Cost comparison
Affordable colleges in District of Columbia
CampusPin lists 18 colleges in District of Columbia. The 18 below are ordered by lowest published in-state tuition, with a median of $30,953 and a median average net price of $24,741 among those reporting it. Tuition, total cost, and net price are three different numbers — the table keeps them separate.
District of Columbia college costs by the numbers
- Lowest published in-state tuition
- University of the District of Columbia ($5,662)
- Median in-state tuition (18 reporting)
- $30,953
- Median net price after aid (12 reporting)
- $24,741
- Highest graduation rate
- Georgetown University (95%)
- Most selective
- Georgetown University (13% acceptance)
- Largest by enrollment
- George Washington University (25,029 students)
District of Columbia colleges by published in-state tuition
Lowest published in-state tuition first. Every figure is as reported by the institution to federal data collections; blank cells are unreported values, not zeros.
| College | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition | Avg. net price | Graduation rate | Acceptance rate | Public/private | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of the District of Columbia | $5,662 | $12,514 | $10,648 | 33% | 100% | Public | Washington, DC |
| University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus | $6,660 | $6,660 | $18,868 | 33% | 100% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Strayer University-District of Columbia | $13,920 | $13,920 | Not reported | Not reported | 100% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Strayer University-Global Region | $13,920 | $13,920 | $17,833 | 14% | 100% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Saint Michael College of Allied Health | $19,405 | $19,405 | $38,751 | 83% | 75% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Gallaudet University | $19,654 | $19,654 | $15,845 | 47% | 58% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Trinity Washington University | $26,610 | $26,610 | $9,302 | 49% | 100% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Career Technical Institute | $30,953 | $30,953 | $19,920 | 56% | 100% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Institute of World Politics | $30,953 | $30,953 | Not reported | Not reported | 65% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies | $30,953 | $30,953 | Not reported | Not reported | 53% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family | $30,953 | $30,953 | Not reported | Not reported | 75% | Private | Washington, DC |
| The Chicago School at Washington DC | $30,953 | $30,953 | Not reported | Not reported | 75% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Wesley Theological Seminary | $30,953 | $30,953 | Not reported | Not reported | 74% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Howard University | $35,810 | $35,810 | $50,539 | 70% | 41% | Private | Washington, DC |
| The Catholic University of America | $58,378 | $58,378 | $29,561 | 79% | 83% | Private | Washington, DC |
| American University | $58,771 | $58,771 | $41,943 | 75% | 62% | Private | Washington, DC |
| George Washington University | $67,710 | $67,710 | $36,586 | 84% | 47% | Private | Washington, DC |
| Georgetown University | $68,017 | $68,017 | $40,815 | 95% | 13% | Private | Washington, DC |
What the District of Columbia cost data shows
- University of the District of Columbia has the lowest published in-state tuition on this page at $5,662 per year. Published tuition is the sticker price and excludes housing, food, books, and fees.
- Median published in-state tuition is $5,662 across the public colleges here and $30,953 across the private ones — a $25,291 difference at sticker price. Private colleges often discount heavily, so compare net price before ruling one out.
- Median average net price ($24,741) is lower than median published tuition ($30,953) among the colleges reporting both, which is what grant and scholarship aid does to the sticker figure.
- 12 of the 18 colleges listed report an average net price, and 12 report a graduation rate. Blank cells mean the institution has not reported that figure to the federal collections — not that the value is zero.
How this list was built
This page lists colleges CampusPin holds for District of Columbia, sorted by published in-state tuition, lowest first. That sort is the only ranking applied — there is no CampusPin score, no editorial ordering, and no “#1 cheapest” claim.
Published tuition is the sticker price for instruction. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, and fees. Average net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid, reported to federal collections for a prior entering class. Net price is an average across a whole cohort and varies substantially by family income, so treat it as a comparison tool between colleges rather than a prediction of your own bill.
Figures come from the institution’s federal reporting (18 of 18 District of Columbia institutions report in-state tuition). Always confirm current costs with the college’s financial aid office before making a decision.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest college in District of Columbia?
- Of the 18 District of Columbia colleges on this page, University of the District of Columbia in Washington reports the lowest published in-state tuition at $5,662 per year. That is the sticker price before aid and before housing and food; the college's net price after grants may rank differently.
- Is tuition the same as the total cost of college?
- No. Published tuition covers instruction only. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, transportation, and fees. Net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid was applied, and across the 12 District of Columbia colleges reporting it here the median is $24,741. Compare all three before deciding a college is or isn't affordable.
- Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in District of Columbia?
- At sticker price, yes on this page: median published in-state tuition is $5,662 at the public colleges listed and $30,953 at the private ones. Private colleges typically discount more heavily through institutional grants, so the gap in net price is usually much smaller than the gap in tuition.
- Will I personally pay these amounts at a District of Columbia college?
- Almost certainly not exactly. Net price varies widely by family income, and the figures here are averages across a previous entering class reported to federal collections. Use them to compare colleges against each other, then run the numbers for your own situation with the net price estimator and confirm with each financial aid office.
More South states
Explore District of Columbia
- What college costs in District of Columbia, by family income
- Student debt at District of Columbia colleges
- All colleges in District of Columbia
- Public colleges in District of Columbia
- Private colleges in District of Columbia
- Community colleges in District of Columbia
- Estimate your net price
- Research: what college costs by family income
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Data sources & methodology
Cost, aid, and outcome figures for District of Columbia colleges are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own reporting.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. Affordable Colleges in District of Columbia. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/affordable-colleges/district-of-columbia