Best colleges District of Columbia

2023 best colleges in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. has a number of excellent private colleges and universities, an exceptional nightlife, and tons of employment opportunities. While the University of the District of Columbia is the only public university in D.C., the D.C. Tuition Assistance Program (DCTAG) helps to defray the cost of public universities outside of D.C. This provides D.C. residents a unique opportunity in receiving reduced tuitions at public universities across the states, though the cost will usually remain somewhat higher than enjoyed by in-state residents. 

Read more
Filters

7 Results

  • District of Columbia
  • Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Political Science
  • Clear all filters
Sort By
Net cost
Payback
Earnings
EarningsPlus
Rankings
Ranking methodology
#1 in District of Columbia | #56 in Political Science nationally

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Economic score: 2.64

The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.

View school
Net cost: $32,108

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Payback: 3.7 years

Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.

Earnings: $60,548

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

EarningsPlus: + $17,038

EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.

Admission rate: 12%
Graduation rate: 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#2 in District of Columbia | #80 in Political Science nationally

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia

Economic score: 3.09

The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.

View school
Net cost: $32,563

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Payback: 4.1 years

Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.

Earnings: $57,918

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

EarningsPlus: + $14,367

EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.

Admission rate: 50%
Graduation rate: 84%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#3 in District of Columbia | #185 in Political Science nationally

The Catholic University of America

Washington, District of Columbia

Economic score: 4.44

The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.

View school
Net cost: $34,684

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Payback: 5.3 years

Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.

Earnings: $52,313

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

EarningsPlus: + $8,621

EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.

Admission rate: 86%
Graduation rate: 73%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#4 in District of Columbia | #186 in Political Science nationally

American University

Washington, District of Columbia

Economic score: 4.44

The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.

View school
Net cost: $40,088

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Payback: 5.5 years

Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.

Earnings: $54,413

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

EarningsPlus: + $10,831

EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.

Admission rate: 64%
Graduation rate: 80%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#5 in District of Columbia | #413 in Political Science nationally

Howard University

Washington, District of Columbia

Economic score: 15.02

The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.

View school
Net cost: $41,388

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Payback: 13.3 years

Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.

Earnings: $38,469

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

EarningsPlus: - $4,934

EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.

Admission rate: 35%
Graduation rate: 63%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

University of the District of Columbia

Washington, District of Columbia

Economic score: 4.76

The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.

View school
Net cost: $16,001

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Payback: 3.8 years

Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.

Earnings: $42,682

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

EarningsPlus: - $10,835

EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.

Admission rate: N/A
Graduation rate: 34%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

Explore more schools without data

Gallaudet University

Washington, District of Columbia

View school

How long does it take me to repay a bachelor's degree in poli sci/government in District of Columbia?

Years

5.4 years

The cost of the average bachelor's degree in poli sci/government in District of Columbia is covered by the new earnings of graduates in 5.4 years.

How much do graduates with bachelor's degree in poli sci/government earn in District of Columbia?

Salary

$55,216

The median bachelor's degree in poli sci/government graduate earns $55,216 3 years after graduating.

How much does a bachelor's degree in poli sci/government cost in District of Columbia?

Net cost

$34,486

The average annual cost of a bachelor's degree in poli sci/government is $34,486. This is the net cost and considers only students that have received Title IV funds.