Best ROI Colleges in District of Columbia

16 schools ranked by median earnings relative to net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.

#SchoolNet PriceGrad RateEarnings 10yrAcceptance
1Georgetown University

Washington · private

$40,81594.9%$103,49412.9%
2George Washington University

Washington · private

$36,58684.3%$90,87347.1%
3American University

Washington · private

$41,94378.7%$77,37062.0%
4The Catholic University of America

Washington · private

$29,56174.8%$73,25082.8%
5Howard University

Washington · private

$50,53964.3%$63,06641.3%
6Arizona State University - Washington D.C.

Washington · public

$62,668
7The Chicago School at Washington DC

Washington · private

$56,899
8Trinity Washington University

Washington · private

$9,30242.4%$53,80499.5%
9University of the District of Columbia

Washington · public

$10,64830.6%$44,236
10Gallaudet University

Washington · private

$15,84557.5%$43,10158.1%
11Strayer University-District of Columbia

Washington · private

20.5%$40,092
12Strayer University-Global Region

Washington · private

$17,83312.5%$40,092
13University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus

Washington · private

72.0%$34,961
14Career Technical Institute

Washington · community

$20,98582.5%$30,227
15Bennett Career Institute

Washington · private

$11,82451.0%$22,568
16The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC

Washington · private

$17,52861.3%$20,809

Compare any two: Georgetown University vs George Washington University

Go deeper on any school

Personalized match scores, debt payback timelines, major-level earnings, and 20+ data points per school.

Get Full Access — $249/student

Best ROI Colleges in Other States

More District of Columbia College Rankings

Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.