2026 Best Ethnic Studies Schools in District of Columbia
Ethnic Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their ethnic studies programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for ethnic studies students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Ethnic Studies in District of Columbia
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the ethnic studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Ethnic Studies
American University tops our 2026 ranking of the best ethnic studies schools. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. About 76% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 16 ethnic studies students who graduated with this degree at American University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their ethnic studies degree from American University earn around $46,206 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
See the full ethnic studies program report for American University
Howard University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in ethnic studies, ranking #2. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The six-year graduation rate is 70%. Howard University awarded about 17 ethnic studies degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their ethnic studies degree from Howard University earn around $58,495 in the first couple years of their career. Howard University graduates carry a median of $25,498 in student loans.
Read more about the ethnic studies program at Howard University
Gallaudet University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in ethnic studies, ranking #3. Located in the city of Washington, Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit university. About 47% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 25 ethnic studies students who graduated with this degree at Gallaudet University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their ethnic studies degree from Gallaudet University earn around $31,541 in the first couple years of their career. Gallaudet University graduates carry a median of $28,125 in student loans.
See the full ethnic studies program report for Gallaudet University
More Ethnic Studies Rankings
View All Ethnic Studies Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.
- 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.
