College · Private nonprofit · Washington, DC · City
Howard University
Washington, DC
HBCU
Admit rate41%
6-yr median pay$47k
Net price / yr$51k
Undergrad size10,108
§ I · The real read
What it's actually like.
The bet
Net price of $51k/yr for a shot at a $47k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.
Getting in
Admit rate of 41% means this is selective — grades, essays, and testing matter. Admitted students average SAT 1213 · ACT 24.
If you get in
10,108 undergrads. Medium. Clubs matter for finding your people.
Where you live
City campus — public transit, off-campus food, weekends happen nearby.
§ II · Cost & aid
Sticker vs. real.
Sticker cost of attendance is $55k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $51k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.
Sticker · 4 yrs$219k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$202k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$16k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback4.3x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.
Where the money goes · annual sticker.
- Tuition · in-state
- $35.8k
- Room & board
- $17.3k
- Books & supplies
- $1,360
How students pay for it.
Pell grants40%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans59%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$25k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $13k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes
Do people finish? Do they land?
1-yr retention90%
Very high — students stay.
Graduation · 6 yr70%
Majority finish.
6-yr median pay$47k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$63k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out19%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity
Setting, size, and who this school is.
- Setting
- City
- Control
- Private nonprofit
- Undergrad size
- 10,108
- Location
- Washington, DC
- Region
- Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
- Carnegie class
- Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity (R2)
- Size & setting
- Four-year · large · highly residential
- Undergrad program
- Four-year · full-time, selective, lower transfer-in
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Also known as
- HU
§ · Who studies here
The student body at a glance.
- Black77%
- Hispanic7%
- Two or more races5%
- Unknown5%
- International4%
- Asian1%
First-gen students24%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time2%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Median family income$40k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 49
What you can study.
- Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist$148k · 5-yr
- Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst$118k · 5-yr
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse$105k · 5-yr
- Accounting$90k · 5-yr
- Management Information Systems$87k · 5-yr
- Finance$81k · 5-yr
- Civil Engineering$78k · 5-yr
- Business Administration and Management$75k · 5-yr
- Health/Health Care Administration/Management$69k · 5-yr
- Criminal Justice and Corrections, General$63k · 5-yr
- Journalism$63k · 5-yr
- Marketing/Marketing Management$63k · 5-yr
- English Language and Literature$62k · 5-yr
- Political Science and Government$60k · 5-yr
- Biology/Biological Sciences$59k · 5-yr
- Human Development and Family Studies$59k · 5-yr
- Economics$56k · 5-yr
- Psychology$55k · 5-yr
- Health and Wellness$55k · 5-yr
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$55k · 5-yr
- Radio and Television$43k · 5-yr
- Sociology$41k · 5-yr
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$41k · 5-yr
- Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management$37k · 5-yr
- Art/Art Studies$36k · 5-yr
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Otherearnings not reported
- Architectureearnings not reported
- African Studiesearnings not reported
- African-American/Black Studiesearnings not reported
- Organizational Communicationearnings not reported
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Otherearnings not reported
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teachingearnings not reported
- Chemical Engineeringearnings not reported
- Computer Engineeringearnings not reported
- Electrical and Electronics Engineeringearnings not reported
- Mechanical Engineeringearnings not reported
- French Language and Literatureearnings not reported
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studiesearnings not reported
- Mathematicsearnings not reported
- Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) Programearnings not reported
- Nutrition Sciencesearnings not reported
- Computer Scienceearnings not reported
- Philosophyearnings not reported
- Chemistryearnings not reported
- Physicsearnings not reported
- Musicearnings not reported
- Blood Bank Technology Specialistearnings not reported
- International Business/Trade/Commerceearnings not reported
- Historyearnings not reported