Higher Education Outcome Report · South

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District of Columbia Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 17 degree-granting institutions graded

District of Columbia's higher education system is a above-average mobility and higher earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $60,103, +17% vs the national median.

federal government
law & policy
consulting & nonprofits

21
INSTITUTIONS: $60,103
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 17% vs natl; $28,119
AVG NET PRICE: 1 / 14
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

B+

68/100 · #10 of 50

District of Columbia At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

17

55,231 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~9,069

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
86th pct

$55,352

7th of 50 states
Mobility Score
80th pct

2.1%

9th of 46 states
Talent Retention
92nd pct

81%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
2nd pct

1.9x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Social Sciences
Technology

Executive Summary

District of Columbia graduates earn a median of $55,352 a decade after entry, 13% above the national state average, ranking 7th of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 2.1% rate, in the 80th percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Social Sciences, which together account for 53% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $75,134, +45.7% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Technology shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 19.6% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, District of Columbia returns 1.9x earnings per dollar of net price, below average cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+24.6%

Median graduate earnings in District of Columbia are above the national average by 25%.
Cost vs National

+48.1%

Net price in District of Columbia is higher than the national average by 48%.
Mobility Rate

+0.35pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.4 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

+4.2pp

District of Columbia's graduation rate is 4.2 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

5.8x

Top value school: Trinity Washington University ($53,804 earnings vs $9,302 net price).
Low-Income Access

8.9%

9% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Business (27% of graduates) and Social Sciences (26% of graduates) dominate District of Columbia's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $55,030.

Business

27%

$55,030 avg
Social Sciences

26%

$79,056 avg
Technology

9%

$50,880 avg
Healthcare

9%

$65,565 avg
Sciences

6%

$72,031 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 17

Outcome Performance

District of Columbia's highest-ROI degree cluster is Humanities (Humanities), where graduates average $68,126 against a net cost of $23,793, a 2.9x return. That's +32.1% vs the national median.

Humanities
2.9x

$68,126 earnings $23,793 net +32.1% vs natl
Legal Studies
2.4x

$74,588 earnings $30,742 net +44.6% vs natl
Social Sciences
2.3x

$68,649 earnings $29,405 net +33.1% vs natl
Biology & Biomedical
2.3x

$68,649 earnings $29,405 net +33.1% vs natl
Health Professions
2.3x

$68,649 earnings $29,405 net +33.1% vs natl
Psychology
2.3x

$68,649 earnings $29,405 net +33.1% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on District of Columbia's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 27%
Social Sciences 21%
Health Professions 9%
Computer Science & IT 9%
Biology & Biomedical 5%

Highest-Earning Fields

Social Sciences $82,494
Legal Studies $79,062
Biology & Biomedical $71,625
Engineering $70,325
Communications $66,873

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun District of Columbia's graduate supply.

Legal Studies $79,062 2% of grads
Engineering $70,325 2% of grads
Communications $66,873 5% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

District of Columbia's colleges post an average mobility rate of 2.1%, which puts the state in the 80th percentile nationally. 9% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.58, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

2.1%

▲ +0.41pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

9%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

33%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

35%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

81%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.58

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

District of Columbia's Sciences programs produce graduates earning $75,134, +45.7% relative to the national median. Technology graduates, however, earn 19.6% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Business
27% of enrollment

$60,394 +17.1% vs natl

12 schools
Social Sciences
26% of enrollment

$72,137 +39.9% vs natl

8 schools
Technology
9% of enrollment

$41,473 -19.6% vs natl

3 schools
Healthcare
9% of enrollment

$65,046 +26.1% vs natl

5 schools
Sciences
6% of enrollment

$75,134 +45.7% vs natl

4 schools
Communications
5% of enrollment

$70,218 +36.1% vs natl

2 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Sciences: +45.7% vs national earnings ($75,134)

Social Sciences: +39.9% vs national earnings ($72,137)

Communications: +36.1% vs national earnings ($70,218)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Technology: -19.6% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

District of Columbia's higher education system includes 4 research-oriented, 3 specialized, 2 access-oriented, 8 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

4

Research Universities
8

Regional Universities
2

Access-Oriented Institutions
3

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

22% of District of Columbia's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $49,020 at 10 years. At the premium end, 3 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $81,310.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

2

22% of schools
Avg earnings: $49,020
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

2

22% of schools
Avg earnings: $41,597
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

2

22% of schools
Avg earnings: $82,062
NET PRICE OVER $40K

3

33% of schools
Avg earnings: $81,310

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in District of Columbia

District of Columbia is home to 21 colleges and universities, from 1 public institutions to 14 private nonprofits. University of the District of Columbia anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $54,615 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Washington, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Business & Marketing, Health Professions and Social Sciences. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in District of Columbia

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $26,765 a year across District of Columbia. University of the District of Columbia stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

District of Columbia's economy leans on federal government, law & policy and consulting & nonprofits, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Business & Marketing, Health Professions and Social Sciences feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the District of Columbia level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in District of Columbia earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$54,615

▲ +$10,778 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$26,765

▼ +$8,689 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

HBCUs in District of Columbia

Is District of Columbia Right for You?

District of Columbia is a strong fit if you want to build a career in federal government and law & policy, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Top Schools

Georgetown University · DC George Washington University · DC American University · DC The Catholic University of America · DC Howard University · DC The Chicago School at Washington DC · DC

FAQ

How many colleges are in District of Columbia?

There are 21 colleges and universities in District of Columbia in our dataset — 1 public, 14 private nonprofit, including 2 HBCUs.

What is the highest-earning college in District of Columbia?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Georgetown University leads, followed by schools like George Washington University and American University.

How much does college cost in District of Columbia?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $26,765 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia's economy is anchored by federal government, law & policy and consulting & nonprofits, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in District of Columbia?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. University of the District of Columbia, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

21 institutions in District of Columbia

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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