Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University ( informally Johns Hopkins , JHU , or just Hopkins ) is a not - for - profit private research university based in Baltimore , Maryland , United States . The university was founded on January 22 , 1876 and named for its benefactor , the philanthropist Johns Hopkins . Daniel Coit Gilman was inaugurated as the first president on February 22 , 1876 . Johns Hopkins maintains campuses in Maryland ; Washington , D . C . ; Italy ; China and Singapore . The university is organized into two undergraduate divisions and five graduate divisions on two main campuses — the Homewood campus and the Medical Institutions campus — both located in Baltimore . The university also consists of the Paul H . Nitze School of Advanced International Studies , the Peabody Institute , the Carey Business School , and various other facilities . Johns Hopkins pioneered the concept of the modern research university in the United States and has ranked among the world ' s top such universities throughout its history . The National Science Foundation ( NSF ) has ranked Johns Hopkins # 1 among U . S . academic institutions in total science , medical and engineering research and development spending for 31 consecutive years . As of 2011 , thirty - seven Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with Johns Hopkins , and the university ' s research is among the most cited in the world . History . The philanthropist and the founding . On his death in 1873 , Johns Hopkins , a Quaker entrepreneur and childless bachelor , bequeathed $ 7 million ( between $ 140 million to $ 1 . 6 billion in 2011 dollars , by varying estimates ) to fund a hospital and university in Baltimore , Maryland . At that time this fortune , generated primarily from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States . The first name of philanthropist Johns Hopkins is the surname of his great - grandmother , Margaret Johns , who married Gerard Hopkins . They named their son Johns Hopkins , who named his own son Samuel Hopkins . Samuel named one of his sons after his father and that son would be the university ' s benefactor . In his 2001 undergraduate commencement address , university president William R . Brody said about the name : " In 1888 , just 12 years after the university was founded , Mark Twain wrote about this university in a letter to a friend . He said : ' A few months ago I was told that the Johns Hopkins University had given me a degree . I naturally supposed this constituted me a Member of the Faculty and so I started in to help as I could there . I told them I believed they were perfectly competent to run a college as far as the higher branches of education are concerned , but what they needed was a little help here and there from a practical commercial man . I said the public is sensitive to little things and they wouldn ' t have full confidence in a college that didn ' t know how to spell the name " John " . ' More than a century later , we continue to bestow diplomas upon individuals of outstanding capabilities and great talent . And we continue to spell " Johns " with an " s " . " Milton Eisenhower , a former university president , once spoke at a convention in Pittsburgh where the Master of Ceremonies introduced him as " President of " John " Hopkins . " Eisenhower retorted that he was " glad to be here in " Pitt " burgh . " Early years and Daniel Coit Gilman . The original board opted for an entirely novel university model dedicated to the discovery of knowledge at an advanced level , extending that of contemporary Germany . Johns Hopkins thereby became the model of the modern research university in the United States . Its success eventually shifted higher education in the United States from a focus on teaching revealed and / or applied knowledge to the scientific discovery of new knowledge . The founders intended the university to be national in scope to strengthen ties across a divided country in the aftermath of the American Civil War . Therefore , the university ' s official inauguration took on great significance : 1876 was the nation ' s centennial year and February 22 was George Washington ' s birthday . The University ' s viability depended on its first president , Daniel Coit Gilman , recruited from the presidency of the University of California . Gilman launched what many at the time considered an audacious and unprecedented academic experiment to merge teaching and research . He dismissed the idea that the two were mutually exclusive : " The best teachers are usually those who are free , competent and willing to make original researches in the library and the laboratory , " he stated . To implement his plan , Gilman recruited internationally known luminaries such as the biologist H . Newell Martin ; the physicist Henry A . Rowland ( the first president of the American Physical Society ) , the classical scholars Basil Gildersleeve and Charles D . Morris ; the economist Richard T . Ely ; and the chemist Ira Remsen , who became the second president of the university in 1901 . Gilman focused on the expansion of knowledge , graduate education and support of faculty research . To Gilman , Johns Hopkins existed not for the sake of God , the state , the community , the board , the parents , or even the students , but for knowledge . Faculty who added to such knowledge were rewarded . A complementary focus on graduate education fused advanced scholarship with such professional schools as medicine and engineering . Hopkins became the national trendsetter in doctoral programs and the host for numerous scholarly journal s and associations with the founding of the first U . S . university press in 1878 . With the completion of Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1889 and the medical school in 1893 , the university ' s research – focused mode of instruction soon began attracting world - renowned faculty members who would become major figures in the emerging field of academic medicine , including William Osler , William Halsted , Howard Kelly , and William Welch . During this period Hopkins made more history by becoming the first medical school to admit women on an equal basis with men and to require a Bachelors degree , based on the efforts of Mary E . Garrett , who had endowed the school at Gilman ' s request . In his will and in his instructions to the trustees of the university and the hospital , Hopkins requested that both institutions be built upon the vast grounds of his Baltimore estate , Clifton . When Gilman assumed the presidency , he decided that it would be best to use the university ' s endowment for recruiting faculty and students , deciding to " build men , not buildings . " In his will Hopkins stipulated that none of his endowment should be used for construction ; only interest on the principal could be used for this purpose . Unfortunately , stocks in The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , which would have generated most of the interest , became virtually worthless soon after Hopkins ' s death . The university ' s first home was thus in Downtown Baltimore delaying plans to site the university in Clifton . This decision became the only major criticism of Gilman ' s presidency . In the early 20th century the university outgrew its buildings and the trustees began to search for a new home . Developing Clifton for the university was too costly , and so the estate became a public park . In the end , the estate in north Baltimore known as Homewood was purchased as the university ' s new campus with assistance from prominent Baltimore citizens . Since the 1910s , Johns Hopkins University has famously been a " fertile cradle " to Arthur Lovejoy ' s history of ideas . Institutions . The Johns Hopkins University Press , founded in 1878 , is the oldest American university press in continuous operation . Along with the hospital , Hopkins established one of the nation ' s oldest schools of nursing in 1889 . The school of medicine was America ' s first coeducational , graduate - level medical school , and was a prototype for academic medicine that emphasized bedside learning , research projects , and laboratory training . In 1909 , the university was among the first to start adult continuing education programs and in 1916 it founded the US ' first school of public health . Programs in international studies and the performing arts were established in 1950 and 1977 when the Paul H . Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D . C and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore became divisions of the university . Civil rights . African - Americans . Hopkins was a prominent abolitionist who supported Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War . After his death , reports said his conviction was a decisive factor in enrolling Hopkins ' first African - American student , Kelly Miller , a graduate student in physics , astronomy and mathematics , and in admitting Harvard - trained physician Whitfield Winsey and two other African - American physicians to Maryland ' s Medical and Chirurgical Society MedChi . These physicians could attend meetings only because they were held on campus . As the memory of Hopkins faded and trustees like King died , Hopkins became like other Baltimore institutions , particularly in terms of race . The Johns Hopkins University chronology stated that on March 15 , 1892 , an administrator hired by Gilman recommended that the hospital should have a " … separate ward for colored patients . " Johns Hopkins Hospital subsequently became segregated . Johns Hopkins ' " separate but equal " stance was evident when it came to these segregated wards : " Special care will be taken to see that the heating and ventilation apparatus is as perfect as possible . A sun balcony will be erected on each floor on the east side , for convalescents , while a sun bay - window will be constructed at the south end of the south wing . On each floor there will be a dining room , kitchen , lavatory and bath - rooms . . . The building will be fireproof throughout . " As segregation grew within Johns Hopkins institutions , it affected pay , hiring and promotions . Staff in segregated wards and those employed in the lower rungs of the service industries had the longest history within the Johns Hopkins Institutions . Johns Hopkins ' students , physicians , administrators and staff of African descent had a much shorter history within these institutions . The first black undergraduate was Frederick Scott who entered the school in 1945 . In 1967 the first black students earned graduate degrees . Dr . James Nabwangu a British - trained Kenya n , was the first black graduate of the medical school . A second was earned by Robert Gamble . The first African - American instructor was laboratory supervisor Vivien Thomas , who also invented and developed research instruments , served as an assistant in surgery to surgeon Alfred Blalock and worked closely with Blalock and Helen Taussig in developing and conducting the first successful blue baby operation . Black students and professionals were rare at Johns Hopkins Institutions and Maryland ' s state medical societies until after the 1940s . Diversity increased only in the 1960s and 1970s . African - Americans and women were labeled " The Uninvited " in the second major history of the university . Women . Hopkins ' most well – known battle for women ' s rights was the one led by daughters of trustees of the university ; Mary E . Garrett , M . Carey Thomas , Mamie Gwinn , Elizabeth King , and Julia Rogers . They donated and raised the funds needed to open the medical school , and required Hopkins ' officials to agree to their stipulation that women would be admitted . Unfortunately , this stipulation applied only to the medical school . Other graduate schools were opened to women by president Ira Remsen only in 1907 . Christine Ladd - Franklin was the first woman to earn a PhD at Hopkins , in mathematics in 1882 . The trustees denied her the degree and refused to change the policy about admitting women ; she finally received her degree 44 years later . In 1893 Florence Bascomb became the university ' s first female PhD . The nursing school opened in 1889 and accepted women and men as students . The decision to admit women at undergraduate level was not considered until the late 1960s and was eventually adopted in October 1969 ; in the fall of 1970 , 90 females , five of them African - American , became undergraduates . In the academic year 1970 – 1971 , 4 . 7 % of students in the Arts and Sciences programs were women . In the year 1985 – 1986 the proportion of female students in the Arts and Sciences programs had increased to around 38 % . As of 2009 – 2010 , the undergraduate population was 47 % female and 53 % male . Campuses . Homewood . The first campus was located on Howard Street . Eventually , they relocated to Homewood , in northern Baltimore , the estate of Charles Carroll , son of the oldest surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence . Carroll ' s Homewood House is considered one of the finest examples of Federal residential architecture . The estate then came to the Wyman family , which participated in making it the park - like main campus of the schools of arts and sciences and engineering at the start of the 20th century . Most of its architecture was modeled after the Federal style of Homewood House . Homewood House is preserved as a museum . Most undergraduate programs are here . East Baltimore . Collectively known as Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions ( JHMI ) campus , the East Baltimore facility occupies several city blocks spreading from the Johns Hopkins Hospital trademark dome . The Washington , D . C . campus is on Massachusetts Avenue . Laurel , Maryland . The Applied Physics Laboratory , a division of the university co - equal to the nine schools but with a non - academic mission , lies between Baltimore and Washington in Laurel , Maryland . Other campuses . International . In 2009 , JHU ranked fifth among US universities in private fund – raising , collecting $ 433 . 39 million . The President is JHU ' s chief executive officer , and the university is organized into nine academic divisions . Campus environmental initiatives . Johns Hopkins University has implemented a number of sustainability initiatives . In 2011 , the " Sustainable Endowments Institute " gave Johns Hopkins a College Sustainability Report Card grade of " C + . " In particular the Institute criticized JHU for failing to disclose its endowment ' s holdings and proxy voting record on environmental issues . Transportation . In 2007 carbon emissions were inventoried and electric vehicles were used for some campus transportation needs . Food . As of 2007 dining services managers sought locally – sourced produce and seafood , and integrated organic food into menus . In addition , the smaller cafés around campus sell exclusively organic , shade – grown coffees . A small pilot composting program operated on the undergraduate campus . Buildings . In 2007 the university was pursuing LEED certification for several buildings . Energy retrofits in certain buildings have resulted in over 50 % less energy consumption . Retrofits included a green roof , experimentation with waterless urinal s and low - flow shower heads , and upgraded fluorescent lighting that reduced electricity for lighting on one campus by over 40 percent . Similar lighting retrofits were underway at all campuses . At the beginning of 2012 , Hopkins sustainability announced the installation of 2 , 708 solar panels atop buildings at Homewood ( Rec / Athletic Center , Mattin Center ) , the Eastern Building on 33rd Street and the East Baltimore Campus ( Pinkard Building , 2024 Building , Bloomberg Building , Hampton House ) . These solar panels will produce 997 , 400 kWh and decrease 1 , 200 , 000 lbs of greenhouse gases each year . Water . In 2004 , one campus completed a water conservation retrofit that annually saved over of water . Student support . As of 2010 students contributed significantly to environmental initiatives , setting up the JHU recycling program , hosting a national " Greening " conference , launching a transportation shuttle service between campuses and making the campus more bike - friendly . Each year , students conduct the " S . E . X . : I . T . " competition to see which dormitory can save the most electricity . Organization . The Johns Hopkins entity is structured as two corporations , the university and The Johns Hopkins Health System , formed in 1986 . The latter has grown into the bigger entity , with fiscal year 2005 consolidated net revenue of $ 3 . 3 billion , employing 27 , 700 people , including some 4 , 700 full – time physicians . JHU ' s bylaws specify a Board of Trustees of between 18 and 65 voting members . Trustees serve six – year terms subject to a two – term limit . The alumni select 12 trustees . Four recent alumni serve 4 - year terms , one per year , typically from the graduating class . The bylaws prohibit students , faculty or administrative staff from serving on the Board , except the President as an ex – officio trustee . The Johns Hopkins Health System has a separate Board of Trustees , many of whom are doctors or health care executives . Some JHU Trustees also serve on the Johns Hopkins Health System Board . Academics . The full - time , four year undergraduate program is " most selective " with low transfer - in and a high graduate co - existence . The cost of attendance per year is $ 60 , 820 , however the average need met is 99 % . The university is one of fourteen founding members of the Association of American Universities ( AAU ) ; it is also a member of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education ( COFHE ) and the Universities Research Association ( URA ) . Undergraduate admissions . In 2010 , 87 % of admitted students graduated in the top tenth of their high school class and the inter - quartile range on the SAT reading was 670 – 750 , math was 690 – 780 , and writing was 670 – 770 . 97 % of freshmen returned after the first year , 84 % of students graduated in 4 years and 92 % graduated in 6 years . The average GPA of enrolled freshmen is 3 . 74 . Over time , applications to Johns Hopkins University have risen steadily . As a result , the selectivity of Johns Hopkins University has also increased . Early Decision is an option at Johns Hopkins University for students who wish to demonstrate that the university is their first choice . These students , if admitted , are required to enroll . This application is due November 1 . Most students , however , apply Regular Decision , which is a traditional non - binding round . These applications are due January 1 and students are notified April 1 . Rankings . At the undergraduate level , Hopkins was ranked 13 among National Universities by " U . S . News and World Report ( USNWR ) " . It is ranked 1 in the nation in the high school counselor reputation rankings . The 2012 " Academic Ranking of World Universities ( ARWU ) " ranked Hopkins 17 internationally ( 15 nationally ) and 3rd in the world for Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy . In 2010 , Johns Hopkins ranked 13th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 16th in the 2011 QS World University Rankings . Johns Hopkins also placed 2 in the 2010 University Ranking by Academic Performance ( URAP ) , 2 in the 2011 HEEACT – Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities , ranked 7 among Top Performing Schools according to the " Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index ( FSPI ) " in 2008 , and was listed 9 among research universities by the " Center for Measuring University Performance " in 2007 . For medical and public health research " U . S . News and World Report " ranks the School of Medicine 2 and has consistently ranked the Bloomberg School of Public Health 1 in the nation . The School of Nursing was ranked 1 nationally among peer institutions . The " Times Higher Education Supplement " ranked Johns Hopkins University 3 in the world for biomedicine and life sciences . Hopkins ranks 1 nationally in receipt of federal research funds and the School of Medicine is 1 among medical schools in receipt of extramural awards from the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) . Newsweek named Johns Hopkins as the " Hottest School for Pre - meds " in 2008 . The Johns Hopkins Hospital was ranked as the top hospital in the United States for the eighteenth year in a row by the " U . S . News and World Report " annual ranking of American hospitals . The university ' s graduate programs in the areas of Biological & Biomedical Sciences , Engineering ( Biomedical , Electrical & Environmental ) , Human Development & Family Studies , Health Sciences , Humanities , Physical & Mathematical Sciences and International Affairs & Development all rank among the top - 10 of their respective disciplines . The Paul H . Nitze School of Advanced International Studies ( SAIS ) ranked # 1 ( 2005 ) , # 2 ( 2007 ) , and # 2 ( 2009 ) , by College of William and Mary ' s surveys conducted once every two years beginning in 2005 , for its MA program among the world ' s top schools of International Affairs for those who want to pursue a policy career . The School of Education is ranked 6 nationally by " U . S . News and World Report " . Although no formal rankings exist for music conservatories , the Peabody Institute is generally considered one of the most prestigious conservatories in the country , along with Juilliard and the Curtis Institute . Johns Hopkins is ranked the # 1 Social Media College by StudentAdvisor . Several university departments have been known to actively engage on various social media platforms such as Blogs , Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , and Flickr to reach prospective students , current students , and alumni . Libraries . The Johns Hopkins University Library system houses more than 3 . 6 million volumes . It includes ten main divisions : the Sheridan Libraries at Homewood , the Welch Medical Library , the Medical Institution Libraries , the School of Nursing Library , Abraham M . Lilienfeld Library at the Bloomberg School , Friedheim Music Library at the Peabody Institute , the Carey Business School and School of Education libraries , the School of Advanced International Studies Libraries ( Sydney R . and Elsa W . Mason Library and Bologna Center Library ) , the R . E . Gibson Library at the Applied Physics Laboratory Library and other minor satellite locations , as well as the archives . Milton S . Eisenhower Library . The Milton S . Eisenhower Library , located on the Homewood campus , is the main library . It was built in the 1960s . It houses over 2 . 6 million volumes and over 20 , 000 journal subscriptions . The Eisenhower Library is a member of the university ' s Sheridan Libraries encompassing collections at the Albert D . Hutzler Reading Room ( called " The Hut " by students ) in Gilman Hall , the John Work Garrett Library at Evergreen House , and the George Peabody Library at Mount Vernon Place . Together these collections provide the major research library resources for the university , serving Johns Hopkins academic programs worldwide . The library was named for Milton S . Eisenhower , former president of the university and brother of former U . S . president Dwight D . Eisenhower . JHU ' s library was previously housed in Gilman Hall , and other smaller departmental libraries throughout the Homewood campus . Only two of the Eisenhower library ' s six stories are above ground , though the architects designed the building so that every level has windows and natural light . The design accords with a bit of traditional campus lore that no structure can be taller than Gilman Hall , the oldest academic building ( although no written rule limits building height ) . In December 2008 , an addition directly to the south of the library was announced . The six - and - a - half - story expansion will be named the Brody Learning Commons in honor of University President William R . Brody and will function as a " … collaborative learning space . " It successfully opened on August 13 , 2012 . Brody Learning Commons . The Sheridan Libraries ' Brody Learning Commons is the kind of 21st century library space that students need , where they can collaborate ; research , read and study ; tap into electronic resources ; and learn to be scholars and critical thinkers . The building is named to honor former Johns Hopkins University president William R . Brody and his wife , Wendy . The four - story building , opened in August 2012 , connects to the 1964 Milton S . Eisenhower Library on all floors and includes high ceilings and light wells to provide natural light throughout the building . The facility features a robust technology infrastructure . The technology - rich Learning Commons includes group study spaces , seminar rooms , and a state - of - the - art lab designed to integrate the role of scientists into the field of paper and manuscript conservation . The Rare Books and Manuscripts collection is on prominent physical display , supplemented by digital presentation of materials that allows users to compare and contrast different editions of rare documents in virtual and physical form . An atrium , which provides a transition between Brody and the Library , allows natural light to reach the lower levels of the Library while providing a civic space for the Learning Commons and the library community . The Brody Learning Commons was designed by Shepley Bulfinch and built by Lewis Contractors . It is an energy - efficient building , built according to United States Green Building Council guidelines , and is the first new construction on the university ' s Homewood campus to achieve LEED Silver certification . The facility is open 24 / 7 . Research . The opportunity to participate in important research is one of the distinguishing characteristics of Hopkins ' undergraduate education . About 80 percent of undergraduates perform independent research , often alongside top researchers . In FY 2009 , Johns Hopkins received $ 1 . 856 billion in federal research grants — more than any other US university . Thirty - seven ( 37 ) Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with the university as alumni or faculty members . JHU views its academic strengths as being in art history , biological , physical and other natural sciences , biomedical engineering , creative writing , English , history , economics , international studies , medicine , music , neuroscience , nursing , political theory , public health , public policy , and the Romance languages . Between 1999 and 2009 , Johns Hopkins was among the most cited institutions in the world . It attracted nearly 1 , 222 , 166 citations and produced 54 , 022 papers under its name , ranking 3 globally behind Harvard University and Max Planck Society with the highest total citations published in Thomson Reuters - indexed journals over 22 fields in America . In FY 2000 , Johns Hopkins received $ 95 . 4 million in research grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) , making it the leading recipient of NASA research and development funding . In FY 2002 , Hopkins became the first university to cross the $ 1 billion threshold on either list , recording $ 1 . 14 billion in total research and $ 1 . 023 billion in federally sponsored research . In FY 2008 , Johns Hopkins University performed $ 1 . 68 billion in science , medical and engineering research , making it the leading U . S . academic institution in total R & D spending for the 30th year in a row , according to a National Science Foundation ( NSF ) ranking . These totals include grants and expenditures of JHU ' s Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel , Maryland . The Johns Hopkins University also offers the " Center for Talented Youth " program — a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying and developing the talents of the most promising K - 12 grade students worldwide . As part of the Johns Hopkins University , the " Center for Talented Youth " or CTY helps fulfill the university ' s mission of preparing students to make significant future contributions to the world . Johns Hopkins University Press . The Johns Hopkins University Press is the publishing division of the Johns Hopkins University . It was founded in 1878 and holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously running university press in the United States . To date the Press has published more than 6 , 000 titles and currently publishes 65 scholarly periodicals and over 200 new books each year . Since 1993 , the Johns Hopkins University Press has run Project MUSE , an online collection of over 250 full – text , peer – reviewed journals in the humanities and social sciences . The Press also houses the Hopkins Fulfilment Services ( HFS ) , which handles distribution for a number of university presses and publishers . Taken together , the three divisions of the Press — Books , Journals ( including MUSE ) and HFS — make it one of the largest of America ' s university presses . Student life . The Johns Hopkins Student Government Association represents undergraduates in campus issues and projects . It is elected annually . Blueprints for a new programming board called The Hopkins Organization for Programming ( " The HOP " ) were drawn up during the summer and fall of 2006 . In addition Charles Village , the region of North Baltimore surrounding the university , has undergone several restoration projects , and the university has gradually bought the property around the school for additional student housing and dormitories . " The Charles Village Project " , scheduled for completion in 2008 , brought new commercial spaces to the neighborhood . The project included Charles Commons , a new , modern residence hall that includes popular retail franchises . Hopkins invested in improving campus life with an arts complex in 2001 , the Mattin Center , and a three – story sports facility , the O ' Connor Recreation Center . The large on – campus dining facilities at Homewood were renovated in the summer of 2006 . Quality of life is enriched by the proximity of neighboring academic institutions , including Loyola College , Maryland Institute College of Art ( MICA ) , UMBC , Goucher College , and Towson University , as well as nearby Inner Harbor . Annually , the Johns Hopkins Spring Fair is held on the Homewood campus over a three day weekend in mid - to - late April . Food , arts and crafts , and non – profit vendors , along with a popular musical act and various other activities attract nearly 25 , 000 people from the greater Baltimore – Washington area . The Spring Fair is the largest entirely student – run fair in the country . Since 1972 , the Johns Hopkins Outdoors Club , or JHOC , has organized weekend trips for students looking to experience the outdoors . Along with Outdoor Pursuits , an arm of the University ' s Rec Center , JHOC offers students the opportunity to participate in activities such as canoeing , kayaking , caving , and mountain biking . Housing . Living on campus is required for first - and second - year students , except for commuter students who live with a parent or legal guardian . Housing is not guaranteed for juniors or seniors at Johns Hopkins . Freshmen housing is centered around Freshman Quad , which consists of three major residence hall complexes : The Alumni Memorial Residences ( AMR I and AMR II ) , Building A and Building B . AMR I was built in 1923 and includes Royce , Sylvester , Vincent , Willard , Wilson and Wood houses ; AMR II in 1954 , holding Adams , Baker , Clark , Gildersleeve , Griffin , Hollander , Jennings , Lazear houses . While each house has its own outside entrance , there are no dividers indoors that distinguish them . In 1983 , Buildings A and B were added to Freshmen Quad . They have not yet been dedicated . Freshmen are also housed in Wolman Hall and the terrace floor of McCoy Hall , located on the other side of North Charles Street . Freshman enter a housing lottery in their spring semester to determine where they will live during their sophomore year . Juniors and seniors may choose between entering the campus housing lottery or moving into nearby apartments or row houses . They occupy one of four buildings . The first , McCoy Hall , is located next to Wolman Hall on North Charles Street . McCoy Hall is predominantly composed of sophomores and transfer students . Apartment - style housing is offered in the Bradford Apartments , one block east of campus on St . Paul Street , and in the Homewood Apartments , two blocks south on North Charles Street . The last is Charles Commons , the newest and largest university – owned dormitory , located at the corner of North Charles and East 33rd . It was completed in 2006 to house 618 students and represented a major step by the university towards offering on – campus housing to students . Charles Commons consists of two 11 – story towers connected by a bridge , residential suites and features a ballroom , fitness center and several conference rooms . Nolan ' s on 33rd , a dining hall specializing in dinner services , is also located in the building . JHU rents several buildings on North Charles Street to house students when necessary . At full capacity , dormitory buildings can house approximately 60 % of undergraduates . Privately – owned apartment buildings around Homewood are usually filled with Hopkins upperclassmen , so despite the lack of university – owned dormitories , housing is available . Fraternities and sororities . The University Office of Greek Life recognizes thirteen fraternities and eight sororities , which include approximately 25 % of the student body . Greek life has been a part of the university culture since 1877 , when Beta Theta Pi fraternity became the first to form a chapter on campus . Sororities arrived at Hopkins in 1982 . As with all Hopkins programs , Greek discrimination on the basis of " marital status , pregnancy , race , color , ethnicity , national origin , age , disability , religion , sexual orientation , veteran status " is prohibited . JHU also has an anti – hazing policy and prohibits alcohol at recruitment activities . Hopkins does not permit " city – wide " chapters , and requires all members of a JHU recognized fraternity or sorority to be a JHU student . As of spring 2011 , 1 , 208 students were members of one of Hopkins ' fraternities or sororities . The All – Greek Average GPA was 3 . 31 , above the undergraduate average GPA . In spring 2010 the university was considering construction of a " fraternity row " of houses to consolidate the groups on campus . All Johns Hopkins fraternities and sororities belong to one of four Councils : the Inter – Fraternity Council , the National Panhellenic Conference , the National Pan - Hellenic Council and the Multicultural Council . The Inter – Fraternity Council includes eleven fraternities : The National Panhellenic Conference includes four sororities : The National Pan – Hellenic Council includes two historically African – American groups : The Multicultural Council includes four groups : Delta Phi Fraternity , also known as St . Elmo ' s , maintains a chapter exclusive to students at Johns Hopkins , though it is not recognized by the Office of Greek Life . Unrecognized Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta African – American interest sororities often recruit Johns Hopkins undergraduates , in their city – wide chapters . Delta Sigma Theta was the first National Pan – Hellenic Council member to charter on the campus in 1976 , as well as the first sorority of any kind on the JHU campus . Kappa Alpha Theta , a National Panhellenic Conference ( NPC ) sorority , was disbanded by its national headquarters on April 14 , 2009 after twelve years on campus . The removal was due to repeated risk management violations . In March 2010 , Johns Hopkins University officially opened for NPC extension . In May 2010 , the University Panhellenic Council selected Pi Beta Phi , which opened in the fall of 2010 . Recruitment for Inter – Fraternity Council and Panhellenic Conference fraternities and sororities takes place during the spring semester for freshmen , though some groups recruit upperclassmen during the fall semester . All participants must have completed one semester and must be in good academic standing . Many of the fraternities maintain houses off campus , but no sororities do . Baltimore City allows housing to be zoned specifically for use as a fraternity or sorority house , but in practice this zoning code has not been awarded for at least 50 years . Only Sigma Phi Epsilon ' s building has this zoning code due to its consistent ownership since the 1920s . Student publications . Hopkins has many student publications . Student – Run businesses . Hopkins Student Enterprises ( HSE ) is a venture capital fund and umbrella organization with the goal of fostering innovation and facilitating resources and mentorship to student entrepreneurs . Currently , five businesses are in operation : Athletics . Athletic teams are called Blue Jays . Even though sable and gold are used for academic robes , the university ' s athletic colors are Columbia blue ( PMS 284 ) and black . Hopkins celebrates Homecoming in the spring to coincide with the height of the lacrosse season . The Men ' s and Women ' s lacrosse teams are in National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I . Other teams are in Division III and participate in the Centennial Conference . JHU is also home to the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame , maintained by US Lacrosse . Men ' s lacrosse . The school ' s most prominent team is its men ' s lacrosse team . The team does not belong to a conference . The team has won 44 national titles – nine Division I ( 2007 , 2005 , 1987 , 1985 , 1984 , 1980 , 1979 , 1978 , 1974 ) , 29 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association ( USILA ) , and six Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association ( ILA ) titles . Hopkins ' primary national rivals are Princeton University , Syracuse University , and the University of Virginia ; its primary intrastate rivals are Loyola College ( competing in what is called the " Charles Street Massacre " ) , Towson University , the United States Naval Academy , and the University of Maryland . The rivalry with Maryland is the oldest . The schools have met 103 times since 1899 , twice in playoff matches . Women ' s lacrosse . The women ' s team is a member of the American Lacrosse Conference ( ALC ) . The team is developing into a top twenty team . The Lady Blue Jays were ranked number 19 in the 2008 Inside Lacrosse Women ' s DI Media Poll ( ILWDIMP ) . They ranked number 8 in both the 2007 Intercollegiate Women ' s Lacrosse Coaches Association ( IWLCA ) Poll for Division I and the ILWDIMP . In 2006 , they were ranked 14th in the ILWDIMP , in 2005 , they were 11th , and , in 2004 , they were 9th . However , recently the team has struggled and finished with a record of 5 wins and 12 losses in the 2009 season . Other teams . Hopkins has notable Division III Athletic teams . JHU Men ' s Swimming won three consecutive NCAA Championships in 1977 , 1978 , and 1979 . In 2009 – 2010 , Hopkins won 8 Centennial Conference titles in Women ' s Cross Country , Women ' s Track & Field , Baseball , Men ' s and Women ' s Soccer , Football , and Men ' s and Women ' s Tennis . The Women ' s Cross Country team became the first women ' s team at Hopkins to achieve a # 1 National ranking . In 2006 – 2007 teams won Centennial Conference titles in Baseball , Men ' s and Women ' s Soccer , Men ' s and Women ' s Tennis and Men ' s Basketball . Hopkins has an acclaimed fencing team , which ranked in the top three Division III teams in the past few years and in both 2008 and 2007 defeated the University of North Carolina , a Division I team . In 2008 , they defeated UNC and won the MACFA championship . The Swimming team ranked highly in NCAA Division III for the last 10 years , most recently placing second at DIII Nationals in 2008 . The Water Polo team was number one in Division III for several of the past years , playing a full schedule against Division I opponents . Hopkins also has a century - old rivalry with McDaniel College ( formerly Western Maryland College ) , playing the Green Terrors 83 times in football since the first game in 1894 . In 2009 the football team reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III tournament , with three tournament appearances since 2005 . In 2008 , the baseball team ranked second , losing in the final game of the DIII College World Series to Trinity College . The John Hopkins squash team plays in the College Squash Association as a club team along with Division I and III varsity programs . In 2011 - 12m the squash team finished 30th in the ranking . Notable alumni , faculty and staff . Nobel laureates . As of 2011 , there had been 37 Nobel Laureates , who attended the university as undergraduate students , graduate students or were faculty members . Woodrow Wilson , who received his PhD from Johns Hopkins in 1886 , was Hopkins ' first affiliated laureate , winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919 . Twenty - three laureates were faculty members , five earned PhDs , eight earned M . D . while Francis Peyton Rous and Martin Rodbell earned undergraduate degrees . Eighteen Johns Hopkins laureates have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , more than any other category . Four Nobel Prizes were shared by Johns Hopkins laureates : George Minot and George Whipple won the 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , Joseph Erlanger and Herbert Spencer Gasser won the 1944 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , Daniel Nathans and Hamilton O . Smith won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , and David H . Hubel and Torsten N . Wiesel won the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine . Two Johns Hopkins laureates won Nobel Prizes in Physics , Riccardo Giacconi in 2002