1
The Catholic University of AmericaWashington · 5,243 students
- Enrollment
- 5,243
- Incidents /1k
- 0.57
State profile · DC · Clery Act
Safest Colleges in District of Columbia
Federal Clery Act filings for all 19 tracked District of Columbia campuses, ranked by 2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students. Among nonzero reporters, The Catholic University of America currently has the lowest rate.
- 19
- Institutions tracked
- 8.54
- Avg campus rate / 1k (19 of 19 scored)
- 4.25
- Statewide rate / 1k
- #58
- Rank by avg campus rate
- 88,468
- Students enrolled
Among nonzero Clery reporters, The Catholic University of America has the lowest rate in District of Columbia
According to U.S. Department of Education Clery Act filings, across 19 tracked campuses in District of Columbia, 11 reported zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents used in the rate; among campuses with any in those categories, The Catholic University of America has the lowest rate at 0.57 per 1,000 students. This comparison excludes other Clery tables and unreported harm, so review the details before drawing a safety conclusion.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- campuses tracked
- 19
- average campus, per 1,000 (19 of 19 scored)
- 8.54
- lowest nonzero rate - The Catholic University
- 0.57
- campuses at zero in score categories
- 11
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet DC · District of Columbia 8.54/1k campus avg · #58/59
RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-HEAVY · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-HEAVY
- RATE-HOT 8.54/1k
- RANK-BOTTOM #58/59
- ABOVE-PEER Pennsylvania · +0.54
- ZERO-HEAVY 58% zero
- WT-SMALL-HOT Δ +4.29
- BOOK-FULL 19/19
- CONC-HEAVY top5 88%
Nearest campus-rate peer: Pennsylvania (-0.54/1k)
District of Columbia sheet RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-HEAVY · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-HEAVY · peer Pennsylvania. Codes from this state’s OPE Campus Safety filing: unweighted campus rate, corpus rank (low = safer), photo-finish peer state, zero-report share, campus-vs-weighted gap, scored book, top-five enrollment concentration. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-HEAVY · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-HEAVY. Nearest unweighted-rate peer is Pennsylvania (-0.54/1k). Among nonzero reporters inside the state, The Catholic University of America leads at 0.57/1k. Instrument codes from this state's OPE Campus Safety sheet; compare similarly sized campuses before treating any single rate as decisive.
Most scored campuses in District of Columbia (11 of 19) reported zero in the 2024 score categories and stay unranked against each other. Among the nonzero reporters, The Catholic University of America leads at 0.57/1k, then American University (2.19/1k); Howard University (2.22/1k). A high zero share is a filing pattern, not a proof that campuses are safer.
Campus-rate neighbourhood around District of Columbia
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest District of Columbia on unweighted average campus Clery rate. Full ladder: /rankings/.
- Marshall Islands · lowest 0
Marshall Islands (MH) - lowest
0 per 1,000 students
- Kansas · near
Kansas (KS) - near
5.58 per 1,000 students
- West Virginia · near
West Virginia (WV) - near
7.6 per 1,000 students
- Pennsylvania · near
Pennsylvania (PA) - near
8 per 1,000 students
- District of Columbia · this state
District of Columbia (DC) - this state
8.54 per 1,000 students
- Vermont · highest
Vermont (VT) - highest
9.77 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of scored states around District of Columbia's 8.54/1k unweighted campus average, not a full 50-state board reprint.
Safest colleges in District of Columbia, ranked by reported rate
Ranked from the lowest 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate upward, counting only the 8 District of Columbia campuses with at least one incident in those score categories. Positions are numbered within that group, because a rank counted through the zero-score campuses below would order them by nothing.
2
American UniversityWashington · 12,321 students
- Enrollment
- 12,321
- Incidents /1k
- 2.19
3
Howard UniversityWashington · 14,890 students
- Enrollment
- 14,890
- Incidents /1k
- 2.22
4
George Washington UniversityWashington · 25,374 students
- Enrollment
- 25,374
- Incidents /1k
- 3.23
5
University of the District of ColumbiaWashington · 4,202 students
- Enrollment
- 4,202
- Incidents /1k
- 3.57
6
Georgetown UniversityWashington · 20,031 students
- Enrollment
- 20,031
- Incidents /1k
- 3.94
7
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and FamilyWashington · 65 students
- Enrollment
- 65
- Incidents /1k
- 46.15
8
Gallaudet UniversityWashington · 1,335 students
- Enrollment
- 1,335
- Incidents /1k
- 100.37
| # | Campus | Enrollment | Incidents /1k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Catholic University of AmericaWashington · 5,243 students | 5,243 | 0.574% of the leader · rank #1 |
| 2 | American UniversityWashington · 12,321 students | 12,321 | 2.194% of the leader · rank #2 |
| 3 | Howard UniversityWashington · 14,890 students | 14,890 | 2.224% of the leader · rank #3 |
| 4 | George Washington UniversityWashington · 25,374 students | 25,374 | 3.234% of the leader · rank #4 |
| 5 | University of the District of ColumbiaWashington · 4,202 students | 4,202 | 3.574% of the leader · rank #5 |
| 6 | Georgetown UniversityWashington · 20,031 students | 20,031 | 3.944% of the leader · rank #6 |
| 7 | Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and FamilyWashington · 65 students | 65 | 46.1546% of the leader · rank #7 |
| 8 | Gallaudet UniversityWashington · 1,335 students | 1,335 | 100.37100% of the leader · rank #8 |
Unranked campuses (11): zero score or no normalized rate
11 filed zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents in the score categories; other Clery tables can still contain reports. Neither group supports a safety ordering, so these campuses are listed alphabetically without positions.
Bennett Career InstituteWashington · 176 students
- Enrollment
- 176
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
Institute of World PoliticsWashington · 173 students
- Enrollment
- 173
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
National Conservatory of Dramatic ArtsWashington · 16 students
- Enrollment
- 16
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of StudiesWashington · 74 students
- Enrollment
- 74
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
Saint Michael College of Allied HealthWashington · 136 students
- Enrollment
- 136
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
Strayer University-District of ColumbiaWashington · 188 students
- Enrollment
- 188
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
The Chicago School at Washington DCWashington · 564 students
- Enrollment
- 564
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DCWashington · 117 students
- Enrollment
- 117
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
Trinity Washington UniversityWashington · 1,948 students
- Enrollment
- 1,948
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
University of the Potomac-Washington DC CampusWashington · 1,241 students
- Enrollment
- 1,241
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
Wesley Theological SeminaryWashington · 374 students
- Enrollment
- 374
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
| # | Campus | Enrollment | Incidents /1k |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett Career InstituteWashington · 176 students | 176 | 0.00 | |
| Institute of World PoliticsWashington · 173 students | 173 | 0.00 | |
| National Conservatory of Dramatic ArtsWashington · 16 students | 16 | 0.00 | |
| Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of StudiesWashington · 74 students | 74 | 0.00 | |
| Saint Michael College of Allied HealthWashington · 136 students | 136 | 0.00 | |
| Strayer University-District of ColumbiaWashington · 188 students | 188 | 0.00 | |
| The Chicago School at Washington DCWashington · 564 students | 564 | 0.00 | |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DCWashington · 117 students | 117 | 0.00 | |
| Trinity Washington UniversityWashington · 1,948 students | 1,948 | 0.00 | |
| University of the Potomac-Washington DC CampusWashington · 1,241 students | 1,241 | 0.00 | |
| Wesley Theological SeminaryWashington · 374 students | 374 | 0.00 |
The largest universities in District of Columbia by enrollment
Enrollment leaders: George Washington University (25,374); Georgetown University (20,031); Howard University (14,890), then 16 more. The 15 biggest District of Columbia institutions by total enrolled students, from the same federal IPEDS collection, each shown with its 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate. The five largest alone account for 88% of the 88,468 students enrolled across all 19 tracked District of Columbia institutions. Mid-pack by size sits near The Chicago School at Washington DC (564 students, 0.00/1k).
1
George Washington UniversityWashington · 25,374 students
- Enrollment
- 25,374
- Incidents /1k
- 3.23
2
Georgetown UniversityWashington · 20,031 students
- Enrollment
- 20,031
- Incidents /1k
- 3.94
3
Howard UniversityWashington · 14,890 students
- Enrollment
- 14,890
- Incidents /1k
- 2.22
4
American UniversityWashington · 12,321 students
- Enrollment
- 12,321
- Incidents /1k
- 2.19
5
The Catholic University of AmericaWashington · 5,243 students
- Enrollment
- 5,243
- Incidents /1k
- 0.57
6
University of the District of ColumbiaWashington · 4,202 students
- Enrollment
- 4,202
- Incidents /1k
- 3.57
7
Trinity Washington UniversityWashington · 1,948 students
- Enrollment
- 1,948
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
8
Gallaudet UniversityWashington · 1,335 students
- Enrollment
- 1,335
- Incidents /1k
- 100.37
9
University of the Potomac-Washington DC CampusWashington · 1,241 students
- Enrollment
- 1,241
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
10
The Chicago School at Washington DCWashington · 564 students
- Enrollment
- 564
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
11
Wesley Theological SeminaryWashington · 374 students
- Enrollment
- 374
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
12
Strayer University-District of ColumbiaWashington · 188 students
- Enrollment
- 188
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
13
Bennett Career InstituteWashington · 176 students
- Enrollment
- 176
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
14
Institute of World PoliticsWashington · 173 students
- Enrollment
- 173
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
15
Saint Michael College of Allied HealthWashington · 136 students
- Enrollment
- 136
- Incidents /1k
- 0.00
| # | Institution | Enrollment | Incidents /1k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington UniversityWashington · 25,374 students | 25,374100% of the leader · rank #1 | 3.23 |
| 2 | Georgetown UniversityWashington · 20,031 students | 20,03179% of the leader · rank #2 | 3.94 |
| 3 | Howard UniversityWashington · 14,890 students | 14,89059% of the leader · rank #3 | 2.22 |
| 4 | American UniversityWashington · 12,321 students | 12,32149% of the leader · rank #4 | 2.19 |
| 5 | The Catholic University of AmericaWashington · 5,243 students | 5,24321% of the leader · rank #5 | 0.57 |
| 6 | University of the District of ColumbiaWashington · 4,202 students | 4,20217% of the leader · rank #6 | 3.57 |
| 7 | Trinity Washington UniversityWashington · 1,948 students | 1,9488% of the leader · rank #7 | 0.00 |
| 8 | Gallaudet UniversityWashington · 1,335 students | 1,3355% of the leader · rank #8 | 100.37 |
| 9 | University of the Potomac-Washington DC CampusWashington · 1,241 students | 1,2415% of the leader · rank #9 | 0.00 |
| 10 | The Chicago School at Washington DCWashington · 564 students | 5644% of the leader · rank #10 | 0.00 |
| 11 | Wesley Theological SeminaryWashington · 374 students | 3744% of the leader · rank #11 | 0.00 |
| 12 | Strayer University-District of ColumbiaWashington · 188 students | 1884% of the leader · rank #12 | 0.00 |
| 13 | Bennett Career InstituteWashington · 176 students | 1764% of the leader · rank #13 | 0.00 |
| 14 | Institute of World PoliticsWashington · 173 students | 1734% of the leader · rank #14 | 0.00 |
| 15 | Saint Michael College of Allied HealthWashington · 136 students | 1364% of the leader · rank #15 | 0.00 |
Enrollment is total reported students, not full-time equivalent, and a branch campus is reported separately from its parent institution. A larger campus is not a less safe one: the incident rate beside it is already per 1,000 students.
Nationwide states with similar campus scale or Clery rate
Two nationwide peer sets for District of Columbia: closest on tracked campus count (19 here) and closest on unweighted average 2024 Clery rate (8.54/1k here). The rate-neighbourhood and keep-peer blocks above stay geo-adjacent; these columns are cross-state ABS comparisons with deduped link sets.
Similar campus count
Nearest other states by number of tracked postsecondary institutions (≥5 scored campuses in corpus).
Similar campus Clery rate
Nearest other states by unweighted average on-campus Clery rate. Campus-count peers above are excluded.
Read with this state
Keep-peer handoff: Pennsylvania sits nearest on unweighted campus average (-0.54/1k). Inside District of Columbia, open The Catholic University of America's campus sheet next.
District of Columbia campus safety FAQ
What are the safest colleges in District of Columbia?
Among District of Columbia campuses that reported at least one 2024 Criminal Offense or VAWA incident in the Clery categories used here, The Catholic University of America has the lowest rate (0.57 per 1,000 students). Next among nonzero reporters: American University (2.19/1k); Howard University (2.22/1k). 11 campuses reported zero in those score categories and are listed separately without a safety ordinal, because a zero report is not the same as a proven safer campus.
How does PlainCampus rank campus safety in District of Columbia?
In District of Columbia, campuses with any 2024 Criminal Offenses or VAWA incidents in the score categories are ordered by incidents per 1,000 students - The Catholic University of America currently leads that nonzero list at 0.57/1k. Zero-report and unscored campuses stay unranked and alphabetical. See /methodology for the full rate definition.
How many colleges in District of Columbia are compared?
This page covers 19 tracked higher-education institutions in District of Columbia, serving about 88,468 enrolled students combined. 8 carry a ranked nonzero rate; 11 are listed without a safety ordinal. By enrollment the largest are George Washington University (25,374); Georgetown University (20,031); Howard University (14,890). Nearby state averages for context: Pennsylvania (8.00/1k); West Virginia (7.60/1k); Vermont (9.77/1k); Kansas (5.58/1k); Iowa (5.37/1k); New Mexico (4.89/1k).
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure 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.