Best Value Degrees in District of Columbia (2026)

Top 100 of 140 programs in District of Columbia · Updated 2026

The best college programs in District of Columbia, ranked by overall value. We scored 140 programs across District of Columbia schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $61,496/yr in graduate earnings.

How a For-Profit School Won DC's Value Race

Strayer University’s #1 ranking for Computer Science is a story of pure financial efficiency. While its graduate earnings of $67,315 are solid, not elite, its remarkably low tuition ($55,680) creates an unmatched 14.0x ROI. Strayer’s career-focused curriculum is designed to plug graduates directly into the vast ecosystem of government and contractor IT jobs in the DC area, prioritizing practical skills over theoretical research to deliver immediate career value for a fraction of the cost of its private nonprofit rivals.

The Georgetown Paradox: Top Earnings Don't Equal Top Value

It's surprising to see Georgetown University's Finance program, with its list-topping $106,218/yr salary, ranked at #3 instead of #1. The reason is simple math: its staggering $260,324 tuition drags its ROI down to 4.9x, nearly a third of Strayer's. This highlights the central tension in "value"—Georgetown delivers access to elite finance careers, but that prestige comes at a cost that significantly impacts the return on your investment.

AI Risk Isn't a Threat, It's a Job Promotion

Don't let the high AI risk scores (averaging 59-63% for tech and finance) scare you. These fields aren't disappearing; they're evolving. AI is automating the routine work—like basic coding and report generation—that used to define entry-level jobs. This means your career will start at a higher level, focusing on system design, strategic analysis, and interpreting AI-driven insights, making the critical thinking skills you gain from a degree more valuable than ever.

The High-Stakes Bet at University of the District of Columbia

The University of the District of Columbia presents a stark choice. Its Computer Science program boasts a jaw-dropping 25.6x ROI, the best on our list, thanks to its extremely low public tuition of $24,608. However, UDC also carries the worst overall debt-to-earnings ratio (0.88x), meaning the average graduate earns less than they owe. This signals that while certain high-demand programs offer incredible value, choosing the wrong major here can be a significant financial risk.

Programs in DC

140

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$61,496/yr

Avg DW Score

60/100

#1 Program

Information Sciences

Strayer University-District of Columbia

Top Institutions

Leading the field for Best Degrees in District of Columbia

The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 100 programs below.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 81

Information Sciences

Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC · Private for-profit

Strayer University-Global Region · DC · #2

$67,315/yr · 14.0x ROI

Finance

Georgetown University · DC · #3

$106,218/yr · 4.9x ROI

Nursing

Trinity Washington University · DC · #4

$79,349/yr · 8.3x ROI

The Ranking Matrix

Top Programs in District of Columbia

Top 100 programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full analysis.

Sort by

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Information Sciences Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC	81 75–82	$67,315/yr	Very High	14.0x
2	Information Sciences Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC	81 75–82	$67,315/yr	Very High	14.0x
3	Finance Georgetown University · Washington, DC	80 77–81	$106,218/yr	Very High	4.9x
4	Nursing Trinity Washington University · Washington, DC	80 77–80	$79,349/yr	High	8.3x
5	Accounting Georgetown University · Washington, DC	79 75–81	$89,564/yr	Very High	5.3x
6	Nursing Howard University · Washington, DC	79 76–79	$79,646/yr	High	6.9x
7	Information Science Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC	79 73–80	$71,167/yr	Very High	14.7x
8	Information Science Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC	79 73–80	$71,167/yr	Very High	14.7x
9	Computer Science Georgetown University · Washington, DC	78 71–80	$92,974/yr	Very High	5.2x
10	Computer Science George Washington University · Washington, DC	77 71–78	$104,200/yr	Very High	3.8x
11	Information Sciences George Washington University · Washington, DC	76 70–77	$71,192/yr	Very High	4.4x
12	Finance George Washington University · Washington, DC	76 74–78	$73,833/yr	Very High	4.1x
13	Finance American University · Washington, DC	75 72–77	$83,505/yr	Very High	3.6x
14	Nursing The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	74 71–74	$81,044/yr	High	3.2x
15	Computer Science University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC	74 67–75	$65,524/yr	Very High	25.6x
16	Finance Howard University · Washington, DC	74 71–76	$81,074/yr	Very High	5.1x
17	Nursing Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC	74 71–74	$81,061/yr	High	13.6x
18	Nursing Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC	74 71–74	$81,061/yr	High	13.6x
19	Accounting University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC	73 70–75	$61,610/yr	Very High	24.0x
20	Accounting The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	72 69–74	$69,915/yr	Very High	3.4x
21	Finance The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	72 70–73	$64,618/yr	Very High	3.5x
22	Nursing George Washington University · Washington, DC	72 68–72	$79,221/yr	High	2.5x
23	Accounting George Washington University · Washington, DC	71 68–73	$69,151/yr	Very High	2.9x
24	International Business George Washington University · Washington, DC	70 65–71	$70,856/yr	Very High	4.0x
25	Nursing Georgetown University · Washington, DC	70 67–70	$84,915/yr	High	2.3x
26	International Business Georgetown University · Washington, DC	70 66–71	$81,800/yr	Very High	3.4x
27	Computer Systems Analysis Howard University · Washington, DC	70 64–72	$92,324/yr	Very High	7.9x
28	Business Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC	69 64–70	$55,431/yr	High	10.6x
29	Business Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC	69 64–70	$55,431/yr	High	10.6x
30	Economics George Washington University · Washington, DC	68 64–69	$67,684/yr	Very High	3.0x
31	Mathematics Georgetown University · Washington, DC	68 63–70	$88,081/yr	Very High	4.3x
32	Business Administration Georgetown University · Washington, DC	68 64–69	$77,479/yr	High	2.7x
33	Accounting Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC	68 65–70	$52,373/yr	Very High	9.7x
34	Accounting Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC	68 65–70	$52,373/yr	Very High	9.7x
35	Human Development & Family Studies University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC	67 67–68	$44,819/yr	High	22.3x
36	Business Administration University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC	67 63–68	$35,894/yr	High	27.2x
37	Business Administration Howard University · Washington, DC	67 61–67	$64,231/yr	High	4.6x
38	Management Science Georgetown University · Washington, DC	66 61–66	$92,963/yr	Very High	2.6x
39	Business Administration American University · Washington, DC	65 59–66	$58,299/yr	High	2.9x
40	Management Information Systems Georgetown University · Washington, DC	64 58–67	$83,756/yr	Very High	4.2x
41	Marketing Georgetown University · Washington, DC	64 59–65	$74,819/yr	Very High	3.1x
42	Civil Engineering The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	63 60–65	$77,501/yr	High	3.6x
43	Business Administration The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	62 56–63	$57,490/yr	High	2.6x
44	IT Management George Washington University · Washington, DC	62 56–64	$86,753/yr	Very High	2.3x
45	Management Information Systems Howard University · Washington, DC	61 55–64	$78,544/yr	Very High	5.5x
46	Economics American University · Washington, DC	60 56–61	$58,151/yr	Very High	2.4x
47	Mechanical Engineering The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	60 57–62	$76,409/yr	Very High	3.1x
48	Political Science University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC	60 55–61	$49,935/yr	Very High	19.3x
49	Mechanical Engineering George Washington University · Washington, DC	60 57–62	$82,361/yr	Very High	2.6x
50	Human Resources George Washington University · Washington, DC	60 54–61	$57,219/yr	High	2.8x
51	Management Science George Washington University · Washington, DC	60 56–61	$66,362/yr	Very High	1.6x
52	Marketing George Washington University · Washington, DC	60 53–61	$54,833/yr	Very High	2.9x
53	Public Relations & Advertising American University · Washington, DC	59 55–60	$50,026/yr	High	3.2x
54	Hospitality Management George Washington University · Washington, DC	59 51–59	$53,625/yr	High	2.6x
55	Economics Georgetown University · Washington, DC	59 55–61	$84,460/yr	Very High	2.2x
56	Health and Medical Administrative Services Georgetown University · Washington, DC	59 54–60	$74,354/yr	High	1.9x
57	Teacher Education American University · Washington, DC	58 60–58	$55,625/yr	High	1.9x
58	Biomedical Engineering George Washington University · Washington, DC	58 56–59	$69,942/yr	High	3.4x
59	International Business Howard University · Washington, DC	57 51–57	$61,040/yr	Very High	3.6x
60	Legal Studies University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC	56 57–56	$43,778/yr	Moderate	24.2x
61	Criminal Justice Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC	56 46–57	$43,405/yr	Moderate	8.9x
62	Criminal Justice Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC	56 46–57	$43,405/yr	Moderate	8.9x
63	Social Work University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC	55 59–55	$45,973/yr	Moderate	15.5x
64	Business George Washington University · Washington, DC	55 50–55	$58,373/yr	High	1.2x
65	Political Science Georgetown University · Washington, DC	55 50–56	$55,247/yr	Very High	2.3x
66	Marketing The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	54 48–55	$52,392/yr	Very High	2.5x
67	Political Science George Washington University · Washington, DC	54 49–55	$51,537/yr	Very High	2.3x
68	Liberal Arts & Humanities Georgetown University · Washington, DC	53 54–53	$66,719/yr	Low	3.6x
69	Criminal Justice Trinity Washington University · Washington, DC	53 43–53	$47,385/yr	Moderate	4.4x
70	Political Science American University · Washington, DC	52 47–53	$48,034/yr	Very High	2.5x
71	Business Administration Trinity Washington University · Washington, DC	52 48–52	$33,741/yr	High	5.4x
72	Criminal Justice George Washington University · Washington, DC	51 42–52	$51,256/yr	Moderate	1.8x
73	Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations George Washington University · Washington, DC	51 45–52	$52,893/yr	High	1.0x
74	Science, Technology and Society Georgetown University · Washington, DC	51 51–52	$51,399/yr	Moderate	3.4x
75	International Relations George Washington University · Washington, DC	50 46–51	$52,933/yr	High	2.3x
76	Legal Studies American University · Washington, DC	48 49–49	$45,790/yr	Moderate	3.5x
77	International Relations Georgetown University · Washington, DC	48 44–49	$50,588/yr	High	2.1x
78	Research and Experimental Psychology Trinity Washington University · Washington, DC	48 46–49	$40,432/yr	High	4.7x
79	Political Science The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	47 42–47	$44,617/yr	Very High	2.2x
80	Public Health George Washington University · Washington, DC	47 43–48	$44,809/yr	High	1.9x
81	Public Health Georgetown University · Washington, DC	47 42–47	$50,415/yr	High	0.9x
82	Psychology Georgetown University · Washington, DC	46 40–46	$51,959/yr	High	1.7x
83	History Georgetown University · Washington, DC	46 41–46	$49,876/yr	High	0.9x
84	Clinical Laboratory Science George Washington University · Washington, DC	45 44–45	$66,905/yr	Moderate	1.6x
85	International Relations American University · Washington, DC	44 41–45	$47,551/yr	High	2.1x
86	Public Health American University · Washington, DC	44 41–44	$42,194/yr	High	2.0x
87	Journalism George Washington University · Washington, DC	44 37–45	$52,015/yr	Very High	2.1x
88	Geography and Cartography George Washington University · Washington, DC	44 40–45	$52,883/yr	High	1.0x
89	English Georgetown University · Washington, DC	43 35–44	$52,122/yr	Very High	2.0x
90	Criminal Justice Howard University · Washington, DC	43 36–44	$27,801/yr	Moderate	3.7x
91	Natural Resources & Conservation Research American University · Washington, DC	42 37–43	$46,780/yr	High	2.5x
92	Criminal Justice American University · Washington, DC	42 31–42	$37,147/yr	Moderate	1.7x
93	History George Washington University · Washington, DC	42 39–43	$38,927/yr	High	1.8x
94	Health & Physical Education Gallaudet University · Washington, DC	40 38–40	$38,090/yr	Moderate	5.4x
95	Business Administration Gallaudet University · Washington, DC	40 37–40	$29,003/yr	High	2.9x
96	Public Relations & Advertising Howard University · Washington, DC	40 40–41	$39,120/yr	High	1.9x
97	History American University · Washington, DC	39 35–40	$43,809/yr	High	1.4x
98	Communication and Media Studies The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	39 31–40	$43,259/yr	High	2.2x
99	Communication and Media Studies George Washington University · Washington, DC	39 31–40	$50,552/yr	High	1.7x
100	Architecture The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC	38 39–39	$44,615/yr	High	2.1x

FAQ

Frequently asked

What is the best college program in District of Columbia?

By DegreeOutlook Score, Information Sciences at Strayer University-District of Columbia ranks #1 in District of Columbia with a score of 81/100 and graduate earnings of $67,315/yr.

How many college programs are in District of Columbia?

Our database includes 140 programs across District of Columbia colleges with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.