Best colleges in District of Columbia, ranked by ROI
All 9 District of Columbia institutions we profile, ranked by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. Federal net price and earnings; payback is our math. (Scorecard, 2026.)
$29,561
Median net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$63,066
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
5 yrs
Median payback
Our math, 2026
9
Colleges ranked
degreedividend.com
| # | College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University | $40,815 | $103,494 | 3 yrs |
| 2 | George Washington University | $36,586 | $90,873 | 3.4 yrs |
| 3 | The Catholic University of America | $29,561 | $73,250 | 4.8 yrs |
| 4 | American University | $41,943 | $77,370 | 5.8 yrs |
| 5 | Trinity Washington University | $9,302 | $53,804 | 6.8 yrs |
| 6 | Howard University | $50,539 | $63,066 | 13.7 yrs |
| 7 | University of the District of Columbia | $10,648 | $44,236 | no payback |
| 8 | Gallaudet University | $15,845 | $43,101 | no payback |
| 9 | Strayer University-Global Region | $17,833 | $40,092 | no payback |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.