Private nonprofit · University

Trinity Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia · Large city

#1 best value in District of Columbia
99.5%
Admit rate
$9,302
Avg net price
49%
Graduation rate
$53,804
Median earnings

Trinity Washington University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Washington, District of Columbia (large city setting), enrolling 1,414 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It is a women's college. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,414 undergradsLarge cityOpen admissionNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersNear the coast

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
To the ocean
4 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) · major hub

How Trinity Washington University compares

Selectivity99.5%

More selective than 5% · #7 most selective of 7 in District of Columbia

Graduation rate49%

Higher than 38% · #6 of 9 in District of Columbia

First-year retention69%

Higher than 28%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$53,804

Higher than 50% · #7 of 10 in District of Columbia

Average net price$9,302

Cheaper than 92% · #1 cheapest of 8 in District of Columbia

Median debt at graduation$28,250

Lower than 6%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment1,414

Larger than 47%

Percentiles compare Trinity Washington 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

1,704students
  • Undergraduate1,41483%
  • Graduate29017%

Undergraduates by gender

1,414undergrads
  • Women1,38498%
  • Men302%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White1.0%
  • Black58%
  • Hispanic32%
  • Asian0.7%
  • Other or multiracial7.9%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,414
Graduate enrollment
290
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
54%
First-generation students
53%
Students over 25
39%
Median family income
$22,272
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$74,619
Endowment
$42,817,815

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

Admissions

Admission rate
99.5%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$26,610
Room & board
$12,180
Books & supplies
$1,080
Total cost of attendance
$33,903
Average net price
$9,302

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)
49%
Graduated on time (4 years)
27%
First-year retention
69%
Transferred to another college
22%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$38,533
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$53,804
Median debt at graduation
$28,250
Students with federal loans
41%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
27%

About 23% 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
27%
Low-income (Pell)
34%
First-generation
34%

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
240
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
17%
Housing charge (year)
$3,800
Meal plan (year)
$8,060
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
60 (0 men · 60 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 (5)

Soccer16
Lacrosse14
Volleyball13
Tennis9
Basketball8

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,948 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.

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
$7,928
$30–48k
$8,554
$48–75k
$8,502
$75–110k
$13,623
$110k+
$15,307

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
$39,894

$8,502/year × about 4.7 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.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$13,743
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 98% — get grant money from Trinity Washington University itself, averaging $13,743, which softens the sticker price.

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 132 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)
$53,804
Typical debt at graduation
$28,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
53%
Out-earn a HS grad
58%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.3 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
$53,660
Men
$61,502

Men out-earn women by $7,842 (15%) 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 (2.1 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 Trinity Washington University

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

Colleges near Trinity Washington 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.