About Georgian Court

FOUNDED
In 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy

CAMPUS
Located in Lakewood, New Jersey, nearby the Jersey Shore and midway between Philadelphia and New York City

TYPE OF INSTITUTION
A private, comprehensive liberal arts Catholic university in the Mercy tradition. GCU offers undergraduate, graduate, and online programs, and has been fully coeducational since fall 2013. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

SCHOOL COLORS & MASCOT
Blue & Gold; Roary the Lion

ENROLLMENT (FALL 2022)

• 1,471 undergraduate students
• 491 graduate students

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE (FALL 2022)

• 71% female, 29% male 
• 21 states represented
• 34% first-generation college students
• 39% Pell Grant eligible
• 58% Roman Catholic (freshmen, fall 2021), 39% Roman Catholic (new transfers, fall 2020)
• 34% nonwhite
• 285 student-athletes

FACULTY (FALL 2022)

• 95 full-time instructional faculty members, supplemented by 162 industry professionals as adjunct faculty
• 95% of full-time faculty members hold doctoral degrees

FINANCIAL AID (FALL 2022)

• Types of aid: Merit- and need-based scholarships, grants, loans, work-study or part-time jobs on campus, outside scholarships
• 99% of first-year, full-time students receive financial aid
• over $17 million in financial aid is awarded annually by GCU
• $33,017 is the average financial aid package

For more information about the average cost of attendance, loan repayment rate, and average salary of GCU graduates—and to check out how GCU compares to other New Jersey colleges—visit our College Scorecard.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Endowment: $53,415,761 as of 6/30/2022 (audited)

HOUSING
About 30% of full-time undergraduate students live on campus in four residence halls

STUDENT ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS

• 40+ clubs and organizations, volunteer opportunities, student leadership programs, and recreational activities across campus
• 15 NCAA Division II varsity sports, including 8 women’s teams and 6 men’s teams that compete in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC)

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

• Women in Leadership Development (WILD) encourages women to assume critical leadership roles in the community and their chosen fields.
• The Office of Global Education opens up the world of cultural and educational exchange to students and faculty, empowering them with the skills to lead and a commitment to global citizenship and engagement. Global education incorporates curriculum, international partnerships, study abroad, global awareness on campus, community outreach, and enrollment.
• Student Success helps GCU students increase study, note-taking, test preparation, and time-management skills, and it provides tutoring.
• The Educational Opportunity Fund is a New Jersey State program designed to broaden access to college for all students.

In the late 1800s, Lakewood was well known as the winter playground for the elite of New York City and Philadelphia, with sprawling country estates nestled among the spruces and pines. Georgian Court University is located on one such estate: the George Jay Gould estate.

The estate was established in 1896 by the son of railroad magnate Jay Gould. Construction on the estate began 10 years after George Gould married lovely young actress Edith Kingdon. A second residence and winter getaway for the Goulds, Georgian Court provided recreation, relaxation, and healthy pine air for the Goulds and their seven children.

Gould engaged the famous New York architect Bruce Price to transform his newly purchased property into a lavish country estate. He had in mind something on the order of the great estates in England and Scotland, the comforts of which he had often enjoyed. Gould and Price agreed to develop the land in the style of an English estate of the Georgian period, which would substitute a gracious order for the wild terrain. Consequently, the name Georgian Court seemed appropriate.

The estate featured an indoor swimming pool, court tennis court, and bowling alley, all housed in what is now called the Casino and completely restored. Gould’s estate also boasted a Sunken Garden, Japanese Garden, Formal Garden, and classical Italian Gardens, which still grace the campus with their natural and sculptural beauty.

After George Gould’s death, his heirs decided to sell the estate to the Sisters of Mercy. Since 1908, the Sisters of Mercy had founded and operated Mount Saint Mary College in North Plainfield, New Jersey. In 1924, the Sisters of Mercy purchased the estate and relocated the college to the Lakewood campus, renaming it Georgian Court College. In 2004, the institution was granted university status. The campus is a National Historic Landmark and hosts an accredited arboretum.