5 Best Colleges in Washington, DC – 2024

Academic Highlights: For a large university with a heavy presence of graduate students, Georgetown maintains a personalized and intimate learning environment. The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 62% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. While some classes are a bit larger, only 6% cross the 50-student threshold. There are many ways that students can seek funding for independent research projects or become an assistant to faculty members via the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Summer research can lead to the completion of a senior thesis that can be presented at the College Academic Council Research Colloquium every spring. Each year, 1,000+ Hoya undergrads participate in one of the school’s 200+ study abroad programs that are spread across 50+ countries.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 72% of members of the Class of 2023 entered the workforce, 20% went directly into a graduate or professional program of study, and 5% were still seeking employment. The Class of 2023 sent graduates to a number of major corporations including Bank of America (18), JP Morgan Chase (18), Deloitte (15), Citi (13), and Morgan Stanley (13). Those attending grad school stay at Georgetown or flock to other elite schools like Columbia and NYU. By far, New York and remaining in DC are the two most popular postgraduate destinations, although a fair number also migrate to Virginia, California, Massachusetts, Texas, and Maryland. The financial picture for Georgetown graduates is rosy. Average starting salaries fall well above the national average.

Academic Highlights: The school’s 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to a mix of small, medium, and large undergraduate sections. Seven percent of courses have single-digit enrollments, 11% have over 50 students, and the majority fall in the 10 to 29 range. In recent years, the university has invested in increasing the number of undergraduate research experiences available to its students through the GW Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The efforts are paying off as 400 undergrads now present at the GW Research Days, a two-day event held in April. Close to half of Revolutionaries study abroad for one semester in Europe (65%), Asia (10%), Latin America (8%), Africa (7%), or Australia (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving GW, 93% of the Class of 2023 had found their way to gainful employment or graduate school while 6% were still job hunting. Of the 64% of grads already in the workplace, 64% were in a for-profit industry, 26% had entered a nonprofit position, and 10% were working in government. A healthy 26% of those earning their diplomas in 2023 immediately turned their attention to earning an advanced degree. Fifty-three percent of grads earned a starting salary in excess of $60k, while an additional 30% earned between $40k and $60k Just under three-quarters of recent grads remained in the Mid-Atlantic region with the West and Mountain regions a distant second.

Academic Highlights: All undergrads are exposed to a recently adopted core curriculum that focuses on enhancing students’ metacognitive abilities. Requirements include more than thirty credits of study in courses such as Complex Problems, Quantitative Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Creative-Aesthetic Inquiry, and Written Communication Undergraduate research opportunities are taken advantage of by nearly half of all AU students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 91% of AU grads have found employment, are enrolled in grad school, or both. Employers include the U.S. House of Representatives, City Teaching Alliance, the U.S. Department of State, and the District of Columbia Public Schools, with graduates earning an average salary of $65,909 within six months. Many of the most popular grad school destinations are only a Metro stop away. George Washington, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and American itself head the list.

Academic Highlights: As the nation’s oldest Catholic research university, Catholic University offers students 90 undergraduate programs within a faith-based intellectual community. With an exceptional 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and access to 40+ research centers, students benefit from both personalized mentorship and substantial research opportunities. The university’s global presence includes study abroad programs in 25+ countries and its own Rome campus, serving a diverse student body from all 50 states and 84 countries while maintaining its distinctive Catholic identity.

Professional Outcomes: Catholic University graduates achieve outstanding results, with 93% of the Class of 2024 employed or in graduate school, with 74% earning starting salaries above $50,000. The university’s strong emphasis on experiential learning shows in its internship success: nearly 75% of graduates complete at least one internship, with 29% securing multiple opportunities. Alumni launch careers at prestigious organizations, including Children’s National Hospital, Deloitte, and Booz Allen Hamilton, while many choose to continue their academic journeys at Catholic University itself, demonstrating the institution’s dual strength in career preparation and academic excellence.

Academic Highlights: A strong 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows for generally small class sizes, even with over 3,000 graduate students also in attendance. Forty-four percent of undergraduate course sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and just 10% enroll more than 50 students. Undergraduate opportunities are available in all disciplines, both internally and externally.

Professional Outcomes: If you name a desirable company in the tech, banking, or consulting industries, chances are it will employ more than a handful of Bison. In fact, over 100 alumni presently work for Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Accenture, Deloitte, Wells Fargo, and Apple. Large numbers of Bison also roam the corporate offices of JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, Facebook, and Goldman Sachs. It is similarly easy to locate Howard grads in just about any major American city. The heaviest concentrations can be found in Washington, DC; New York City; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Chicago; San Francisco; and Houston. Howard graduates also typically earn fantastic results when applying to graduate and professional schools. Emory, Tulane, Harvard, Penn, and NYU are some of the most common destinations.