The Johns Hopkins University prepares students for lifelong learning, achievement and contributions to society; fosters independent and original research; and brings the benefits of discovery to the world.

The university has nine academic divisions and campuses throughout the Baltimore-Washington area. The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Whiting School of Engineering and the School of Education are based at the Homewood campus in northern Baltimore. The schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing share a campus in east Baltimore with The Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Peabody Institute, a leading professional school of music, is located on Mount Vernon Place in downtown Baltimore, and the Carey Business School is in Harbor East. The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies is located in Washington's Dupont Circle area.

The Applied Physics Laboratory is a division of the university co-equal to the nine schools, but with a non-academic, research-based mission. APL, located between Baltimore and Washington, supports national security and also pursues space science, exploration of the Solar System and other civilian research and development.

Johns Hopkins also has a campus near Rockville in Montgomery County, Md., and has academic facilities in Nanjing, China, and in Bologna, Italy.

When considered in partnership with its sister institution, the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, the university is Maryland's largest employer.