Howard University
Washington, District of Columbia · Also known as HU · Website
$63,066
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$63,066
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Howard University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Washington, District of Columbia with 10,108 undergraduates and 3,371 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $50,539 a year (tuition and fees $35,810). It admits 41% of applicants and 70% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $63,066 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $24,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$50,539
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$35,810
US median $11,837
Admission rate
41%
US median 78%
Completion rate
70%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$24,500
About $260 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$63,066
Rank 627 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $50,539
- Tuition and fees
- $35,810
- Cost of attendance
- $54,630
- Students with a need-based grant
- 40%
- Students with federal loans
- 59%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $46,051
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $47,477
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $50,245
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $52,981
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $54,270
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $23,970 in 2015-16 to $35,810 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 41%
- Average SAT
- 1,213
- SAT reading, middle
- 600
- SAT math, middle
- 585
- ACT, middle
- 24
- Undergraduates
- 10,108
- Graduate students
- 3,371
- Part-time students
- 2.3%
- Women
- 73%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 70%
- Retention rate
- 91%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 134
- Endowment
- $1.0B
- Other
- Historically Black college
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 627 of 5,094 US colleges and 5 of 15 in District of Columbia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | DC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $50,539 | $23,697 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $35,810 | $19,530 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 41% | 62% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 70% | 51% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 91% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $24,500 | $20,224 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $47,379 | $42,956 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $63,066 | $53,804 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 35% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 68% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
134 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 186 | $25,000 | $28,696 | $60,923 | $57,214 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 148 | $24,375 | $31,897 | $65,733 | $63,293 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 135 | $185,348 | $81,173 | $116,413 | $107,773 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 132 | $24,437 | $18,934 | $59,069 | $50,706 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 121 | $26,000 | $25,878 | $59,909 | $55,384 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 98 | $247,248 | $66,233 | $111,199 | $112,460 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 96 | $25,750 | $39,120 | $67,881 | $63,560 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 87 | $76,816 | $105,240 | $135,741 | $103,485 |
| DentistryProfessional | Professional | 79 | $316,095 | $88,347 | $164,425 | $170,812 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 77 | $26,500 | $30,733 | $61,316 | $54,562 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 76 | $86,750 | $57,362 | $75,734 | $65,123 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $25,000 | Withheld | $77,820 | $69,303 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationProfessional | Professional | 63 | $236,918 | $79,588 | $141,811 | $138,348 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 54 | $20,197 | $81,074 | $80,094 | $83,343 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 52 | $25,874 | $27,801 | $55,902 | $55,378 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,830 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 43 | $24,000 | $79,646 | $94,136 | $88,910 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | Withheld | Withheld | $60,047 | $61,296 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,532 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $20,500 | $78,544 | $103,478 | $83,290 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 32 | $27,000 | $17,095 | $44,345 | $48,240 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $23,500 | Withheld | Withheld | $52,657 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $27,000 | Withheld | $68,877 | $58,716 |
| ArchitectureBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $66,914 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: District of Columbia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in District of Columbia
- Homes: Homes for sale in District of Columbia
Questions and answers
How much does Howard University cost?
$50,539 a year is the average net price at Howard University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $35,810, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $54,630. Families earning under $30,000 pay $46,051 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Howard University?
41% of applicants are admitted to Howard University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,213 and the middle ACT score is 24. The median admission rate of colleges in District of Columbia is 62%.
How much do Howard University graduates earn?
$63,066 a year is the median pay of former Howard University students who work, 10 years after they started ($47,379 after 6 years). That ranks 627 of 5,094 US colleges and 5 of 15 in District of Columbia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $105,240.
How much student debt do Howard University graduates have?
$24,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Howard University graduates, about $260 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 59% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Howard University?
70% of first-time, full-time students at Howard University finish within 6 years. 91% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Howard University?
Biology, General (186 bachelor's graduates), Political Science and Government (148 bachelor's graduates), Law (135 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 134 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.