins ranks as being 鈥渧ery important鈥 to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, GPA, the essay, recommendations, and class rank. 聽Character/personal qualities, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, volunteer work, and work experience are 鈥渋mportant鈥 to the admissions committee. Factors that are 鈥渃onsidered鈥 are standardized test scores, first-generation status, and geographic residence. Everything else is not considered (including legacy status).
When conducting a holistic review, the admissions team wants to see evidence of:
- Academic character: 鈥淗ow do you demonstrate your academic passions? What is important to you?鈥
- Impact and Initiative: 鈥淲e urge students to think about how they can make a difference through service, leadership, and innovation.鈥
- Personal Contributions: 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for students who are eager to follow their interests at the college level and are enthusiastic about joining the campus community.鈥
Who Actually Gets Into Johns Hopkins?
Let鈥檚 look at the demographics of the Class of 2028.
Geographically, the current undergraduate student body is comprised of:
- Domestic students from all 50 states.
- International students from 50+ nations.
- Students as close as 2.4 miles from campus and as far away as Indonesia.
Competition is harshest among those hailing from states with endless streams of qualified applicants (the entire Northeast & the West Coast). If you reside in a less populated state like Nebraska, South Dakota, or Montana, your location is more likely to provide a boost to your admissions chances.
Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown for the enrolled Class of 2028 was as follows:
- White: 34.1%
- Asian American: 46%
- Hispanic: 10.7%
- Black or African American: 5.7%
- American Indian: 0.7%
- International: 15%
For the enrolled Class of 2028, the breakdown by gender was as follows:
- Male: 44%
- Female: 54%
Johns Hopkins’ Yield Rate
Johns Hopkins鈥檚 yield rate鈥攖he percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted鈥攊s 47%, slightly lower than previous years. This number is almost 30 points lower than Harvard and Stanford. However, it is in the same ballpark as many other selective private universities, such as NYU, Rice, USC, and Carnegie Mellon.
Tips for Applying to Johns Hopkins
If you plan on joining the 45,000+ Hopkins hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
- Johns Hopkins will continue to be test-optional through the 2025-26 application year.
- Johns Hopkins recently stopped offering alumni interviews. As a result, one of the best ways for admissions officers to get to know you on a personal level is through your two required teacher recommendations. For tips on which teachers to target and how to ask, revisit our blog on the subject.
- Johns Hopkins does not consider 鈥demonstrated interest鈥 so you will not be judged on whether or not you made a campus visit, contacted an admissions officer, etc. However, given the school鈥檚 lower yield rate (compared to some other elite schools), it is never a bad idea to reach out to an admissions officer with a question, attend a virtual information session, or engage with the school on social media.
- Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essay required by Johns Hopkins. In the 2024-25 cycle, the prompt was as follows:
How has your life experience contributed to your personal story鈥攜our character, values, perspectives or skills鈥攁nd what you want to pursue at Hopkins? (350 words)
For tips on how to tackle the JHU essay, check out our blog entitled Johns Hopkins University Essay Prompt & Tips.
Should I apply to Johns Hopkins?
If you bring strong academic and extracurricular credentials to the table, there is no harm in filling out a Johns Hopkins application. Those that will fare best in conquering this admissions gauntlet will boast a transcript of straight 鈥楢鈥檚 in an exceptionally rigorous program of classes, superior standardized test scores (when possible to take them given the pandemic), and at least one or two talents and passions outside of the classroom.
Johns Hopkins Acceptance Rate – Final Thoughts
As with all highly competitive colleges in 2025-26, even the best and brightest teens need to have an appropriate college list, containing a complement of 鈥渢arget鈥 and 鈥渟afety鈥 schools. This list should be formulated in conjunction with a college admissions professional, including your high school guidance counselor.
Ready to start crafting your college applications? Check out the following resources:
- Should You Start College Applications in the Summer?
- What is Demonstrated Interest?
- Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
- College Fair Advice for High School Students
- How to Complete the Common App Activities List
- Common App Essay Prompts
- 25 Inspiring College Essay Topic Ideas
- Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
