GW was a top producer of student Fulbright scholars during the 2022-23 academic year.

Out of 56 student applicants, 18 undergraduate and graduate students received the award, an increase from the 12 awards granted among 48 applicants to students in the 2020-21 academic year, according to a report from The Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this month. Stacked against its peer schools, GW enrolls the fourth-highest number of Fulbright scholars, tallying the second-highest acceptance rate this year.

Interim University President Mark Wrighton said in a University release that the program is a “meaningful avenue” for students to engage in global service and cross-cultural participation.

“The George Washington University is honored to be among the select institutions with a high number of Fulbright recipients,” Wrighton said in the release. “I am proud of our many students and scholars whose service and research is enabled and enhanced by this distinguished program.”

The Fulbright program is an international academic exchange program created in the aftermath of World War II and signed into law by President Harry Truman to introduce multicultural perspectives into scholarly work and facilitate international research and engagement opportunities on campuses nationwide.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs managed the program, assisted by the Fulbright Scholar Advisory Board which includes members from prestigious academic associations including the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Academy of Sciences, the Social Science Research Council and the American Council on Education.

The 32 percent acceptance rate is comparable to universities ranked higher than GW on the list, like Stanford University and the University of Chicago. Stanford received 20 awards at a 32 percent acceptance rate, while the University of Chicago received 21 awards at a 33 percent acceptance rate.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a letter to Wrighton praising the University’s support for international studies, the release states.

“This achievement is a testament to your institution’s deep commitment to international exchange and to building lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” Blinken said in the letter.

Geneva Henry, the vice provost for information technology and dean of libraries and academic innovation, said in the release that many of the students who received the award collaborated with the Center for Undergraduate Fellowships & Research within GW Libraries and Academic Innovation, to complete their Fulbright scholar applications.

“We are incredibly impressed with our students who have been selected as Fulbright scholars, reflecting their hard work, dedication and academic excellence,” she said in the release. “This recognition not only showcases the talent of our students, but it also demonstrates GW’s strength in preparing them to make a global impact.”