The George Washington University (GW, GWU, or George Washington) is a private research university in Washington, D.C. Charted by an act of the United States Congress in 1821, GWU was founded on the basis of the wishes of George Washington, 1st President of the United States, for a national university within the nation's capital.
The university is organized into 14 colleges and schools, including the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the Elliott School of International Affairs, the School of Media and Public Affairs, the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, the GW Law School, and the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. George Washington's main Foggy Bottom Campus is located in the heart of Washington, D.C., with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank located on campus and the White House and the U.S. Department of State within blocks of campus. GWU hosts numerous research centers and institutes, including the National Security Archive and the Institute for International Economic Policy. GWU has two satellite campuses: the Mount Vernon Campus, located in D.C.'s Foxhall neighborhood and the Virginia Science and Technology Campus in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia.
