George Washington University

The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a private federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 as Washington, D.C.'s first university by the United States Congress. GW is one of six universities in the United States with a congressional charter.

GW is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity." It is the only member of the Association of American Universities in Washington, D.C.. The university offers degree programs in seventy-one disciplines, enrolling around 11,500 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students. The school's athletic teams, the George Washington Revolutionaries, play in the NCAA Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. GW also annually hosts numerous political events, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's Annual Meetings.

Many notable individuals have served as trustees, such as Alexander Graham Bell and presidents John Quincy Adams and Ulysses S. Grant. Notable alumni, faculty, and affiliates include 16 foreign heads of state or government, 28 United States senators, 27 United States governors, 18 U.S. Cabinet members, five Nobel laureates, two Olympic medalists, two Academy Award winners, and a Golden Globe winner. GW has over 1,100 active alumni in the U.S. Foreign Service and is one of the largest feeder schools for the diplomatic corps.

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