2027 Best Value Secondary Education Schools in District of Columbia
[Secondary Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/secondary-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value secondary education schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Secondary Education Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in secondary education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Secondary Education Schools
For return on investment in secondary education, no school beat Trinity Washington University this year. Set in the city of Washington, Trinity Washington University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $26,610. Students borrow a median of $31,194 to complete the secondary education program here. Secondary Education graduates of Trinity Washington University earn a median of $64,890 early in their careers. Set against $31,194 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 100%.
Catholic University Of America is a great value for students pursuing a degree in secondary education, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,378. Students borrow a median of $25,771 to complete the secondary education program here. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $65,120. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes American University one of the best values for secondary education. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the secondary education program here. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from American University generally make around $59,756. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Howard University one of the best values for secondary education. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete the secondary education program here. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $58,495. Set against $25,498 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
More Secondary Education Rankings
View All Secondary Education Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
