America's first research university, pioneering the integration of teaching and discovery since 1876.
Johns Hopkins operates ten academic divisions including the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Whiting School of Engineering, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Peabody Institute, School of Advanced International Studies, School of Education, Carey Business School, and Applied Physics Laboratory. The university pioneered the research university model in the U.S., integrating advanced scholarship with professional schools. Johns Hopkins University Press, founded in 1878, is the oldest American university press in continuous operation. The School of Medicine, established in 1893, was America's first coeducational, graduate-level medical school and became a prototype for academic medicine emphasizing bedside learning, research, and laboratory training.
Johns Hopkins has led all U.S. universities in annual research and development expenditures for over four consecutive decades. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, established in 1942, serves as a major governmental defense contractor. The university founded the nation's first school of public health in 1916 and was among the first to establish adult continuing education programs in 1909. In late 2019, the Coronavirus Research Center became one of the most cited sources for pandemic data worldwide.
The main Homewood campus spans 140 acres in north Baltimore, featuring the flagship Gilman Hall (completed 1915) and the historic 1801 Homewood House. Additional Baltimore campuses include the medical campus in East Baltimore alongside Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon, and the Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County. Graduate campuses operate in Washington D.C., Bologna, and Nanjing. The university fields NCAA Division III athletics teams in the Centennial Conference, while the men's lacrosse team competes as an affiliate member of the Big Ten Conference.
In November 2025, Johns Hopkins announced tuition-free admission for students from families earning less than $200,000 (approximately 85% of American households), effective spring 2026 for current students and fall 2026 for new enrollees. Students from families earning under $100,000 receive additional aid covering tuition, fees, and living expenses. Michael Bloomberg's $1.8 billion donation in 2018 enabled the university to practice need-blind admission and meet full financial need of admitted students.