George Washington University

The George Washington University's name is just one more reminder of the regard the nation holds for its first president. Chartered by the US Congress in 1821 as The Columbian College in the District of Columbia, the university adopted its present name in 1904. The private, coeducational university's more than 25,000 students are scattered across its primary campus at Foggy Bottom as well as its campuses in Mount Vernon and Ashburn, Virginia. The school's student-teacher ratio is about 15:1. Its academic programs run the gamut from business to law to medicine. Notable alumni include former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, actor Alec Baldwin, and former US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Strategy

Extending its reach to the pre-collegiate and growing online education markets, in January 2011 GWU and K12, Inc. launched an elite online private high school: the George Washington University Online High School (GWUOHS). The highly-selective independent private school, which serves students in the US and abroad, offers an intensive college-preparatory academic program in a personalized and flexible learning model. GWUOHS is operated by K12, with oversight from GW on program quality and operational performance. Additionally, GWUOHS provides research opportunities for the university on an important trend in education - the design, delivery, and evaluation of online learning. Stanford University, Middlebury College, and some other elite colleges and universities have launched online degree and course programs for the pre-college set.