Affordable Colleges in District of Columbia
All 9 colleges in District of Columbia, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is Trinity Washington University at about $9,302 a year; the costliest here is Howard University at $50,539. A typical District of Columbia school on this list lands near $29,561.
Cheapest first, that means Trinity Washington University, University of the District of Columbia and Gallaudet University. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Narrow it down
Every college in District of Columbia, cheapest first · 9
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- Trinity Washington University
- University of the District of Columbia
- Gallaudet University
- Strayer University-Global Region
- The Catholic University of America
- George Washington University
- Georgetown University
- American University
- Howard University
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in District of Columbia?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Trinity Washington University at about $9,302 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in District of Columbia cost on average?
- Across the 9 colleges in District of Columbia that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $29,561 a year after aid, running from $9,302 to $50,539.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 10% to 58%, with a middle of about 36%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free