Private nonprofit · University

Howard University

Washington, District of Columbia · Large city

#5 for grad earnings in District of Columbia#5 graduation rate in District of Columbia
41.3%
Admit rate
$50,539
Avg net price
70%
Graduation rate
$63,066
Median earnings

Howard University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Washington, District of Columbia (large city setting), enrolling 10,108 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

Private nonprofitMidsize · 10,108 undergradsLarge citySelective · 41% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Mid-Eastern Athletic ConferenceCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Howard University's admitted students.

Admit rate
41.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
1090–1320
Avg GPA (est.)
3.54

Enter a test score to see where you land against Howard University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Howard University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Washington, District of Columbia

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The Nacotchtank, also called the Nacostines by Catholic missionaries, maintained settlements around the Anacostia River in present-day Washington, D.C. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes ultimately displaced the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland. Washington, D.C., is a national center for the arts, home to several concert halls and theaters. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is home to National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Washington, DC
To the ocean
3 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) · major hub

How Howard University compares

Selectivity41.3%

More selective than 89% · #2 most selective of 7 in District of Columbia

SAT average1213

Higher than 62%

Graduation rate70%

Higher than 78% · #5 of 9 in District of Columbia

First-year retention91%

Higher than 87%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$63,066

Higher than 73% · #5 of 10 in District of Columbia

Average net price$50,539

Cheaper than 1% · #8 cheapest of 8 in District of Columbia

Median debt at graduation$24,500

Lower than 41%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment10,108

Larger than 89%

Percentiles compare Howard University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in District of Columbia.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

13,479students
  • Undergraduate10,10875%
  • Graduate3,37125%

Undergraduates by gender

10,108undergrads
  • Women7,25672%
  • Men2,85228%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • Black77%
  • Hispanic6.9%
  • Asian1.5%
  • Other or multiracial15%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
10,108
Graduate enrollment
3,371
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
40%
First-generation students
24%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$40,386
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$104,220
Endowment
$1,032,497,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
41.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1090–1320
SAT average
1213
SAT reading
560–670
SAT math
530–650
ACT composite
22–28
Average GPA (estimated)
3.54

Cost

In-state tuition
$35,810
Room & board
$17,322
Books & supplies
$1,360
Total cost of attendance
$54,630
Average net price
$50,539

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
70%
Graduated on time (4 years)
60%
First-year retention
91%
Transferred to another college
19%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,379
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$63,066
Median debt at graduation
$24,500
Students with federal loans
59%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
30%

About 10% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
60%
Low-income (Pell)
38%
First-generation
38%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
6,051
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
60%
Housing charge (year)
$10,570
Meal plan (year)
$5,904
Application fee
$45
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
566 (284 men · 282 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)181
Football100
Soccer65
Swimming and Diving (combined)52
Softball35
Lacrosse34
Basketball32
Golf24
Tennis18
Volleyball18
Bowling7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
56
Property offenses (2022–2024)
45

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (14,890 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

34reported offenses a year
19 violent a year15 property a year

By offense type, per year

Robbery
8.7
Motor vehicle theft
8.7
Burglary
5.7
Rape
5.3
Aggravated assault
4.3
Arson
0.7
Murder
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$46,051
$30–48k
$47,477
$48–75k
$50,245
$75–110k
$52,981
$110k+
$54,270

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$212,195

$50,245/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$18,977
average award, among those who get one

Howard University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $18,977. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 2,489 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$63,066
Typical debt at graduation
$24,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
39%
Out-earn a HS grad
64%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$63,491
Men
$60,916

Women out-earn men by $2,575 (4%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
90°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
45.6″
Annual snow
9.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Natl Arboretum DC, MD US station (2.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Howard University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Howard University side by side →

Colleges near Howard University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.