Howard Housing Costs

$3,452 Other Living Expenses Typical Cost

Living Expenses and How They Compare at Howard?

Understanding all of the expenses related to attending college can allow you to make the best decision at Howard University.

On this page you will find:

Living Expenses Outline
Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses
Meal Plans and Housing Requirements
References

Living Expenses at Howard

This school prices housing and dining separately. The on-campus housing cost for a typical student was $11,360 in 2026, and a standard meal plan cost $5,783. All told, an on-campus student at Howard University can expect to spend about $25,674 in 2026 after factoring in housing, meals, books and other essentials.

Discover housing costs for both on-campus and off-campus, as well as meals and other expenses at Howard University.

Expense	On Campus	Off Campus
Room and Board	$20,862	$31,280
— Housing	$11,360
— Meals	$5,783
Other Living Expenses	$3,452	$6,776
Books and Supplies	$1,360	$1,360
Total	$25,674	$39,416

Will You Spend Four Years On Campus? Projected Four-Year Total: $114,662

Housing and dining costs rarely hold still from one year to the next. A forward look helps you avoid sticker shock later in your degree.

Carried across a typical four-year degree, room, board and other living costs add up to about $114,662 by the time you graduate.

Here is how combined on-campus room and board has moved over the last few reported years, with a projection of where it is headed, at Howard University.

Year	Room & Board
Three Years Ago	$17,938
Two Years Ago	$19,040
One Year Ago	$19,926
Most Recent Year (2026)	$20,862
One Year From Now *	$21,995
Two Years From Now *	$23,190
Three Years From Now *	$24,450
Four Years From Now *	$25,779

* estimated

Room and board changed an average of 5.4% a year over the last three years. Carrying that rate forward one year puts on-campus living costs near $26,807 in their first year.

At this pace, a senior would spend approximately $30,591 for a four-year (bachelor’s) degree, and about $28,002 in their second and final year.

For a full bachelor’s degree, expect to spend a total of around $114,662 over four years — compared with roughly $54,809 for a two-year stay.

Plan for Cost Creep

Annual increases in room and board are the norm, so build a yearly increase into your four-year budget.

Living and Dining on Campus at Howard

Dining plans vary from school to school. Here, plans are structured around a set number of meals per week — see the maximum plan in the table below. The table below outlines what this school reports about on-campus housing.