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State profile · 28 colleges · 2024-25

Colleges in District of Columbia

Every Title IV-eligible college in District of Columbia, compared on acceptance, cost, and graduate earnings, College Scorecard and IPEDS data.

28
Colleges
$53,915
Avg 10-yr earnings
65.6%
Avg acceptance

Data updated July 2026

District of Columbia · the picture in one line

District of Columbia's 28 colleges average $53,915 in 10-year graduate earnings - 4th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#4
of 56 states by avg graduate earnings
$103,494
top earnings - Georgetown University
65.6%
average acceptance rate
2 / 18 / 8
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among District of Columbia colleges with reported figures: Trinity Washington University.

This page aggregates every Title IV–eligible college and university with a primary campus in District of Columbia, drawing from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, IPEDS institutional reports, and de-identified IRS earnings linkage for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in District of Columbia as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The most-recent Scorecard release is from September 2024. Tuition figures reflect institutional reports for the 2022–23 academic year and may differ from current-year prices. Earnings data has an inherent lag, the 10-year earnings horizon reflects students who enrolled approximately a decade prior to the data publication, as the IRS-matching process requires time to accumulate post-enrollment income.

Largest Colleges in District of Columbia by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of 2024

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: District of Columbia

U.S. Treasury IRS earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Graduate earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself - compare a school's program-level earnings before assuming the effect is purely institutional.

Source College Scorecard As of 2024

The ROI lens

District of Columbia colleges: earnings vs. cost

District of Columbia colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by 4-year graduation rate (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = avoid (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 12 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. District of Columbia colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price AVOID PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $18K $109K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $8K $53K Avg Net Price ($) George Washington University: $91K earn · $37K net · 85% grad George Washington … Howard University: $63K earn · $51K net · 69% grad Howard University Strayer University-Global Region: $40K earn · $18K net · 23% grad Strayer University… Georgetown University: $103K earn · $41K net · 95% grad Georgetown Univers… American University: $77K earn · $42K net · 77% grad American University University of the District of Columbia: $44K earn · $11K net · 30% grad University of the … The Catholic University of America: $73K earn · $30K net · 80% grad Trinity Washington University: $54K earn · $9K net · 47% grad Gallaudet University: $43K earn · $16K net · 47% grad Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas: $46K earn · $27K net Bennett Career Institute: $23K earn · $12K net The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC: $21K earn · $18K net Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How District of Columbia ranks among the states

District of Columbia's average graduate earnings of $53,915 place it in the 93th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

District of Columbia: average graduate earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$53,915 Top 7% higher than 93% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Below this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Below this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Below this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). This entry sits in this band. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. DC $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2024

District of Columbia vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in District of Columbia

Average 10-year graduate earnings by institution type. The pattern holds in most states: private nonprofits and public universities tend to out-earn for-profit institutions, but program mix and selectivity drive most of the gap, so read it alongside each school's own numbers below.

Average graduate earnings by school type - District of Columbia

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Comparing sector averages within one state controls for at least some of the regional cost-of-living and labor-market differences that make raw earnings hard to compare across states.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of 2024
28
Total Schools
$27,491
Avg In-State Tuition
65.6%
Avg Acceptance Rate
$53,915
Avg Median Earnings
2 Public 18 Private NP 8 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in District of Columbia

District of Columbia has 28 Title IV-participating postsecondary institutions in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the federal directory that captures every college eligible to award federal student aid. The ownership mix is 2 public institutions, 18 private nonprofits, and 8 private for-profit schools – a structural split that drives most of the tuition variation visible in the table below. Public institutions typically report substantially lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits often show higher sticker prices that are partially offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition across District of Columbia institutions is $27,491, and the average admission rate (weighted by institutions that report one) sits at 65.6%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Post-graduation outcomes tie cost to return. Graduates of District of Columbia colleges earn a mean of $53,915 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal aid applicants through the College Scorecard data file. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts every institution with reported IPEDS enrollment so prospective students can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side rather than relying on third-party rankings.

All Schools in District of Columbia

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
George Washington University Washington Private NP 11,182 47.1% $90,873
Howard University Washington Private NP 10,108 41.3% $63,066
Strayer University-Global Region Washington For-Profit 9,376 - $40,092
Georgetown University Washington Private NP 7,569 12.9% $103,494
American University Washington Private NP 7,266 62.0% $77,370
University of the District of Columbia Washington Public 3,351 - $44,236
The Catholic University of America Washington Private NP 3,154 82.8% $73,250
Trinity Washington University Washington Private NP 1,414 99.5% $53,804
Gallaudet University Washington Private NP 812 58.1% $43,101
University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus Washington For-Profit 809 - $34,961
Patrick Henry College Purcellville Private NP 395 77.4% -
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas Manassas For-Profit 272 - $46,441
Bennett Career Institute Washington For-Profit 176 - $22,568
Strayer University-District of Columbia Washington For-Profit 156 - $40,092
Saint Michael College of Allied Health Washington For-Profit 136 75.3% -
The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC Washington For-Profit 117 - $20,809
Ascent College Gainesville Private NP 82 - -
NewU University Washington Private NP 34 - -
National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts Washington Private NP 16 100.0% -
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies Washington Private NP - - -
Wesley Theological Seminary Washington Private NP - - -
Divine Mercy University Sterling Private NP - - -
Institute of World Politics Washington Private NP - - -
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family Washington Private NP - - -
The Chicago School at Washington DC Washington Private NP - - $56,899
Arizona State University - Washington D.C. Washington Public - - $62,668
ECPI University-Manassas Manassas For-Profit - - $42,837
Relay Graduate School of Education - Washington D.C Washington Private NP - - -

Featured Colleges in District of Columbia

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

George Washington University
Washington, DC
11,182 students
Howard University
Washington, DC
10,108 students
Strayer University-Global Region
Washington, DC
9,376 students
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
7,569 students
American University
Washington, DC
7,266 students
Compare George Washington University vs Howard University →

Explore more District of Columbia data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, updated September 2024, PlainCollege tracks 6,243 postsecondary institutions nationwide, and this state's figures are drawn from that same federal release plus IPEDS institutional characteristics files. Enrollment, admissions, and earnings figures are the most recently available. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for students who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for District of Columbia applicants

  • District of Columbia has 28 Title IV-eligible colleges in the College Scorecard database, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across District of Columbia colleges is 65.6% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024-25.