State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in District of Columbia

Name: District of Columbia College Net Price Rankings
Creator: PlainCampus

District of Columbia's median net price sits 73% above the national Scorecard median; even so, Trinity Washington University is the lowest reporter here at $9,302 among 11 schools.

Compiled by PlainCampus , Independent campus-safety data publisher

$9,302
Cheapest net price: $29,561
District of Columbia median: 11
Schools ranked

Trinity Washington University has the lowest average net price in District of Columbia among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Trinity Washington University posts the lowest average net price in District of Columbia at $9,302 among 11 ranked schools, with the state median 73% above the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price: $9,302
District of Columbia median: $29,561
Schools ranked: 11
National median: $17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

Trinity Washington University has the lowest average net price in District of Columbia at $9,302/year, and the state's median net price is 73% above the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

$9,302
cheapest ranked net price: $29,561
District of Columbia median net price: 1 public / 10 private
schools in this ranking: $19,004
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $19,004 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at George Washington University, where in-state published tuition of $67,710 falls to an average net price of $36,586 after aid, a $31,124 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked District of Columbia schools.

Private campuses outnumber public ones here (10 vs 1). A low figure at a small religious or specialty school can reflect a narrow enrollment mix, check sector and enrollment beside the price.

Every ranked District of Columbia school is listed below. Here is how their average net prices spread:

District of Columbia net-price distribution

Average net price after aid · 11 Scorecard-reporting schools

$50,539 more affordable than 0% of 11 District of Columbia colleges

Show national distribution

Each bar is a $6K-wide band; taller bars hold more District of Columbia colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

District of Columbia's 11 cheapest colleges by real net price

Trinity Washington UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $9,302
Net price (<$30K income): $7,928
Median debt: $28,250
Median earnings, 6yr: $38,533
Enrollment: 1,948

University of the District of ColumbiaWashington, DC · Public

Avg net price: $10,648
Net price (<$30K income): $10,268
Median debt: $24,872
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,358
Enrollment: 4,202

Bennett Career InstituteWashington, DC · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $11,824
Net price (<$30K income): $11,646
Median debt: $6,333
Median earnings, 6yr: $18,653
Enrollment: 176

Gallaudet UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $15,845
Net price (<$30K income): $14,129
Median debt: $18,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,578
Enrollment: 1,335

The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DCWashington, DC · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $17,528
Net price (<$30K income): $17,528
Median debt: $6,333
Median earnings, 6yr: $29,764
Enrollment: 117

The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $29,561
Net price (<$30K income): $17,358
Median debt: $26,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $63,217
Enrollment: 5,243

George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $36,586
Net price (<$30K income): $17,440
Median debt: $20,449
Median earnings, 6yr: $71,607
Enrollment: 25,374

Saint Michael College of Allied HealthWashington, DC · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $38,751
Net price (<$30K income): $38,399
Median debt: $17,713
Median earnings, 6yr: $66,681
Enrollment: 136

Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $40,815
Net price (<$30K income): $5,064
Median debt: $15,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $83,222
Enrollment: 20,031

American UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $41,943
Net price (<$30K income): $23,233
Median debt: $22,750
Median earnings, 6yr: $61,328
Enrollment: 12,321

Howard UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $50,539
Net price (<$30K income): $46,051
Median debt: $24,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $47,379
Enrollment: 14,890

#	College	Avg net price	Net price (<$30K income)	Median debt	Median earnings, 6yr	Enrollment
1	Trinity Washington UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit	$9,302	$7,928	$28,250	$38,533	1,948
2	University of the District of ColumbiaWashington, DC · Public	$10,648	$10,268	$24,872	$36,358	4,202
3	Bennett Career InstituteWashington, DC · Private for-profit	$11,824	$11,646	$6,333	$18,653	176
4	Gallaudet UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit	$15,845	$14,129	$18,000	$36,578	1,335
5	The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DCWashington, DC · Private for-profit	$17,528	$17,528	$6,333	$29,764	117
6	The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC · Private nonprofit	$29,561	$17,358	$26,000	$63,217	5,243
7	George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit	$36,586	$17,440	$20,449	$71,607	25,374
8	Saint Michael College of Allied HealthWashington, DC · Private for-profit	$38,751	$38,399	$17,713	$66,681	136
9	Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit	$40,815	$5,064	$15,500	$83,222	20,031
10	American UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit	$41,943	$23,233	$22,750	$61,328	12,321
11	Howard UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit	$50,539	$46,051	$24,500	$47,379	14,890

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What this means for you

Use District of Columbia's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

Trinity Washington University reports the lowest average net price in District of Columbia, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Trinity Washington University
See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. District of Columbia safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 11 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for District of Columbia. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.

District of Columbia's 11 cheapest colleges by real net price

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