Johns Hopkins University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Johns Hopkins University

Motto	Veritas vos liberabit (Latin)
Motto in English	"The truth will set you free"
Type	Private research university
Established	February 22, 1876; 149 years ago (February 22, 1876)
Accreditation	MSCHE
Academic affiliations	AAU COFHE CUWMA NAICU ORAU URA Space-grant UARC
Endowment	$10.54 billion (2023)
President	Ronald J. Daniels
Provost	Ray Jayawardhana
Total staff	27,300
Students	30,549 (2022)
Undergraduates	5,318 (2022)
Postgraduates	25,231 (2022)
Location	Baltimore , Maryland , United States 39°19′44″N 76°37′13″W / 39.32889°N 76.62028°W / 39.32889; -76.62028
Campus	Large city, 140 acres (57 ha)
Other campuses	Aberdeen California Columbia Elkridge Laurel Owings Mills Rockville St. Petersburg Washington, D.C. Bologna Nanjing Singapore
Newspaper	The Johns Hopkins News-Letter
Colors	Heritage blue and spirit blue
Nickname	Blue Jays
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III - Centennial Big Ten MAWPC
Mascot	Blue Jay
Website	jhu.edu

Johns Hopkins University (often called Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It was started in 1876. Johns Hopkins was the first American university to be based on the European idea of a research institution. This means it focused on both teaching and discovering new knowledge.

The university is named after Johns Hopkins, a businessman and generous person. He gave $7 million to start the university and a hospital. This was the biggest gift ever given in U.S. history at that time. Daniel Coit Gilman became the first president in 1876. He helped change higher education in the U.S. by bringing together teaching and research. Johns Hopkins has been a leader in research for over 40 years.

While its main campus is in Baltimore, Johns Hopkins also has locations in other parts of Maryland. These include Laurel, Rockville, and Columbia. There are also campuses in Washington, D.C., Italy, and China.

The university has two main undergraduate schools. These are the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering. They are located on the Homewood campus in Baltimore. The medical, nursing, and public health schools are in East Baltimore. Johns Hopkins also includes the Peabody Institute for music and the Applied Physics Laboratory.

The Blue Jays men's lacrosse team started in 1883. They have won 44 national titles. Other sports teams compete in NCAA Division III.

History of Johns Hopkins University

How the University Started

Johns Hopkins, who gave money to start the university and hospital in 1873.

Heidelberg University in Germany was a model for Johns Hopkins.

When Johns Hopkins passed away in 1873, he left $7 million. This money was used to create a hospital and a university in Baltimore. At the time, this was the biggest gift ever given in U.S. history.

The university was designed to be different. It focused on discovering new knowledge at a high level. This idea came from German universities, especially Heidelberg University. Johns Hopkins became a model for modern research universities in the United States. Its success changed how higher education worked in the U.S. It shifted from just teaching facts to finding new scientific knowledge.

The 19th Century at Hopkins

Daniel Coit Gilman, the first president of Johns Hopkins University.

Hopkins Hall on the first campus in Downtown Baltimore, around 1885.

Johns Hopkins Hospital, from the 1880s or 1890s.

Daniel Coit Gilman became the first president of Johns Hopkins. He was a scholar from Yale University. Gilman wanted to combine teaching with research. He believed that the best teachers also did their own research.

Gilman brought in famous researchers from around the world. These included mathematicians, biologists, and chemists. He focused on advanced studies and supporting professors' research. Johns Hopkins became a leader in doctoral programs. It also started many academic journals. The Johns Hopkins University Press, founded in 1878, is the oldest university press in the U.S.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital opened in 1889. The medical school opened in 1893. These attracted top doctors and scientists. The medical school was the first to admit women equally with men. It also required students to have a Bachelor's degree. This was thanks to Mary Garrett, who helped fund the school. This medical school became a model for others. It focused on learning at the patient's bedside, research, and lab training.

The university's first location was in Downtown Baltimore. This was because the money for building was delayed.

The 20th Century at Hopkins

In the early 1900s, the university needed more space. They moved to a new location in north Baltimore called the Homewood campus. The main building, Gilman Hall, was finished in 1915. The engineering and arts and sciences schools moved there. The campus now covers about 140 acres.

The architecture of the Homewood campus was inspired by the Homewood House. This historic house was built in 1801. Its style became the model for many university buildings.

In 1909, Johns Hopkins was one of the first to offer programs for adults. In 1916, it started the first school of public health in the nation.

Since 1942, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has worked on defense projects. Johns Hopkins has received the most federal research funding of any American university since 1979.

In 1950, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., joined the university. In 1977, the Peabody Institute for music in Baltimore also became part of Johns Hopkins.

The 21st Century at Hopkins

The early 2000s saw Johns Hopkins grow even more. New buildings were added to the medical and Homewood campuses. This included a new library and renovated main buildings.

The university's business and education schools also grew. In 2007, they became separate schools: the Johns Hopkins School of Education and the Carey Business School.

Legg Mason Tower, home of the Carey Business School.

In 2018, Michael Bloomberg gave $1.8 billion to the university. This was the largest private gift ever to a higher education school. This gift helps the university admit students based on their abilities, not their ability to pay.

In 2019, the university bought the Newseum building in Washington, D.C. This will be a new home for its graduate programs in the city.

In late 2019, the university's Coronavirus Research Center started tracking worldwide cases of the COVID-19 pandemic. This made Johns Hopkins a key source for pandemic data.

Diversity and Inclusion

Johns Hopkins has worked to become a more diverse university. The first African-American graduate student, Kelly Miller, joined in 1884. Over time, the university worked to increase racial diversity. This became more common in the 1960s and 1970s.

The university also made efforts to include women. Mary Garrett and other women helped ensure the medical school admitted women. The nursing school opened in 1889 and accepted both women and men. Other graduate schools started admitting women in 1907. Christine Ladd-Franklin was the first woman to earn a PhD from Hopkins in 1882. Women were first admitted to undergraduate programs in 1969. Today, over half of the undergraduate students are female.

Campuses of Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins University has several campuses. Each campus focuses on different areas of study.

Homewood Campus

View of Gilman Hall from the Levering Plaza on the Homewood Campus.

The Homewood campus is in northern Baltimore. It is home to most undergraduate programs.

• School of Education: This school trains future teachers and leaders in education.
• Whiting School of Engineering: This school offers many engineering programs.
• Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences: This school has over 60 majors and minors in arts and sciences.

The architecture on this campus is inspired by the historic Homewood House. This house is now a museum.

East Baltimore Campus

Johns Hopkins Hospital

This campus is known as the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI) campus. It includes several important medical facilities.

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: This is the world's oldest and largest public health school. It often ranks first in its field.
• School of Medicine: This school is known as one of the best medical schools and research centers.
• School of Nursing: This is one of America's top schools for nursing education.

Downtown Baltimore Campus

Peabody Institute.

• Carey Business School: This school offers business programs. It moved to the Legg Mason building in 2011.
• Peabody Institute: Founded in 1857, this is the oldest music conservatory in the U.S. It became part of Johns Hopkins in 1977. Students can study musicology and performance here.

Washington, D.C. Campus

Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, also known as SAIS, in Washington, D.C.

• Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS): This school focuses on international relations. It is located near Dupont Circle.
• The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences' Advanced Academic Programs (AAP): These programs offer advanced studies in areas like government and biotechnology.
• Carey Business School: This school also has programs in Washington, D.C.

In 2019, Johns Hopkins bought the Newseum building. This new location will bring all its Washington, D.C. programs together.

Laurel, Maryland Campus

The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is in Laurel, Maryland. It does research for the U.S. government, NASA, and other groups. APL has designed spacecraft for NASA missions to planets like Mercury and Pluto. It has also created many medical devices. This campus is also a main location for master's degrees in science and engineering.

Other Campuses Around the World

Johns Hopkins also has other campuses.

• In the U.S.: Columbia, Maryland and Montgomery County, Maryland.
• Internationally: The Hopkins–Nanjing Center in China.

Academics at Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins is a very selective university. This means it accepts only a small percentage of students who apply. About 51% of undergraduate students receive financial aid. This aid covers all their financial needs. The university is known for its strong research programs. About 80% of undergraduate students get to do their own research. They often work with top researchers.

University Rankings

Johns Hopkins University is considered one of the best universities in the world.

As of 2023-24, U.S. News & World Report ranks Johns Hopkins University as the ninth-best university in the U.S. and tenth-best globally. Many of its specific programs are also highly ranked. For example, its Biomedical Engineering and Public Health programs are often ranked number one.

Applying to Johns Hopkins

Getting into Johns Hopkins as an undergraduate is very competitive. In 2021, only about 6.4% of applicants were accepted. Most admitted students were in the top 10% of their high school class.

Students can apply through Early Decision, which means they promise to attend if accepted. There is also a Regular Decision option. Johns Hopkins does not consider whether a student's family members attended the university when making admissions decisions. The university also makes sure that all admitted students can afford to attend.

Libraries at Hopkins

The George Peabody Library at Johns Hopkins University.

The Johns Hopkins University Library system has over 3.6 million books. It has ten main parts across the university's campuses. The largest part is the Sheridan Libraries. This includes the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, which is the main library on the Homewood campus.

The main library has six stories, but only two are above ground. This design allows natural light to reach every level. A new four-story expansion, the Brody Learning Commons, opened in 2012. It has modern technology and study spaces.

Johns Hopkins University Press

The Johns Hopkins University Press is the university's publishing company. It started in 1878 and is the oldest university press in the U.S. It publishes over 200 new books and 65 academic journals each year. The Press also runs Project MUSE, an online collection of academic journals.

Center for Talented Youth

Johns Hopkins also has the Center for Talented Youth (CTY). This program helps identify and develop the skills of talented K-12 students around the world. CTY helps the university prepare students to make important contributions in the future.

Degrees Offered

Johns Hopkins offers many different degrees. These include bachelor's degrees (BA and BS) for undergraduate students. For graduate students, it offers master's degrees (MA and MS) and doctoral degrees (PhD). Many subjects, like biomedical engineering, offer all three types of degrees.

Research at Johns Hopkins

Installing a New Horizons imager at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Mission Operations at the Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Students at Johns Hopkins have many chances to take part in important research. About 80% of undergraduate students do independent research. They often work with leading scientists.

In 2020, Johns Hopkins spent almost $3.1 billion on research. This is more than any other U.S. university for over 40 years. Many Johns Hopkins faculty and alumni have won major awards. As of 2019, 39 Nobel Prize winners have been connected to the university.

Between 1999 and 2009, Johns Hopkins was one of the most cited institutions globally. This means its research was often referenced by others. In 2020, it ranked 5th in the world for the number of patents it was granted.

In 2000, Johns Hopkins received $95.4 million in research grants from NASA. This made it the top recipient of NASA research funding. In 2002, Hopkins was the first university to spend over $1 billion on research.

In 2013, the Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships program started. This program brings top researchers from around the world to Johns Hopkins. These professors work in different fields and teach undergraduate students.

Student Life at Johns Hopkins

Students relaxing on "the Beach" with Homewood House in the background.

The area around the university, Charles Village, has been improved. The university has bought properties for student housing. New shops and restaurants have also opened.

Hopkins has also improved campus life with new facilities. These include the Mattin Center for arts and the O'Connor Recreation Center for sports. The main dining halls were also renovated.

Students and alumni are very active. Johns Hopkins has many student organizations.

Fraternity and Sorority Life

Fraternities and sororities have been at Hopkins since 1876. Today, there are nine sororities and 11 fraternities. Over 1,000 students are part of these groups. This means about 23% of women and 20% of men participate. Many fraternities have houses in Charles Village.

Spring Fair

Spring Fair is a long-standing tradition at Johns Hopkins. It started in 1972. It has grown to be the largest student-run festival in the country. The fair has carnival rides, vendors, food, and a beer garden. It is popular with both students and people from Baltimore.

University Traditions

Johns Hopkins has some unique traditions. One popular myth is about the university seal in Gilman Hall. Students believe that if you step on the seal, you will never graduate. Because of this, the seal is fenced off.

Another annual event is the "Lighting of the Quads." This ceremony takes place each winter. The campus is lit up with holiday lights, and there are often singing and fireworks.

Student Housing

First- and second-year undergraduate students usually live on campus. Freshman housing is mainly in three residence hall complexes. These are the Alumni Memorial Residences (AMR I and AMR II) and Buildings A and B. Freshmen also live in Wolman Hall and McCoy Hall. Most dorms are co-ed, with rooms for students of the same gender.

After freshman year, students choose where to live through a housing lottery. Many juniors and seniors move into apartments or row-houses nearby. About 55% of students live on campus.

Athletics at Johns Hopkins

The university's sports teams are called the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. The athletic colors are Columbia blue and black. Homecoming is celebrated in the spring, during lacrosse season. The men's and women's lacrosse teams compete in NCAA Division I. Other teams are in NCAA Division III. Johns Hopkins is also home to the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame.

Men's Lacrosse

The men's lacrosse team is very famous. They have won 44 national titles. This includes nine NCAA Division I titles. Their main rivals are Princeton University, Syracuse University, and the University of Virginia. They also have a long-standing rivalry with the University of Maryland. In 2015, the Blue Jays joined the Big Ten Conference for men's lacrosse.

Women's Lacrosse

The women's lacrosse team is also part of the Big Ten Conference. They have been highly ranked in the past. In 2017, they officially joined the Big Ten Conference for women's lacrosse.

Other Sports Teams

Hopkins has many strong Division III athletic teams. The men's swimming team won three national championships in the late 1970s. In 2009–2010, Hopkins won 8 Centennial Conference titles. These included women's cross country, baseball, and men's and women's soccer. The women's cross country team was the first women's team at Hopkins to be ranked #1 nationally.

The fencing team is also well-known. They have ranked in the top three Division III teams. The men's swimming team has consistently ranked high in NCAA Division III. The water polo team has also been number one in Division III.

The women's field hockey team has reached the NCAA semifinals for the last four seasons. In 2022, the women's soccer team won their first NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Championship. They had an amazing season record of 23 wins, 0 losses, and 2 ties.

Famous People from Johns Hopkins

Many famous people have been connected to Johns Hopkins University. These include professors, alumni, and researchers. As of 2019, 39 Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with the university. This includes Woodrow Wilson, who later became President of the United States. He received his PhD from Johns Hopkins in 1886.

Nobel Prize Winners

As of October 2019, 39 Nobel Prize winners have been connected to Johns Hopkins. These include people who studied there or taught there. Many have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. For example, Gregg Semenza and William Kaelin Jr. won in 2019.

Four Nobel Prizes were shared by Johns Hopkins winners. This shows how much collaboration happens there. Peter Agre won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Carol Greider won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

Images for kids

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  Johns Hopkins University's Academic Seal

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  Johns Hopkins University logo

See also

In Spanish: Universidad Johns Hopkins para niños