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Howard University

Howard University is a private campus in Washington proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. It is one of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities — a federally recognized designation. The institution reports a hospital in its federal directory record.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

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Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$44,234

family income
under $30k

$45,504

$30–48k

$49,005

$48–75k

$50,842

$75–110k

$51,384

over $110k

Average net price

$50,5392023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Howard University rose from $16,021 (2008) to $50,539 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$16,021
2009	$18,532
2010	$21,304
2011	$25,358
2012	$22,823
2013	$23,191
2014	$24,729
2015	$24,156
2016	$23,424
2017	$39,792
2018	$41,289
2019	$41,388
2020	$45,837
2021	$45,180
2022	$47,919
2023	$50,539

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$54,6302024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Howard University rose from $25,546 (2009) to $54,630 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$25,546
2010	$27,460
2011	$30,127
2012	$39,237
2013	$40,129
2014	$41,643
2015	$43,116
2016	$43,116
2017	$41,488
2018	$43,201
2019	$44,651
2020	$45,971
2021	$49,250
2022	$48,214
2023	$51,450
2024	$54,630

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$9,745
2001	$10,070
2002	$10,320
2003	$10,935
2004	$11,645
2005	$12,295
2006	$12,985
2007	$14,020
2008	$14,685
2013	$22,683
2014	$23,970
2015	$23,970
2016	$24,908
2017	$25,697
2018	$26,756
2019	$27,206
2020	$28,440
2021	$28,916
2022	$31,050
2023	$33,344

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Howard University reports published tuition of $35,810 in this record. Howard University's $35,810 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Howard University reports 10,108 undergraduate students. Enrollment is a headcount, not a measure of teaching access.

70% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Howard University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

70%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Howard University rose from 50% (entered 1991) to 70% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	50%
1992 cohort	41.3%
1993 cohort	45.4%
1994 cohort	49.5%
1995 cohort	56.7%
1996 cohort	67.9%
1997 cohort	69.4%
1998 cohort	63.1%
1999 cohort	67.3%
2000 cohort	67.5%
2001 cohort	69.4%
2002 cohort	65.2%
2003 cohort	62%
2004 cohort	91.1%
2005 cohort	62.6%
2006 cohort	63.3%
2007 cohort	60.7%
2008 cohort	60.3%
2009 cohort	60.6%
2010 cohort	61.3%
2011 cohort	63.4%
2012 cohort	62.4%
2013 cohort	65%
2014 cohort	64%
2015 cohort	63.6%
2016 cohort	70%
2017 cohort	68.9%
2018 cohort	70%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$17,125	$4,000
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$17,124	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$17,124	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$17,125	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$22,125	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$24,250	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$25,421	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$27,000	$10,250
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$27,000	$12,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$27,000	$13,000
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$26,000	$14,000
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$26,000	$13,112
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$25,000	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$25,000	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$24,500	$12,500

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$47,379

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$54,819

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$63,066

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Howard University admitted 14,144 of 34,211 applicants in Fall 2024. The 41.3% rate describes that application pool.

41.3%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $33,344 tuition · 2023–24 10,108 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1090–13201600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Howard University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Howard University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 560–670 and Math was 530–650 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1090–1320 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	560	620	670
SAT Math	530	590	650
ACT Composite	22	25	28

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Howard University received 34,211 applications and admitted 14,144 (41.3%), with 2,738 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

41.3%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Howard University's admission rate fell from 67.7% to 41.3%. The rate alone cannot explain the change. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	67.7%
Fall 2002	56.1%
Fall 2003	56.4%
Fall 2004	46.9%
Fall 2005	46.9%
Fall 2006	47.7%
Fall 2007	53.7%
Fall 2008	48.5%
Fall 2009	54%
Fall 2010	54%
Fall 2011	54.5%
Fall 2012	53.9%
Fall 2013	49.3%
Fall 2014	48.4%
Fall 2015	49%
Fall 2016	30%
Fall 2017	41.4%
Fall 2018	31.6%
Fall 2019	36.1%
Fall 2020	38.6%
Fall 2021	35.3%
Fall 2022	53.4%
Fall 2023	34.9%
Fall 2024	41.3%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1090–1320Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	850	1330
Fall 2002	870	1360
Fall 2003	870	1340
Fall 2004	880	1370
Fall 2005	880	1370
Fall 2006	900	1360
Fall 2007	900	1310
Fall 2008	930	1350
Fall 2009	900	1320
Fall 2010	900	1320
Fall 2011	950	1150
Fall 2012	970	1160
Fall 2013	970	1180
Fall 2014	990	1220
Fall 2015	990	1220
Fall 2016	1040	1240
Fall 2017	1090	1290
Fall 2018	1140	1285
Fall 2019	1130	1280
Fall 2020	1130	1260
Fall 2021	1080	1290
Fall 2022	1050	1290
Fall 2023	1100	1298
Fall 2024	1090	1320

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

22–28Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	19	28
Fall 2002	20	29
Fall 2003	17	28
Fall 2004	18	29
Fall 2005	18	29
Fall 2006	20	29
Fall 2007	20	28
Fall 2008	19	29
Fall 2009	19	29
Fall 2010	20	25
Fall 2011	20	25
Fall 2012	21	26
Fall 2013	21	26
Fall 2014	21	27
Fall 2015	21	27
Fall 2016	22	28
Fall 2017	22	28
Fall 2018	22	27
Fall 2019	22	27
Fall 2020	22	26
Fall 2021	21	26
Fall 2022	20	26
Fall 2023	22	28
Fall 2024	22	28

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

10,108Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Howard University rose from 6,841 (Fall 2002) to 10,108 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	6,841
Fall 2003	7,001
Fall 2004	7,063
Fall 2005	7,164
Fall 2006	7,275
Fall 2007	6,973
Fall 2008	7,118
Fall 2009	7,176
Fall 2010	6,921
Fall 2011	7,043
Fall 2012	6,629
Fall 2013	6,855
Fall 2014	6,961
Fall 2015	6,796
Fall 2016	5,830
Fall 2017	6,276
Fall 2018	6,166
Fall 2019	6,461
Fall 2020	7,784
Fall 2021	8,902
Fall 2022	9,243
Fall 2023	9,604
Fall 2024	10,108

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

91%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Howard University has held near 91% from Fall 2003 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	90%
Fall 2004 cohort	90%
Fall 2005 cohort	85%
Fall 2006 cohort	83%
Fall 2007 cohort	85%
Fall 2008 cohort	83%
Fall 2009 cohort	83%
Fall 2010 cohort	83%
Fall 2011 cohort	81%
Fall 2012 cohort	82%
Fall 2013 cohort	85%
Fall 2014 cohort	89%
Fall 2015 cohort	86%
Fall 2016 cohort	94%
Fall 2017 cohort	85%
Fall 2018 cohort	86%
Fall 2019 cohort	90%
Fall 2020 cohort	91%
Fall 2021 cohort	88%
Fall 2022 cohort	90%
Fall 2023 cohort	91%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Howard University

Faculty pay at Howard University averages $138,960 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Howard University as a primarily residential campus of 10,108 undergraduates — and 90.9% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Howard University's SAT section-percentile sums are 1090–1320 — their midpoint is below the DC four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Howard University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Howard University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Howard University41.3%

District of Columbia median58.1%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Howard University$35,810

District of Columbia median$31,210

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Howard University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Howard University$63,066

District of Columbia median$63,066

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Howard University, District of Columbia and national reference values
Metric & basis	Howard University	District of Columbia median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	41.3%	58.1%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$35,810	$31,210	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$63,066	$63,066	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Howard University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Howard University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 20 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Management Information Systems and Services	$103,478
International Business	$100,344
Accounting and Related Services	$98,645
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$94,136
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$88,875
Finance and Financial Management Services	$80,094
Marketing	$77,820
English Language and Literature, General	$73,929
Health and Medical Administrative Services	$68,877
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	$67,881
Political Science and Government	$65,733
Economics	$63,972
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$61,316
Biology, General	$60,923
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	$60,047
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	$59,909
Psychology, General	$59,069
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$55,902
Fine and Studio Arts	$54,696
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	$44,345

These 20 fields listed for Howard University measure earnings after completion. The $63,066 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 29 additional Howard University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Howard University report?

Howard University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1090–1320 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Howard University's acceptance rate?

41.3% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 14,144 admitted from 34,211 applicants.

How much does Howard University cost?

At Howard University, tuition is $35,810. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Howard University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $63,066. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in District of Columbia

George Washington University — 47.1% admitted
Gallaudet University — 58.1% admitted
Georgetown University — 12.9% admitted
University of the District of Columbia

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.