Universities in District of Columbia
5 indexed campuses in Mid-Atlantic, 40,500 students in total. Ranked by the Campus Atlas quality index; tuition shown as the in-state / out-of-state band.
Top 10 by quality index
| # | Institution | City | Control | Students | Admitted | Tuition | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown | Washington, DC | private | 7,500 | 12% | $60,000 | 79 |
| 2 | GW | Washington, DC | private | 11,500 | 41% | $57,000 | 68 |
| 3 | Howard | Washington, DC | private | 11,000 | 32% | $50,000 | 62 |
| 4 | American | Washington, DC | private | 5,500 | 43% | $55,000 | 62 |
| 5 | Catholic University | Washington, DC | private | 5,000 | 70% | $54,000 | 62 |
Largest campuses
George Washington University
Washington, DC · private · 12k students
Political science, health policy and media studies with Capitol Hill access.
Howard University
Washington, DC · private · 11k students
The Mecca: law, medicine, business and journalism at a historic HBCU.
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · private · 7.5k students
International affairs and policy in the shadow of the federal government, with the Walsh School of Foreign Service as its flagship.
American University
Washington, DC · private · 5.5k students
Political communication, international service and law in the capital.
Catholic University of America
Washington, DC · private · 5.0k students
Graduate-heavy Catholic university with canon law, architecture and the school of psychology.
City clusters
Enrolment, tuition and acceptance figures are rounded planning values compiled in 2025/26 for orientation. Verify exact numbers with each university's official fact sheet before you apply.