Public · Community college

University of the District of Columbia

Washington, District of Columbia · Large city

19%
Transfer rate: $10,648
Avg net price: 33%
Grad / completion: $44,236
Median earnings

University of the District of Columbia is a public associate-granting institution in Washington, District of Columbia (large city setting), enrolling 3,351 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 3,351 undergradsLarge cityNCAA Division II 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
Nearest big city: 3 miles to Washington, DC
To the ocean: 3 miles
Nearest airport: 7 miles to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) · major hub

How University of the District of Columbia compares

Graduation rate33%

Higher than 17% · #6 of 6 in District of Columbia

First-year retention68%

Higher than 39%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$44,236

Higher than 81% · #1 of 4 in District of Columbia

Average net price$10,648

Cheaper than 68% · #1 cheapest of 4 in District of Columbia

Median debt at graduation$24,872

Lower than 2%

Student–faculty ratio8 : 1

Lower than 89%

Undergraduate enrollment3,351

Larger than 87%

Percentiles compare University of the District of Columbia with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in District of Columbia.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

Undergraduate3,35185%
Graduate59215%

Undergraduates by gender

Women2,01960%
Men1,33240%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White3.3%
Black56%
Hispanic27%
Asian1.5%
Other or multiracial12%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 3,351
Graduate enrollment: 592
Student–faculty ratio: 8 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 36%
First-generation students: 51%
Students over 25: 55%
Median family income: $19,867
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $71,325
Endowment: $70,532,289

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

Where students come from

Home state of the 614 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From District of Columbia79%
Other U.S. states19%
International2.5%

Most first-years stay in state — University of the District of Columbia draws overwhelmingly from District of Columbia.

2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Cost

In-state tuition: $5,662
Out-of-state tuition: $12,514
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $1,149
Total cost of attendance: $20,437
Average net price: $10,648

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years): 33%
Graduated on time (4 years): 29%
First-year retention: 68%
Transferred to another college: 19%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $36,358
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $44,236
Median debt at graduation: $24,872
Students with federal loans: 19%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 24%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

29%

Low-income (Pell)

16%

First-generation

16%

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: No
Application fee: $50
Athletics: NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes: 138 (63 men · 75 women)

Varsity sports (7)

Lacrosse31

Basketball25

Soccer24

Track and Field (Outdoor)16

Tennis14

Track and Field (Indoor)14

Cross Country14

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

Campus safety

Safety grade: B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 1.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 12
Property offenses (2022–2024): 12

Reported offenses in an average year

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

8.0reported offenses a year

4.0 violent a year4.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault

3.3

Motor vehicle theft

2.3

Burglary

1.7

Fondling

0.7

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

$10,268

$30–48k

$10,399

$48–75k

$10,557

$75–110k

$16,312

$110k+

—

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.

Family income

Est. total to a degree

$44,062

$10,557/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.

23%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$3,332

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 23% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,332. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

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 213 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): $44,236
Typical debt at graduation: $24,872
Debt vs. one year's pay: 56%
Out-earn a HS grad: 53%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.6 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

$43,370

Men

$46,015

Men out-earn women by $2,645 (6%) 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: 88°F
Winter low: 26°F
Annual rain: 48.5″
Annual snow: 5.8″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Dalecarlia Rsvr, MD US station (2.6 mi from campus).

What University of the District of Columbia graduates study — and earn

Education, GeneralAssoc.

91 grads— 1 yr$40k 5 yr$11k debt

91—$39,549$11,200 Business Administration, Management and Operations

60 grads$36k 1 yr$69k 5 yr$33k debt

60$35,894$69,464$32,500 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

58 grads— 1 yr$42k 5 yr$26k debt

58—$41,565$25,795 Health Professions Education, Ethics, and HumanitiesAssoc.

47 grads$76k 1 yr$93k 5 yr$21k debt

47$75,609$92,660$21,475 Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.

30 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

30———Biology, General

21 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

21———Mechanical Engineering

20 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

20———Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

20 grads$45k 1 yr$57k 5 yr$44k debt

20$44,819$57,220$43,500 Computer Science

19 grads$66k 1 yr— 5 yr$29k debt

19$65,524—$29,000 Psychology, General

19 grads— 1 yr$59k 5 yr$33k debt

19—$58,850$32,751 Political Science and Government

19 grads$50k 1 yr— 5 yr$37k debt

19$49,935—$36,562 Non-Professional Legal Studies

18 grads$44k 1 yr$62k 5 yr$41k debt

18$43,778$61,910$40,750

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 University of the District of Columbia

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of the District of Columbia side by side →

Northcentral Technical College

Public

Wausau, Wisconsin · Small city · 87 mi to Green Bay

Students: 3,257
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 7%
Earnings: $45k

Western Technical College

Public

La Crosse, Wisconsin · Small city · 106 mi to Madison

Students: 3,183
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 18%
Earnings: $45k

Dutchess Community College

Public

Poughkeepsie, New York · Large suburb · 58 mi to New Haven

Students: 3,824
Tuition: $6k
Transfer: 19%
Earnings: $44k

Kent State University at Stark

Public

North Canton, Ohio · Large suburb · 15 mi to Akron

Students: 2,692
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 20%
Earnings: $45k

Harford Community College

Public

Bel Air, Maryland · Fringe rural · 26 mi to Baltimore

Students: 3,696
Tuition: $4k
Transfer: 21%
Earnings: $45k

Yakima Valley College

Public

Yakima, Washington · Small city · 110 mi to Seattle

Students: 2,770
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 17%
Earnings: $43k

Colleges near University of the District of Columbia

Wesley Theological Seminary

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Graduate

1 mi

American University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 7,266 students

1 mi

National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 16 students

2 mi

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 7,569 students

2 mi

Institute of World Politics

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Graduate

3 mi

NewU University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 34 students

3 mi

Howard University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 10,108 students

3 mi

Strayer University-District of Columbia

Washington, DC · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 156 students

3 mi

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.