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University or college · Private nonprofit

Howard University

Washington, DCHistorically Black college1,136 online only

Howard University is a private nonprofit university in Washington, DC, with about 12,280 students on campus and 1,136 more studying only online.

Visit www.howard.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
12,280
plus 1,136 studying only online
Admission rate
41%
lower than at 89% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$50,539
higher than at 99% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
70%
higher than at 78% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$63,066
higher than at 88% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Howard University

Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges

Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $46,051 a year after grants. The average family on aid pays $50,539, more than at 99% of 4-year colleges. What it costs ↓

Howard University is a historically Black college

It was founded to educate Black students, and 77% of undergraduates today are Black. The students ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $54,630 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $35,810Room & board $17,322Books & supplies $1,360

After grants, the average family on aid pays $50,539.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$50,245

About $200,980 over 4 years · 8% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Howard University?

41%

of applicants admitted

About 8 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
560–670
SAT math
530–650
ACT
22–28

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1213.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
70%
within 6 years · Pell students 66%
Come back for year two
91%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$63,066
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$24,500
about $260 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$260 a month against about $3,948 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

35%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 29% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$62k
Middle income$30–75k
$60k
Higher incomeover $75k
$65k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 16%Health professions 13%Communication 12%Social sciences 11%Biology 10%Psychology 8%Everything else 31%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Biology, General186 graduates a year · typical debt $25,000
$61k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government148 graduates a year · typical debt $24,375
$66k4 yrs out
Psychology, General132 graduates a year · typical debt $24,437
$59k4 yrs out
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other121 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$60k4 yrs out
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication96 graduates a year · typical debt $25,750
$68k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness77 graduates a year · typical debt $26,500
$61k4 yrs out
Marketing65 graduates a year · typical debt $25,000
$78k4 yrs out
Computer Science56 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

10,108 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

Hispanic 7%Black 77%Asian 1%Two or more 5%International 4%

Women and men

Women 73%Men 27%
13 : 1
students per teacher
40%
get Pell grants (lower income)
59%
take federal loans
2%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Washington

9% of Washington’s 693,645 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Washington pages.

Washington →
WashingtonWashington, DC
$1,954/momedian rent · about the state median$567Ktypical home valueD−Safety Grade27° / 89°January low / July high · 6" of snowA+Health GradeAll colleges in and near WashingtonCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Howard University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Trinity Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
0.9 mi1,576 students
The Catholic University of AmericaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
1.4 mi4,721 students
The Chicago School at Washington DCUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
1.6 mi569 students
Gallaudet UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
1.7 mi1,178 students
University of the Potomac-Washington DC CampusUniversity or college · For-profit · Washington
1.7 mi501 students
George Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
2.2 mi21,060 students
University of the District of ColumbiaUniversity or college · Public · Washington
2.9 mi3,833 students
Georgetown UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington
3.1 mi17,465 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.